Fans braved the cold and flurries on Friday, February 6 and got out to see DC locals Marilyn Hucek and MADDIE during the last show of Hucek’s first-ever headline tour. The show was originally scheduled for January 24, but was cancelled due to the snowstorm.

Opening up the show was MADDIE, power pop singer-songwriter with Barbie energy in the best way possible. Joined by Trey Sorrells on the keys, MADDIE performed originals "Horoscope", "Tell Me What To Do", "Breakfast in Bed", and "Flirty Little Fling", as well as a cover of Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. Flirty Little Fling got the crowd jumping, and MADDIE’s music is definitely best enjoyed while wearing big hoop earrings.

Hucek opened the last performance of her debut headline tour with "Rebound" and "I Tried", both songs about trials in love set to catchy melodies. She was joined by Daniel Geiss on the bass, Hays Dowdy on the electric guitar, and Izik Raphael on the drums. Hucek’s music takes on an acoustic pop sound, reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early-2010s sound with storytelling at the core of her writing. Her debut album, MARILYN, is about celebrating “girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between,” Hucek said during the show.

Two songs in particular stood out to me: "Man of the House" and "Neil Young". Man of the House is just one song in Hucek’s catalog that showcases the intersection of her musical and personal influences. She dedicated the song to “anybody who’s ever had to grow up fast, who’s ever had to take on a lot more responsibility than they’re ready for.”

Neil Young is an homage to Hucek’s father who struggled with early-onset Alzheimer’s before passing away three years ago. Hucek shared with the audience that one significant way she stayed connected with him was through music, even after he couldn’t recall her name. Hucek performed the song and left several in the audience misty-eyed. After leading the audience in the bridge, she announced 5% of all proceeds from her streams and $3 of every vinyl purchase goes to the Alzheimer’s Association.

This show in particular was special for several reasons, Hucek revealed halfway through the show: not only would Hucek celebrate her birthday at midnight, but it also marked the celebration of life for her father. The night itself was marked by bittersweet moments, and yet they only added to the power of Hucek’s performance.

The whole night felt vulnerable yet passionate, especially since it included covers of Pink Pony Club by Chappel Roan and Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony. Hucek is American-Chilean, and she introduced Vivir Mi Vida by promising the crowd that they were going to have some fun with it. Both songs had the crowd singing along and dancing, and it was a fun and heartwarming display of how music can bring people together in both joy and vulnerability.

Hucek also performed her song "Me Salvaste El Alma", a song with lyrics in Spanish that translates to “You Saved My Soul.” She said the song is about someone who comes into your life and saves you in ways you never expected, following the theme of vulnerability and joy in that vulnerability.

The core of each song was rooted in a story or directly related to something bigger than Hucek herself, which is a part of the reason why I feel her music feels so authentic and powerful. Hucek joked during her performance that “we’re gonna get vulnerable, it’s all about healing,” but that’s just what makes her storytelling so raw. Whether you typically enjoy pop or not, you can’t deny that there is true artistry in Hucek’s music and even more so in her performance.

The first track from MARILYN is called "I Made It", and Hucek wrote it on a road trip to Nashville. Hucek told the crowd that she doesn’t listen to music or podcasts when she drives and she quite enjoys silence, but it was getting to her on this trip—she ended up writing I Made It during that roadtrip as she was thinking about how to define success. Hucek’s mother was present in the crowd, and Hucek sang the last chorus directly to her mother at the front of the crowd, which was a powerful triumph, especially on the last night of her debut tour.

Hucek capped off the night with several unreleased songs: "Polar Plunge", "Animal House", and "Self-Destruct". Before performing “Self-Destruct,” Hucek commented that she was convinced she was “sitting on gold” and couldn’t wait to release it. Given the reception by the audience, Hucek is right, and these songs are going to be the next hits from Hucek.

The crowd sang Happy Birthday to Hucek at the end of the show and begged for an encore, but the band swore they didn’t have one prepared. We’ll just have to look out for Hucek’s next live show.  

Greg Ormont, frontman of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, is widely recognized for his vibrant stage presence and magnetic connection with audiences. Known for his signature sound, thrashing ringlets, infectious grin, and unmistakable sense of humor, Ormont has become a central figure in the modern jam scene. His leadership continues to define Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s spirited blend of funk, rock, and improvisation, inspiring both devoted fans and a new generation of live music enthusiasts. Hailing from Baltimore, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, or 'Pigeons' for short, consists of Greg Ormont and Jeremy Schon on guitar, Ben Carrey on bass, and Alex "Gator" Petropulos on drums. Though Ormont leads lyrically and vocally, the band functions as a true vocal ensemble, with every member adding their own voice in the mix. Their dedicated and extensive fanbase dubbed "The Flock" is known to travel alongside as they tour the country, filling venues and festival lawns with the same pure joy and positive vibes that the Pigeons themselves embody.

Despite the jam-packed weekend at Ramble Festival 2025—with Schon appearing as Artist at Large, Gator performing with Infinity Tribe, and Ormont leading his Scrambled Greg kids’ set—we were able to sit down with Ormont, ahead of that evening’s double-headlining show.  He opened up about the band’s ongoing evolution, their deep connection to the jam-band community, and the release of their latest album, Feed The Fire.

DC Music Review:  How does it feel to be headlining Ramble Festival? Are you guys excited for your double set tonight?

Greg Ormont:  We are stoked. We love the people who throw this (Brick and Jay), and to be in the home state playing two sets it's awesome. We're gonna let her rip!

Have you (Pigeons Playing Ping Pong) played Ramble? I know you've done the kids set.

The band has not, but we actually met these guys when they were helping us with our festival Domefest and they were in the early days of talking about this music festival... they saw how we do things (at Domefest) and it's really incredible to see these seeds of ideas blossom into this whole community that's bigger than the festival itself. I mean people love Ramble and we're included. I'm super proud of them and they should be proud too.

Tell me about the new album.

We're thrilled with the new album! It's called Feed the Fire... just released! I love this new album; we wouldn't put it out if we didn't love it and and this one feels really great. It's a big mix of our different styles and it's a bunch of new things too. For instance, our bassist (Ben Carrey) sings on the record for the first time as lead. and he did a great job on a song called Hit the Ground Running. And we've had new collaborations like Wes Bailey from Moon Taxi on the title track and some familiar collaborations like Chalk Dinosaur on a couple tracks and our friends West End Blend and Here Come the Mummies on horns. It was kind of like taking our touring sound and bottling it up into a nice neat package. And with that comes our touring friends... it was very collaborative and fun and hopefully what we sound like now and the next one will continue to evolve.

 I feel like that's the Pigeon way: jamming with other musicians. Any Pigeons show I've shot you've always had people coming up sitting in.

Well, we play shows all the time, and they're always so fun, but it's always extra exciting when you have a new element on stage or in anything in life... that new is what we're chasing and to have such talented friends around all the time, we'd be fools not to invite them up. In fact, I'd be curious to see if anyone up comes up tonight, because we know a lot of people on this lineup!

