When local folk and bluegrass quartet Steep Ravine prepared to record their debut full-length album, Trampin’ On, they wanted to make sure it was a very different experience than the one they had recording their first EP a few months earlier.
“When we recorded our EP, we turned our bass player Alex Bice’s bedroom into a studio by stuffing jackets and socks into the corners and laying mattresses against the wall, and all we ate was tortilla chips for two days,” laughs guitarist and lead vocalist Simon Linsteadt. “For Trampin’ On, [we used] top-of-the-line recording equipment, were all separated by recording booths, and since we had a professional recording engineer taking care of all of the recording work, we were able to focus 100 percent on our playing and singing, since we knew we were in good hands.”
Anyone who has listened to their EP knows it is possessed of a charmingly simple aesthetic, but Trampin’ On—which was released last fall—certainly kicks things up a few notches, and shows that they were indeed in good hands with engineer Jacob Winik. The album proves Steep Ravine is interested in writing great songs, regardless of genre.
“When compiling and arranging the all-original material for Trampin’ On, we weren’t really concerned with going in particular directions,” Linsteadt says. “Just by chance the material was diverse, and drew from jazz, bluegrass, folk, swing and pop. Our main concern was having the album flow naturally, so the songs made sense in succession.”
11 a.m. Saturday, May 31. Redwood Mountain Faire at Roaring Camp, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Adults: $20/adv, $25/door; Students/Seniors: $15/adv, $20/door; children 12 and under: Free. 216.6535.
