Psych folk rock band Forest Ray began as a recording project in 2015, combining guitar-driven psych rock with elements of garage rock, folk rock, and organ-laden pop. They’ve been described as “Brit-pop gone country” or as “…The Band covering Beatles songs no one knew existed” (Tony Kay, Washington’s Artist Home blog).
The group’s sound has evolved from ’60s psychedelic garage rock into spaced-out, down-to-earth rock ’n’ roll that feels “like a perfect companion for a long, dusty road trip” (KEXP, Chris Sanley).
Here’s what KEXP had to say:
“The new album from the Seattle outfit is a solid blend of Americana, psych and indie-rock. Peter Sumic’s classic storytelling style is driven by a rich sonic tapestry of guitar, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel, harmonica and percussion, making Windf**er* feel like a perfect companion for a long, dusty road trip.”
— Chris Sanley, Program Director at KEXP
Billy and the Dreamboats
Seattle-based band Billy and the Dreamboats craft dreamy, 1960s-inspired pop that blends lush melodies with introspective lyrics. Their sound draws from the atmospheric haze of shoegaze and the melodic sensibilities of indie pop, creating music that feels nostalgic without sounding retro.
With a warm, immersive approach to songwriting and arrangement, their songs are ideal for listeners who appreciate introspective, vintage-inspired pop with a modern emotional core.
Billy and the Dreamboats are currently on an album release tour in support of their forthcoming full-length record, How Did You Get Here? The tour showcases new material alongside selections from their catalog, marking a new chapter for the band as they bring this release to the stage.
Ryan Curtis
Over the last decade, Ryan Curtis has continued to carve out a name for himself in the world of Alt-Country and Americana music. His unique blend of old school honky tonk and high desert country blues plays like a love letter to the past, bucking the slick sheen and tired cliches of today’s pop country radio in favor of traditional, songwriter-driven roots music. Ryan’s songs are usually about life’s harder-learned lessons, painting cinematic pictures of picaresque anti-heroes from the Midwest to the Rockies; down-and-out townies, bar room drifters, forlorn lovers, and resilient loners fill his visionary tales and mournful subject matter he turns into country gold.
His first solo record, 2021’s Rust Belt Broken Heart was woven together with a western noir sound soaked in the sorrowful twang of pedal steel. His latest Ain’t Ever Easy, (released in July on American Standard Time) builds on that, but with a more guitar-forward sound, mixing in early 70’s rock n’ roll, (a’ la Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street era Rolling Stones), alongside classic 60’s country and honky tonk. The gravelly voice of the Michigan-born, Boise-based singer has been praised on KEXP and earned acclaim from the likes of No Depression and Saving Country Music. You can catch Ryan and his band out on the road week in and week out bringing the heat to the dives and haunts of the great American West and beyond.