Hint, hint, hint!? I know every Pigeons set is going to be different; you're never gonna get the same one especially with different people sitting in. I know and follow a lot of your fans too, The Flock, (which is) such a robust, passionate following because they're putting out set lists like, "oh, yeah, and then they did this!" You don't get that with a lot of bands because the sets will be the same or similar, and they play the songs the way they are on the album, which is great, but I know with Pigeons, you're gonna funk it up and you're not gonna play it exactly how you would lay it down in studio.

I appreciate what you said. We work hard to make every show super different. The reality is you had to be there. And it's like that because one night this other band was on the lineup, they sat in and there was this epic jam or the vibe in the crowd was inspiring us to push certain songs and jams in new directions... into unchartered territory. That's why we all like jam music to begin with. It really is like this choose your own adventure, hang on and go along for the ride kind of genre. So it's hopefully just as much fun for the crowd as it is for us to see where the music takes us.

I think that's why you guys (Pigeons) are such a good fit for Ramble because that is the essence: you just had to be there! Being open to the vibe and bringing whoever up... it's always mystery, but that's the Ramble spirit. Pigeons is a perfect fit.

For sure! I love being here. The vibe is incredible. It's really laid back, but well oiled... there's lots of different genres going on. We we all brought our whole families! All six band kids are here running around, having fun, and it is such an amazing break from reality and at the same time, in our weird profession and world, it is our reality. To be able to coexist with everything that happens outside of the the music scene in today's society... to also be reminded of the pure camaraderie and togetherness that you experience at a festival. It's a really great reminder that we're not as divided as it sometimes seems.

And I think the fact that you can bring the family and have this be a family weekend... making memories together, I think that's great because I know you tour a lot and the kids and wives can't come with you everywhere, and that's gotta be hard!

It's very challenging to balance parenthood and and touring as a musician because you can't be in two places at once. But it's my job to give one thousand percent to all of life's pursuits, whether it's being a present father or an adventurous musician, or doing anything; you give it your all and hope for the best. If you do that and you're mindful of others' feelings and trying to balance it as best you can, you can sleep at night. Allegedly. Not when I'm home. My kids won't let me sleep at night! And then there's these beautiful moments like today, I had both my kids on stage with me for my kids' set. My daughter Goldie got to sing on stage for the first time with me.

I've talked a lot about what got me to this point in life where I'm a touring musician, and one of the things I look back on is the first time I was on stage was the Kindergarten Circus. I was the doggy in the window and I remember barking and people being like, "aww" and laughing. and I remember liking that feeling. And today, my daughter is now in Kindergarten, and got to be on stage and got cheers and it's like incredibly full circle and while it's very challenging sometimes to be gone all the time, moments like today where I get to share the stage with my daughter is something I wouldn't trade for the world.

I love that so much. So do you think she's got the performer personality?

I think she has that personality, but I am not pushing it on her at all. I think when you see your parents do things, you want to do that too, but it was her idea to come on stage. Every time I'm on stage and she's there, she wants to be on stage too. It was her idea to sing on stage and what songs to do and to play more than one song. So if she wants to, I'm happy to do it with her, but I want to make sure that I'm not guiding her natural instincts and what she is passionate about. If it happens to work out that way, then it won't be our last daddy-daughter song. I'm kind of following her lead and she did a great job. We practiced in my house, but once we got on stage at sound check and there's a big microphone and there's people, it was totally different and I could tell she was getting a little nervous. I wasn't sure when the showtime came if she'd be up for it, but she got up there, she shook the nerves off and owned it. It was amazing. I was so impressed. And then my two year old came up and got down too. He did a great baby shark-but it was like a modern baby shark.

What did your daughter (Goldie) sing with you?

Two originals that we wrote together. We had one song called "I Love You So Much" and another song called "Unicorns." Unicorns actually became a Pigeon song, but the band requested that I change the lyrics "unicorns like bubbles" and "unicorns like flowers," so now that song's called "Blue Light" and it's about our reliance on technology and it's not at all a kid song. When we debuted "Blue Light" for the first time, Goldie was in the crowd and was very upset that it was not about unicorns anymore. I warned her, she knew it was going to happen, but apparently she was not impressed with my version. So today was Redemption Day for Dad; we played the proper, original version of "Unicorns" that is not all of a sudden about androids. She did not sign off on that!

What were the lyric changes from unicorns, like bubbles and unicorns to what?

Well, it's like, 'androids are computers and androids are the problem' that's essentially about a not being a slave to your phone. 'Androids are the limit. Androids are the problem.' They're limiting us in our communication with each other. They're the problem in terms of us having a harder time, you know, being in society or connecting with each other, not being anxious. It went from this super cute kiddie idea to this way more adult thing.

I will say I had an absolute blast playing the original lyrics today. Goldie's favorite lyric was "unicorn fart glitter" and she crushed it. There was crowd participation—we asked the other kids in the crowd what else unicorns like and one of them was marshmallows, which was very unexpected, but probably true. I don't think that's wrong! So it was a big day for the fam.

That's awesome. Such a such a fun memory to share with your daughter. How do you think your sound has changed? How does parenthood and touring and just being a band together for so long (17 years!)—How has that changed songwriting and recording albums?

I think all people evolve in life no matter what your job is or what your role in a family is. When you're in a band, it's interesting because you have four different people in our case, evolving at different rates in different ways and therefore the communal soup of our existence tends to change with all these different ingredients, but in ways that won't knock you over the head. So some of us became dads and I don't think that's really affected the music. As the primary lyricist, it has affected the way I approach things sometimes, but not all the times. We have a song on this new album (Feed The Fire), "Donkey Hotel" that is as silly and off the wall as one of our earliest songs from college. With an evolution, you kind of just let it flow and see where it takes you. As a musician, you're chasing something new; once you've made a song, you want to write the next one... this is kind of the nature of the beast.

So one thing we're aware of is letting the evolution happen as it does naturally, not overthinking it. If it sounds good to your ear, then make that music. Another thing that we balance with that is not forgetting where you came from and what got you to this point... what the earliest inspiration was, how that felt at the time and and hearkening back to that. As I grow as a lyricist and I have kids now and I'm talking about different things than I did in college, I also stop myself and remember those earliest days when we were young and touring the country, sleeping on people's couches... really roughing it and having so much fun; everything was new. Calling back those memories to inject in today's lyrics, because those are the those are the vibes that got us to this point to begin with. I think it's important for evolution to embrace the future, but don't leave the past behind. That mixture is what makes us all human and what makes the music interesting, because it's not just a snapshot of today; It's where you are and how you got there. And when when time elapses, you'll look back on this song and it can mean something completely different than it did before. There are so many lyrics I've written or songs we've written that at the time meant something to me in in one way and now mean almost the polar opposite. I find it so interesting because you end up singing these songs over and over, sporadically, because the set lists do change, but when they do come back up, you're singing it with a different intention, energy, and mindset; it's really fascinating to revisit the old while embracing the new.

It's funny because people still talk about the "Early Pigeons Days" When I am out in the jam scene, not even at a Pigeons show, I'll hear  "oh, man, I'm an original, I used to see them at the 8x10 way back when they were just getting started," they talk about seeing you from the ground up.

The last person I spoke to before sitting down with you told me that she saw us in Salisbury, Maryland at a pizza place, Vinny's La Roma... we would show up anywhere that someone would let us play music, clear out the tables, bring our own little sound system, flip the place upside down for a night, then meet people and crash on their floors. And that was like THE DREAM. We were living the dream and we still are! It's just we're playing at a festival and we don't have to provide our own sound.

And the lights!! (Thanks to Pigeons LD, Manny Newman)

I really love talking to people who were there from the earliest days, because it does feel like we got here together... the fact that they are still following us, they've probably told friends about it, and that helps us keep the dream alive. I know just as a fan of bands, I love watching their success. Like Goose, who opened for us in 2019. 2020, right before the pandemic, and fast forward five years and they're selling out Madison Square Garden... they're amazing guys and I love them so much and I'm so proud of them. And I feel how some of our fans do from the early years like "I remember when you guys (Goose) were the support band; look how incredible this growth is in this community you've built." The songwriting is incredible, and they've just earned every bit of success they have. I feel part of that ride... there's something about the longevity of the support that makes the successes all the more meaningful.

Of course. What do they say, 'a rising tide lifts all boats?'

Totally. That has been by mantra.... I came from a sports culture childhood and that is not the case: It's a zero sum game. If one team wins, the other team loses, and it took me a while to put my finger on it, but once I switched into this music-based lifestyle, the fact that someone's success doesn't mean it's negative for you, was such a relief. It's hard to explain how relaxed that made me about everything. The fact that we're all in this together... it really is a special thing, and that's why the jam community amongst many other music communities are just... it's hard to put into words how special it is.

And I don't think everyone sees it until they see it, when you realize "oh, wait, wait, you care about my success and I care about you!"

Greg: And that ties right back into places like Ramble; it's a really great reminder that we're all rooting for each other, especially in PERSON. You get sucked into these digital worlds where the point is to make a point—as opposed to the point being to support and lift each other up. And it's so great to see. Ramble is a perfect place to cleanse your soul of the the day to day and remind yourself about the importance of human connection and and how fleeting it all can be.

Last question, what is your favorite song to play live?

Feed The Fire. Well, in actuality, I would say my favorite song to play live is the one (iteration of Feed The Fire) that we're currently playing because like many people, I'm sure, I have a hard time like not getting stuck in the past or anxious about the future, but when you're on stage and you're focusing on the chords you're playing, the words you're singing, what the other musicians are doing, it's the best way for me to like turn off my brain and be in the now. What I appreciate the most about playing live is just you know, staying in the moment, feeling the energy and because of that, it doesn't even matter what we're playing. I'm probably more grounded than usual when I'm when I'm playing it.

I feel like it bleeds into other areas of life, too, when you have those moments, it helps you be present when you're not on stage. That's what happens to me when I'm in the crowd.

Well, especially when you're improvising. If you let your mind wander, you're gonna miss the train. and it's just a really good metaphor for our everyday existence; if you keep looking behind you or looking ahead of you, you're gonna miss what's in front of you.

Tucked away in the quiet rolling hills of Darlington, Maryland, between rows of soy and corn readying up for harvest, The Ramble Festival has become one of the East Coast's most beloved independent gatherings — a three-day blend of music, art, and family that feels less like an event and more like a homecoming. In our years, the festival has grown from a COVID-19 lockdown-inspired project into a can't-miss stop for touring musicians and fans alike.

Each October, as the air turns cool and the leaves catch fire, hundreds upon hundreds of fans roll into Camp Ramblewood to celebrate the season and the scene.  The lineup mixes national headliners with rising talent, and the atmosphere is all heart — food trucks serving local favorites, pop-up art installations scattered through the trees, and that unmistakable Ramble energy where everyone feels like part of the same big, joyful family.

At the Ramble, spontaneity is part of the design. The mighty Naptown Brass Band leads a parade through the campground to the opening act at The Moon Stage and through the fields after a headliner's encore. A secret acoustic set could break out by the pond under the moon. Kids dance beside parents, artists join each other's sets, and everyone seems to know the lyrics by the second chorus.  The Ramble campground is filled with buskers and is alive with art and a kaleidoscope of kinetic art.   It's a place that thrives on connection — between people, between sounds, and between the moment and the music.

As much as we may try to highlight what happened on-stage at The Ramble Festival, the true magic of The Ramble Festival is the vibe, the sense of community, the sense of Ramble Family, and having something for everyone - from wee infants to those who have worn their knees out from decades of music.  To go to The Ramble Festival is to find your home away from home, your community, and connect with everyone from a Vibe Tribe volunteer to an artist, a vendor, or a busker.  This connection and community are built into the very fabric of The Ramble Festival and will endure, no matter how large the festival grows.

Now in its fourth year, The Ramble continues to evolve, finding new ways to bring people together while maintaining its small-festival soul.  The 2025 edition proved once again why fans return year after year: the music was world-class, the community was strong, and even a looming Nor'easter couldn't break the spirit that makes this weekend special.

Part I: The Calm Before the Ramble

After months of anticipation and the buzz of a growing storm, Ramble Festival 2025 finally arrived in Darlington, Maryland. A Nor'easter was climbing the East Coast, kicking up anxiety from Maine to the Chesapeake, and no one knew if it would hit Camp Ramblewood. In true Ramble fashion, though, no one let it stop them. The vibe was clear: stay cool, trust the weekend, let the music and vibe instilled in the heart of the festival handle the rest.

By Thursday, the storm still hadn't landed. Instead, Ramblewood woke to blue skies and air so crisp it almost hummed. The fields stretched open and golden, the tree line bending just enough to catch the wind. It felt like a good omen.

This year, the Ramble crew introduced something new: the PreAmble to the Ramble, a soft opening just fifteen minutes down the road at Hopkins Farm Brewery. Fans arrived with broad smiles and cold beers, kicking off the weekend with Uncle Kunkle's One Gram Band and The Dirty Grass Players. The grass was green, the sunset spectacular, and the energy had that familiar mix of anticipation and ease that always comes before something special. The sound of music rolled across the field as people danced barefoot, bundled in flannels, and toasted to fall.

By Friday morning, Camp Ramblewood was in full motion. RVs lined the roads, tents bloomed in clusters, and the smell of camp coffee mingled with woodsmoke. The festival had officially outgrown its parking lots, and most guests parked offsite and rode in on shuttle buses. Waiting in line, they were serenaded by buskers who played to smiling faces and tapping feet.

When the buses arrived, Brick and Jay, the Ramble founders and soul of the operation, were right there greeting everyone.  They handed out high-fives and shouted "Welcome home!" to every new arrival. It wasn't marketing — it was genuine. The kind of small touch and heartfelt personalized authenticity that sets Ramble apart from bigger festivals.

The storm still hovered somewhere out to sea, but no one seemed to care. There was too much light, too much laughter, too much sound. The festival had begun, and Ramblewood was alive again.

Part II: Day 1 — The Honeydrops and the Baptism of Joy

Friday arrived bright and clean, with a sky so wide and blue it felt like the festival had willed it into being. The Nor'easter that everyone had been worried about was still spinning somewhere out at sea, and the only wind in Darlington was the kind that carried music.

By midmorning, Camp Ramblewood was fully awake. On the Ramble Stage, The Moran Tripp Band, presented by Heady Wax Fiends, opened the weekend with an easy confidence that set the tone. Their set drew the very first of those to arrive at Ramble from tents, cabins, and RVs, shaking off their arrival at the festival to head over to the Moon Stage.  

Baltimore's own Caleb Stine brought a quieter warmth—his songs rolling out like conversation among old friends.  Stine, a stalwart of the Baltimore music community, showed why he is ever-present in the community - he is a tremendous human and a tremendous musician.

Inside the Beer Hall, Dizgo launched into their first set at Ramble, and it was clear why festival co-founder Brick had booked them.  Their groove was deep and hypnotic, a mix of jam and dance that filled the hall and left people buzzing.  The Ramble creatives once again found lightning in a bottle before the rest of the world knew what was about to hit them.

Later, TreeSap, a stripped-down trio from Cabinet, delivered a tight, acoustic performance that let every note breathe.

Outside the Beer Hall, the first of the now-infamous and cherished Ramble secret set popped when Sneezy cranked the Ramble dial to 11. Their mix of funk and soul spilled across the campground, attracting Ramblers like moths to a flame.

Then came Cris Jacobs, another Baltimore legend, playing with the ease of someone who knows the crowd is on his side. Midway through his set, members of The California Honeydrops drifted onstage, smiling and unannounced, turning Jacobs's show into a spontaneous collaboration. The brass section gleamed in the late-afternoon sun, and the field roared in approval.

By sunset, Ramblewood had settled into that golden-hour calm—the short pause before the main event. When The Wilson Springs Hotel finished their set, the crowd shifted toward the Moon Stage, ready for the first of the weekend's headliners.

The California Honeydrops came out swinging. Their frontman, Lech Wierzynski, led the band through a groove-heavy opening set that felt more like a celebration than a performance. The Honeydrops don't just play shows—they throw parties, and this one hit full stride right away. Lech announced that the second set would be all fan requests, and the band rolled effortlessly through deep cuts, crowd favorites, and spontaneous jams.

Down at the front rail, a member of The NapTown Brass Band stood with a washboard, playing along from the crowd with an ear-to-ear smile. Lech spotted him, laughed, and waved him on. During one of his many onstage laughs, he must have thought to himself, "Guess we don't need ours tonight." The California Honeydrops showed why they were the headliners - they shine best in concert. At a music festival, that is where their legendary performances are created, and Ramblers will be talking about this set for years to come.

When the Honeydrops closed their second set, the music didn't end. Instead, the NapTown Brass Band fired up their horns and led a parade through the crowd, marching everyone from the Moon Stage down to the barn. It was pure joy—trumpets, trombones, and drums turning the night into a moving street party under the stars.

In the barn, the celebration only grew louder. "Noodles at the Dizgo", a mashup of Natalie Brooke's Band and Dizgo, picked up the energy and ran with it. Natalie, celebrating the release of her new double vinyl "Measured In Moments", was unstoppable on the keys. The Honeydrop infusion was not over yet, just a few minutes from getting off-stage, Oliver Tuttle from the Honeydrops joined in on trombone, and suddenly there were three horns blasting through the walls of the fabled Ramble Barn. When The Naptown Brass band tore into "I Miss You Baby," the room erupted in euphoria. The NapTown Brass Band capped it off with "When the Saints Go Marching In," turning the barn into a full-on brass revival.

Meanwhile, outside by the firepit, an acoustic jam formed around the flames—buskers, friends, and strangers sharing songs deep into the night.

Back near the main field, the Honeydrops were spotted again, laughing with fans at Steph's Cereal Bar, bowls in hand as old cartoons flickered on a sheet behind the bar. It was that kind of night—music everywhere, joy around every corner.

And still, it wasn't over. Around 1 a.m., Joe Marcinek and an ever-changing lineup of guests kicked off the Late-Night Super Jam, an improvisational marathon that stretched well past 4 a.m. Rumor had it Joe wanted to play until sunrise, but even Ramble has to sleep eventually.

Part III: Day 2 — The Flock Comes Home

Saturday morning arrived with a soft, silvery light that crept through the trees and across the dew-soaked fields of Camp Ramblewood. The crowd was moving a little slower, heads fuzzy from the Honeydrops' marathon of funk and joy the night before, but smiles were everywhere. Coffee cups clinked, and the sound of a distant guitar eased the campsite awake.

The first thing on the schedule was quickly becoming a Ramble tradition: Greg Ormont's Scrambled Greg Kids Show in the barn. The Pigeons Playing Ping Pong frontman, known for his boundless energy, swapped the stage lights for the glow of morning and an audience half his usual height. Parents packed in with their kids as Greg strummed through classics like "If You're Happy and You Know It," only to flip it into an interactive, laugh-filled workout. "If you're happy and you know it, jump up twenty times!" he shouted, counting along as kids bounced and giggled. Midway through, his daughter joined him onstage, smiling shyly as she sang along. For a moment, it felt less like a performance and more like a family singalong — which, in the Ramble world, is exactly the point.

Outside, the sun climbed higher.  Underground Springhouse, visiting from Georgia, hit the Ramble Stage with a punchy, confident set. Their blend of funk and southern jam carried a swagger that fit the mood perfectly.  Underground Springhouse really brought the crowd alive and we really cannot wait for them to travel up to the DMV again - once again, the Ramble creatives find magical acts we have never heard of.

Children who once frolicked in the barn had moved onto the dedicated kids section of the Ramble Festival and were now painting and engrossed in dedicated activities.  With the children gone, Nester brought the festival's heavier edge, all low-end growl and grit. In the Beer Hall, The Deer Creek Sharpshooters returned to Ramble after two years, greeted by a crowd that welcomed them like old friends.

The buzz of the day built steadily toward one of Ramble's biggest breakout stories: Sneezy. After their surprise late-night set on Friday, their Moon Stage debut was one of the weekend's must-see shows. They delivered a tight, electrifying set full of horns, harmonies, and raw joy. Near the end, frontman Brett O'Connor called festival co-founder Brick onto the stage to thank him for building a place where a band like theirs could thrive. The crowd roared its approval.

Meanwhile, out in the quiet of the labyrinth, TreeSap performed a secret acoustic set under the trees. There were no lights, no amplification — just strings, harmonies, and the faint rustle of wind through the leaves. A small group of wanderers stumbled upon it and stood in silence, taking it in like a secret they'd never share.

The afternoon rolled on with more stellar performances.  The Plate Scrapers brought their bluegrass finesse to the Ramble Stage, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of dancers and pickers. Then came Infinity Tribe, a collaboration between Natalie Brooke and Alex "Gator" Petropulos of Pigeons. The Beer Hall shook as they tore through a blistering set that blurred the lines between jam, rock, and dance music.

The Brothers Comatose arrived, decked out in silver NASA-style jumpsuits, joined by their newest "sister," Addie Levy. They tore into their set with playful energy, and Addie's soaring rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" sent shivers through the crowd.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. As the sky turned purple, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage. For Baltimore's hometown heroes, fresh off the release of their eighth studio album "Feed The Fire", this felt like a victory lap, just a stone's throw from where it all began. From the first burst of color and sound, the Flock was in full flight. The first set was tight and funky, full of favorites, but the second was pure magic. The Ramble creative team strutted in front of the stage dressed in full pigeon onesies, pulling out paddles and a ping pong table to rally glowing balls back and forth in front of the stage. The crowd howled with laughter as the band fed off the chaos and eventually launched into a spectacular cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind."

Midway through, Natalie Brooke reappeared on keys, adding her signature swirl of funky synths to the mix. It was the kind of moment Ramble specializes in — spontaneous, joyful, completely unrepeatable.

When the set finally ended, the crowd was still buzzing when they heard it: the blare of horns cutting through the night. The NapTown Brass Band was back, leading a late-night parade from the main field to the barn. Inside, Underground Sneezhaus — a hybrid of Sneezy and Underground Springhouse — kept the energy burning. The jams were loose, wild, and fearless, spilling past midnight without ever losing steam.

But even that wasn't the end. In the wee hours of the morning, for the super-late night set, Jeremy Schon, Pigeons' guitarist and one of the weekend's Artists at Large, appeared in the barn for his own late-night session, joined by Luke Walker from the Natalie Brooke Band and Uncle Kunkle's One Gram Band, decided to burn their magical match at Ramble a little longer than anyone might have expected as they played until 4:30 in the morning, running through a mix of deep jams and crowd-pleasers that blurred into sunrise.

By dawn, Camp Ramblewood felt timeless — a place outside ordinary life where sleep and time had lost their meaning.

Part IV: Day 3 — The Ramble Ascends

Sunday morning at Camp Ramblewood was a picture of calm. After two long nights of nonstop music, laughter, and motion, the festival grounds exhaled. Mist hung low over the grass, and sunlight began to filter through the trees in soft, gold patches. You could feel that the weekend had already become something special, but the Ramble still had one more day to give.

The morning kicked off on the Ramble Stage with Pappy, who turned the early hours into something gentle and warm. His kid-friendly set drew a big crowd of families. Parents sat on blankets with coffee in hand while their kids clapped and danced along to his bluegrass tunes. The songs felt like sunshine — easy, familiar, full of love.

Not long after, the distant rumble of brass began to build. The NapTown Brass Band was on the move again, their sound winding through the grounds like a joyful summons. They led a parade of festivalgoers past food trucks, art installations, and the now-famous Ramble See-Saw, which had already needed repairs twice thanks to nonstop use. The scene was pure happiness: people spinning in circles, kids perched on shoulders, everyone smiling.

Then it was Natalie Brooke's turn to take over the Ramble Stage. If Saturday night had crowned her one of the festival's brightest stars, Sunday confirmed it. With her keytar slung low, she tore into her set with total confidence, blending funk, synth rock, and prog with fearless energy. Towards the end of the performance, Jeremy Schon arrived as he always did as artist-at-large, joined her, and together they delivered one of the festival's standout jams. The crowd loved every second of it.

Inside the Beer Hall, Muscle Tough kept things tight and experimental, their rhythmic precision a sharp contrast to the looser outdoor sets. Back outside, Cisco, last year's busking competition winner, showed exactly why he'd earned his spot on the official lineup. His soulful voice carried over the crowd like it belonged there all along.

Then came High Fade, a trio from Edinburgh, Scotland, who stunned everyone with their sheer force of sound. The band looked like three regular guys but played with the intensity of twenty. Their set was fast, fierce, and overflowing with energy. When they finished, the applause was deafening.

Over at the Beer Hall, Yarn followed with a honky-tonk set that got people two-stepping. Their mix of country grit and jam-band looseness hit perfectly on a Sunday afternoon.

In the barn, the 2025 Busking Competition took over next. The festival's best street performers faced off under glowing string lights, playing for a chance to earn a real set next year. It wasn't about prizes so much as heart — each musician leaving it all out there in front of a roaring, appreciative crowd.

Then came one of the weekend's biggest surprises: The Ramble Band Plays Dead, featuring Cris Jacobs. Nobody knew what to expect until the band walked out and the secret was revealed. Backing him was none other than Dogs in a Pile, alumni of earlier Rambles and fan favorites. The pairing made perfect sense. From the first notes of "Scarlet Begonias," the chemistry was obvious.

A few drops of rain started to fall, but no one moved. After three days at Ramble, the crowd had learned to trust the weather, to let the music carry them through anything. The drizzle became part of the show — just enough to cool everyone down as Cris and Jimmy Law traded guitar lines like old friends. For a few minutes, the whole field seemed to hang in balance between the music and the rain. When it ended, applause rolled like thunder.

Out by the pond, away from the noise, The Deer Creek Sharpshooters played one last secret set — just acoustic instruments, quiet voices, and the reflection of moonlight on the water. It was simple, peaceful, and the perfect way to close three days of chaos and beauty.

The night carried on inside the Beer Hall with The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, who brought a rowdy blend of Celtic folk and Southern grit. Midway through the set, their bassist stood balanced on top of his upright bass, beer in hand, playing without missing a note. It was ridiculous, hilarious, and perfect for Ramble.

Finally, the Moon Stage lights came up one last time for The Infamous Stringdusters, who were celebrating twenty years as a band. They spoke about how they'd heard stories of this little Maryland festival from fans across the country, and how now they understood the hype. Their set was equal parts technical mastery and soul, closing with a brand-new song from their upcoming anniversary record.

But Ramble doesn't end quietly.  While many festivals start to wind down on their last day, The Ramble Festival keeps the vibe, music, and spirit alive to the very last minute.  When the vibe is this strong in a festival, why not keep it Ramblin' all festival long! 

When the Stringdusters finished, the NapTown Brass Band appeared once more to lead the crowd toward the barn for the grand finale: The Ramble Fam-Jam. Practically every musician still on site joined in — Natalie Brooke, Jeremy Schon, the Dogs, Sneezy, Underground Springhouse, The Fitzgee Brothers, and more — all packed onto the small stage, swapping solos, laughing, shouting, and playing like they never wanted it to stop.

The jams stretched late into the night, until the air inside the barn was thick with heat and the rhythm of the music.

Epilogue: After the Music Fades

By Monday morning, the fields of Camp Ramblewood were quiet again. The sky was clear, the air smelled like wet grass and woodsmoke, and the only sounds were zippers, laughter, and the thud of tent poles coming down. After three days of music, it was hard to believe it was over.

The Nor'easter that had threatened all week barely brushed past. The storm came and went like an afterthought, leaving only a few sprinkles and some dramatic clouds. What stayed behind was something much bigger: the feeling that the Ramble Family had built something that couldn't be shaken.

Everywhere you looked were small reminders of the weekend's energy. The Ramble See-Saw stood at rest, scuffed from nonstop use. The stages were quiet now, but you could still picture the lights and the crowds. The barn smelled faintly of beer and brass, and the path to the pond was stamped with footprints from those who'd found the Deer Creek Sharpshooters' secret set.

The 2025 Ramble had pulled off the impossible again — three days of near-perfect weather, stacked music, and the kind of community that most festivals only dream of.

The vibe leaving camp was pure afterglow. No one seemed quite ready to let it go. The conversations were already about next year — the lineup, the art, the possibilities. Ramble had set a new bar for itself, and everyone knew it.  

For those who were there, it was more than just another festival. It was proof that good music, good people, and a focus on vibe and community will turn a weekend in rural Maryland into something unforgettable.

The Ramble family will return October 9-11, 2026. Get the cheapest tickets for the 2026 edition right now with your 2026 Ramblin' & Gamblin' Pass.  Based on the trajectory of the festival and the continued rise in energy and lineups, there is no doubt that the Ramble creatives will strive to surpass the 2025 edition, making it the must-attend festival of fall 2026.  One can only imagine what new treats, additions, and Rambling Shenanigans await us next year.

A Slight Post-Script, with the spirit of helping our music community and others:  

As many of you know, The Ramble Festival is deeply committed to making the world a better place - especially off the stage.  We, too, embrace making the world a better place and would point out some of the organizations who worked tirelessly at The Ramble Festival this year.

• For those who ate at Stefs Cereal Bar, this was not just a refuge serving hungry festival goers 24/7, but also one that is deeply committed to feeding at-risk youths.
• Please also consider giving back to 5 Points Music Sanctuary, who provide music therapy, hearing loss advocacy, and hearing accessibility to those attending live music events.
• Did you win any raffles by Positive Legacy at The Ramble Festival?  They integrate music and service to benefit people and the planet, providing grants to environmental and humanitarian service projects.  They fund these endeavors through raising money at live music events around the world.  

Do Good – Every Jam Saves The Bay

A saying on a sticker someone gave me (at a music festival of course) that I try to actively incorporate into life as much as possible.  The Annapolis Baygrass Festival, for the third year in a row, made that entirely too easy.  Including all three elements into the foundation of the event that has continued to grow, is what organizers managed to execute flawlessly at the 2025 rendition.

Do Good – Every Jam Saves The Bay

Not only does a portion of every ticket, drink purchase, and Baygrass merch sold go directly to the non-profit partners recognized repeatedly throughout the weekend, but the setting also raises awareness.  Organizations working to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay could provide actual proof and evidence of the needs, impact and results of their efforts all around Sandy Pointe.  Workshops to further educate attendees and even a giant balloon  flying high in the sky reading weather patterns were just a few of the opportunities available to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay waters and why we all need to ensure it is well taken care of.  Baygrass makes its mission a living, breathing part of the weekend that locals take notice of and appreciate wholeheartedly.  Making the festival green by having a zero plastic motto as well as volunteers standing ready to help sort compostables, trash and recycling paid some good karma forward in the eyes of Mother Nature. 

DCMR had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Kyle Hollingsworth, who himself is home-grown and familiar with all the life that depends on the water source, being from Maryland.

DCMR: “So you’re from the area, what was your favorite venue to go to growing up?”

KH: “Well, my first band Black Friday, played at the 8 x 10, many years ago, this is in the 80s, when Giles was actually the owner.  We would play there because we would have a draw,and he'd pay us, but we were not legally old enough to be in the club.  I was the oldest at eighteen and the other guys, some of the other guys were only sixteen.  So we would play and then immediately have to leave.  In DC, we played 9:30 Club and then we also played The Bayou.”

Feel Good – Beach Yoga & Mental Health Awareness

You have to take advantage of being in such a beautiful spot so not only did we learn how to keep the Chesapeake healthy for years to come, we also made sure that we do as well.  Yoga sessions on the beach with toes in the sand while bands played not even fifty feet away is an activity that doesn’t come along every day.  

Organizers of the event are also big supporters of Mental Health Awareness and held a workshop focusing on how it’s sometimes “ok to not be ok” lending understanding and support on how to get through some of the struggles. Both Saturday and Sunday also had several reserved times for Sober Gatherings to further incorporate and provide for the attendees who chose to take that route.

Make it Fun.  Music and People.

There wasn’t a single person that I saw or spoke to the entire weekend that wasn’t having the kind of time that we all wish for more of.  The lineup this year brought in some artists that expanded past just Bluegrass like LaMP, but also had the staple festival regulars playing all over the musical map.

Larry Keel’s Electric Larry Land and the Grateful Ball featuring the Travelin McCourys got downright funky and Kyle Hollingsworth really turned it up with his mid-afternoon set on Sunday.  Paying homage to a wide variety of artists from all over the musical map, bands went left, right and center with some of the covers they brought out for the weekend.  

Hollingsworth just released a new album and described it as a mash up of different sounds throughout.

DCMR: “So the new album is out and it’s called All We Are.  So what all are we – is it sugar and spice and everything nice?  Or more like Jameson on ice?”

KH: “So, it's the title track of my album, and so I was looking for the way to represent all the songs on the album. The first song is a little bit Death Cab For Cutie, a little bit indie rock. I was a little nervous to put that one first, but then everybody at the record company really liked it, liked that style.  Then I do like a funky number and then I'll do a Paul Simon type of thing, so it’s all we are - it’s a concept of all the musical influences in my life.”

Not only are his musical influences a long, diverse list but so are his musical instrument playing capabilities.  

DCMR: So a lot of instruments that you play - accordion, keys, ukulele – the list goes on. So, what is one that you don't know how to play yet that you want to still learn?

KH: Oh wow, good question. I was thinking about this just the other day because I just started playing ukulele, and that's really fun to write on. Something that I would love to play…. well, I definitely want to play accordion better, but maybe something like a Dobro or something that has, like, the way you can be emotional and bend notes that the piano players don’t really have a way to do that too easily.

As always, old friends reconnected and caught up, and new friends were made just the same.  That goes for off-stage in the crowd, but on-stage as well, where ticket holders were once again blessed with Holly Bowling joining Kyle Hollingsworth and making even more music magic during their Saturday night set.  Both Bowling and artist-at-large Kyle Tuttle shared stages a-plenty throughout the weekend, dazzling us all over and over again.  

Baygrass has improved their lineup, experience and environmental awareness as well as impact year after year and provided a late-Summer/early-Fall event that we cannot wait to continue being a part of and see what they’ll give us in 2026!

Soupless, a duo from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, arrived on the alternative rock scene with their album The Outside - an exploration of overlapping journeys and beginnings and endings. Known for blending time-tested sounds of the genre with their own unique approach, this album tests the boundaries of Soupless’s chill yet eclectic take on alternative rock.

The Outside is not only a metaphor for their debut into the scene, but it’s a way to conceptualize leaving their dorm-room-turned-recording-studio. The duo, guitarist and producer Matthew Aasen and vocalist Aiden Rinaldo, became roommates during their studies at Belmont University in Nashville.

Of the album, Rinaldo reflected on its meaning to Soupless and the audience they hope to reach. “The album came together almost by accident… I think it could make a big splash if it falls into the right hands or the right circles that would really engage with it and try to understand it.”

In many ways, their debut also marks the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one. Though their dorm room recording studio era has come to an end, their 10-song album marks the beginning to a consistent cycle of rebirth and rediscovery as musicians. First released as a single, ‘In The Mirror’ is a story that tells itself– an inner battle, the big moments and the small ones, and an ever-present tumble with fate’s will. A cymbal crash represents the breaking glass of that reflection and a turn towards something new, something Asen and Rinaldo accomplish wholeheartedly in this release.

When asked about their favorite songs on the album, ‘In The Mirror’ and ‘Tick On’ were tied for first. “Both have the strength of tackling abstract but relevant topics, but have different approaches,” said Rinaldo. “In The Mirror’s climax with the glass shattering right in the middle of the album is certainly there for a reason, and is super memorable. Tick On has an awesome guitar solo in the end and has a trippier vibe, tackling the constructs of time lyrically and with the instruments echoing similar sentiments.”

There is no doubt that this album digs a little deeper than previous EPs. Every song has that feeling that there’s more than meets the ear on first listen– whether it’s the lyrics, the mood of the instruments, or the production. Soupless has used their EP Polly’s and single releases to explore their sound from their groovy and bluesy foundations to create their debut album. The Outside gives a deeper dive into the psychedelic and dreamy guitar and lyrics, moving between Soupless’s classic alternative sound and experimenting further with heavier, more demanding sonic themes.

Aasen described the songs he felt were the biggest risks. “K9 and Keep On Going were risks out of our comfort zone in quite opposing ways. K9 features some more modern production elements, including a big synth bass that strays a bit from our typical palette. There’s also some prominent synth chords that were different from anything in songs we’ve put out in the past. Keep On Going took an acoustic vibe, with acoustic instruments serving as the foundation,” he said. “We leaned into an unpolished, rougher sound on this one that is very apparent in the vocals. The choices we made when creating these songs ultimately were to serve the song.”

Soupless primarily performs in their local Nashville scene, though Aasen hails from the DMV. Recently, the band performed at the Belmont University Rock Showcase near Nashville, an event that provides both student performers and behind-the-scenes leaders a chance to show off their skills both on and off stage while boasting some impressive alums– including Judah & The Lion, COIN, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, and Brad Paisley. Soupless emerged from the showcase as the overall winner, giving them the chance to play and compete at the Best of the Best Showcase in April 2026.

We hope you enjoy the album as much as we did.  We look forward to Soupless venturing further beyond Nashville, and especially look forward to greeting Aasen back to the DMV as a returning hometown hero.

Gender-Diverse Lineup to Feature National and Local Artists on July 26 and Pre-Fest Events from July 21-25.

The inaugural This Could Go Boom! Music + Culture Festival will take place on Saturday, July 26 at Bladensburg Waterfront Park and on stages across Hyattsville, Maryland. Headlining artists include Speedy Ortiz, River Shook, and Crys Matthews, as well as local performers. Streetcar 82 Brewing, Maryland Meadworks, and Sangfroid Distillery will host satellite stages with performances on the day of the festival. 

This Could Go Boom! (TCGB!) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to empower and advocate for gender diverse marginalized musicians through community engagement and education to dismantle barriers, promote diversity, and ensure that everyone can express themselves and enjoy music without discrimination.  

“TCGB! is truly a grassroots effort. We were founded around a kitchen table where women and nonbinary musicians spoke freely about feeling defeated, harassed, left out, and manipulated by the industry. We put our feelings into action—350+ artists in paid performances, gallery talks, records released, and a skills-sharing program. TCGB! is truly grown from the ground up,” said Erin Frisby, co-founder of TCGB! and festival organizer. “We can't wait to see everyone at the inaugural festival because the way forward is through community. Join with these necessary and powerful voices of diverse experiences, connections and histories as we imagine an irresistible future.” 

“Before I ever knew how to write songs, I thought I was going to be a high school band director,” explains Americana artist and social justice music-maker Crys Matthews, a festival headliner. “And in band, as in any type of music, it's always sweeter with other voices present. Being part of a festival where this idea is not only understood, but that advocates loudly for diverse voices is so refreshing. As a woman who is also Black and a lesbian, I have worked hard to be comfortable enough in my skin to show up as my fullest self on and off stage. It means a lot to an artist like me when festival organizers see and celebrate my full humanity.” 

In addition to headlining artists, more than 35 local and regional artists will perform on four stages and at pre-fest events, showcasing the breadth of talent across the Washington, DC metro area. Performers will include 50 Foot Woman, Alena Ciera, Ammonite, Ari Voxx, Be Steadwell, Cynthia Marie, Flora and the Fauna, Kinda Evil, Lightmare, Mac N' Toss, More AM than FM, Neon Habits, Petrichor, and Witch Weather. 

Leading up to the main festival, pre-festival events will be held from July 21-25, 2025, including:  

• Open Mic Night at Denizens Brewing on July 21 at 7 p.m., hosted by Flowerbomb’s Abby Rasheed. FREE. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. 
• Youth Night at Colmar Manor Community Center on July 22 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., in collaboration with Girls Rock! DC and Music and Arts featuring Petrichor. FREE. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. 
• DC Bushwick Book Club, at the Bladensburg Library on July 23 from 6:00-8:30 p.m., will be hosting live performances inspired by the book Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. The event will feature BBC founder Susan Hwang with Mya Byrne headlining. FREE. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. 
• A Punk Show at Colmar Manor Community Center on July 24 from 7:00-11:00 p.m. with Professor Goldstein and other acts. FREE. RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. 
• A one-night-only revival of beloved DC spoken word series mothertongue at Joe’s Movement Emporium on July 25 from 7:00-9:30 p.m., featuring mothertongue co-founder Ruth Dickey. Music by Mya Byrne and Be Steadwell. Tickets available on Eventbrite. 

“As a trans woman in music, it’s often hard to get heard, and I’ve found myself bubbling under more often than not—so I’m excited as heck to get up to a full-on boil headlining at the inaugural TCGB! It’s important to champion undersung and overlooked voices in art—especially trans ones—not just for equity’s sake, but because our art can carry a gravitas of life lived in process and discovery; our personal tales are not niche; they are universal, and I’m thrilled that TCGB! recognizes that," said singer-songwriter Mya Bryne who is headlining both the mothertongue and Bushwick Book Club events leading up to TCGB! Fest. “We’re more than diversity quotas. We are diverse artists with diverse, relatable stories.” 

The festival will also feature a variety of vendors, community organizations, and food trucks, as well as family-friendly activities. 

The TCGB! Music + Culture Festival is funded in part by a grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. "Maryland invests in cultural tourism through the Heritage Area program, and we're thrilled to see the program support a unique new cultural festival in Prince George's County,” said Meagan Baco, executive director of Anacostia Trails Heritage Area. 

In addition to the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, the festival is made possible through the support of sponsors and community partners Art Works Now, Denizens Brewing, Girls Rock! DC, Jersey Mike's, Lil’ Bowl Thai and Japanese Cuisine, Maryland Meadworks, Music and Arts, Patent Brewing, Roxplosion, Sangfroid Distillery, Streetcar 82 Brewing, Takoma Radio WOWD LP, and The Port Towns. To become a sponsor, email support@thiscouldgoboom.com. 

The festival will take place on July 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is free for all ages, with accessible facilities. For more info and to subscribe for updates, visit https://www.thiscouldgoboom.com/.

To learn more about This Could Go Boom!, please see the following web resources:

• Webpage
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Spotify

Talking the talk and walking the walk are often something that artists are able to only do one of.  Alabama-born JP Harris, on the other hand, has not only a rugged song catalog, but the same rings true of his life.  While fans are all-too-familiar with the country and bluegrass obsession with trains over the years, this man breathes a different kind of life into it entirely.   While many artists craft lyrics about rambling lives and hard-earned truths from the comfort of a tour bus or a writing room in Nashville, Harris has the rare distinction of actually riding that train. Long before he ever stepped on a stage, JP was hitchhiking across the country, hopping freight trains, living without electricity, and learning carpentry by necessity. His life reads like a forgotten verse of an old folk ballad, and it’s that raw authenticity that pulses through every word he sings.

Real experiences, real life and real people are the building blocks of what we hear when we listen to Harris on a track and he is more that proud of being able to bring that to the recording studio to share with awaiting ears of fans far and wide:

"A multi-year love affair I had with them," says Harris of his days riding the rails.  

"The world at large, doesn't quite fathom the connections that are made

through living in unconventional ways. A lot of that network of friends from back then,

are people that I still stay in contact with and that I crash with when I'm the road." 

JP also talks about something else that keeps him real and raw in the music industry and that is the fans that he continues to see at his shows.  Former punk-rock road travelers he shared nights under stars with, Deadheads that have multiple generations in attendance, folks that show up not knowing what to expect and leave as fans that buy the t-shirt to wear proudly on the street.  Past lives that have been lived still show up with just as many changes as similarities:

"Being in a touring band and being travelers, there's a lasting bond.  

Some went on to become lawyers, some died - there are some that parlayed

 it into things like being full-time artists, or it lead them into community activism."

He’s not interested in chasing radio hits or industry trends. Instead, he’s content carving out a space far off the beaten path — sometimes literally. When he’s not on the road playing bars, venues and roots festivals, Harris lives off-grid in the woods, doing carpentry and letting the silence between projects shape the next song. This slower pace, far from the noise of the industry, allows him to write music that speaks to people instead of at them.  

In a genre often bloated with overproduced sound and underlived sentiment, JP Harris stands as a rare breed — a man who’s lived more lives than most songwriters could dream up, and who still keeps it real with every chord he strums.  Keeping the real in his songs, we joked, might also make him a good candidate for a politician, especially these days when the authentic is rare.  

"Vote for JP Harris - He's Shoveled Shit," would be the campaign slogan when I asked him what he might have on banners if he was to randomly choose running for Mayor.  And while some might think that a shocking way to get votes, in reality it's a nod to his authentic self and the lack of a facade that is put on by far too many, either pretending to be (or not be) who they truly are.  

Not to be mistaken or confused with anything other than what it is on the surface, Harris still has his occasional qualms about who he is and what he's doing as any musician and artist will, but his songs aren’t stylized stories about heartbreak and hardship — they’re pulled from real dirt, real distance, real people. Harris has slept under the stars with fellow travelers, worked his hands raw building homes, and spent time in communities that most songwriters only reference as an aesthetic. That lived-in truth comes through loud and clear in his records, despite him saying that something he still looks for that he lost is 'validation'.  

JP's latest album JP Harris is a Trash Fire (to which he was admittedly the one that lit the match) is out now and you can catch him this coming Wednesday at Jammin Java in Vienna, VA.  

To learn more about JP Harris, please see the following web resources:

• Webpage (ILoveHonkeyTonk.com)
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Spotify
• TIDAL
• Soundcloud

“We just love making stuff,” said Aaron Graham, one of the members of the indie duo Ray Bull, in an interview.

Graham and Tucker Elkins are about to release an EP entitled Little Acts of Violence on Friday, Feb. 21, ahead of their first ever headline tour. They will be beginning their 19-show tour in Washington, D.C. at The Atlantis on March 7, 2025.

However, “indie” may not even be the best term to describe Ray Bull. They hardly fit into any one box, and as two artists, they prefer to color outside the lines.

Elkins and Graham met at The Cooper Union, an art school in Manhattan, New York, right before the pandemic. The two began as visual artists, and while they still make visual art, they discovered their mutual enthusiasm for making musical art. Around this time, Graham had been using the name “Ray Bull” as a persona for sharing his visual art, so it all seemed to fall into place when he and Elkins began making music together. They took a name that had a bit of history behind it and started creating art in a medium in which they had no prior history.

Many have tried to describe Ray Bull as indie rock or indie pop, and they said that that certainly describes some of what they do, but they see themselves as more eclectic and prolific, with a wider array of genre-bending styles. But if Ray Bull could be summed up into just a few words, I would say they would be poignant and mysterious.

“We weren’t in bands in high school and it was never a dream to play in a band and get on stage and go on tour,” Graham said. “We just loved making things and music kind of happened later. So by the time we came to music, it felt very like an open feel to us, like we didn’t come to it with a specific genre.”

Ray Bull “stumbled into” their upcoming EP, Little Acts of Violence. 

“We’re not really sure what it is,” Elkins said. “It even confuses us a little bit.”

The new EP will feature seven songs, four of which have already been released as singles. The title track, “Little Acts of Violence,” has hints of Sara Bareilles, Declan McKenna, Enya, and even The Killers. 

“We write so many songs that we kind of just have around in waiting,” Graham said. “It was kind of a process of hearing different voices and what people thought of what we had, and kind of just letting the songs fight their way to the top. So it’s like, whatever songs called attention to themselves ended up on the EP. So in that sense, we’re not entirely sure of what they’re saying together.”

So will “Little Acts of Violence” have songs fighting for the top spot? Fans will have to find out when the EP comes out this Friday.

Ray Bull has been working with the record label AWAL to produce this, which is their first time producing music not entirely independently. In the past, Ray Bull has created all of their own content, including the artwork.

“We feel so lucky that we get to be the ones doing it,” Graham said. “We went to art school, have the skill set, and it feels like an essential part of representing ourselves.”

Graham described their songwriting process as a “mentality of mumbling;” their fully formed product hardly ever comes out the first time around. They often start with the chords and the melody, and then mumble to find the right words. They often do, as their lyrics are very poignant, yet vaguely mysterious.

“It often feels like we’re like paleontologists or something, like uncovering bones and brushing things away to see what’s there,” Graham said. “It feels like the words are somewhere in there.”

As is the case for many artists these days, Ray Bull gained their audience through TikTok and other social media platforms. You may recognize them from their mashup videos, where they sing two existing songs overtop of each other. They wanted to share their music somehow, and TikTok seemed to them like the most logical place to start.

“It was like a sink-or-swim kind of mentality, almost, with TikTok these days,” Elkins said. “The more we did [the mashup videos], the easier it was to think of them, because we were getting views and stuff; it’s like a high… Now I feel like we’re hardwired to think of them. It’s almost like a curse… it feels like seeing the ‘matrix.’”

Even though it can be a love-hate relationship with the social media platform, especially with the ever-changing algorithms, they are glad they did it.

“It’s really provided us with that foundation of an audience,” Graham said. “So many people started following us because of that, and then we suckered them into listening to our own music.”

As Elkins and Graham are both visually-minded people, they often come up with creative concepts for their TikToks, music videos, and album art.

While this is not their first taste of the tour life after previously supporting Stephen Sanchez and Ricky Montgomery’s respective tours, Ray Bull is excited to be heading out on their own tour. They’ve played DC9 and the Pie Shop before, but they hope that their first stop at The Atlantis will set the tone for the rest of their 19-city tour.

For more information about Ray Bull’s shows in D.C. and beyond, check their website, and be sure to catch them live at The Atlantis on Friday, March 7.

(Cover Image Photo Credit: Sweet Joey Vermouth)