A wealth of press has come out in support of R. Ring’s recent U.S. tour, with features, interviews, song premieres, show previews and live radio in-studio performances. Here’s some of the media love to come in the last month for Kelley Deal (The Breeders) and Mike Montgomery’s (Ampline) compelling side-project…
COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE (Columbia, MO daily)
Best Bet – R. Ring tonight at Café Berlin in Columbia, MO
Dynamic duo Kelley Deal (The Breeders, The Kelley Deal 6000) and Mike Montgomery (Ampline) have teamed up to make music that lives in the spaces between all their previous projects. Alt-rock, punk, pop and folk come together in two- to three-minute songs that are more fully realized than their running time might suggest. Jowlz and Swear Beam share the bill.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/calendar/entertainment/music/r-ring/event_de9edc80-f7e7-11e4-a434-1fad3650ada7.html
LOUISVILLE.com (Louisville online site)
R. Ring comes to New Vintage Tue
There’s no song that captures the anything-goes attitude of 90’s alternative rock like “Cannonball” by The Breeders. The voice and the brain behind that song is Kelley Deal, twin sister of indie-rock icon (and on-again/off-again bandmate) Kim Deal. Kelley Deal’s latest project is R. Ring and they’re playing New Vintage tomorrow night.
The timing is curious, considering the Pixies rattled the rafters at The Palace Theater on Friday night. Pixies is the indie-art-punk equivalent of The Rolling Stones in mythos, influence, and acrimony. Kelley’s sister Kim helped established the band back in the mid-80’s, and Kelley was even once asked to join, as well.
Kelley declined the offer and began working as a computer programmer in the early 90’s – and then her sister Kim left Pixies (for the first time), and started The Breeders with Throwing Muses lead guitarist Tonya Donnelly (Louisvillian and former Slint drummer Britt Walford was also in an early line-up of the group). And when Donnelly lost interest after their debut album “Pod” and one EP “Safari” – she formed the band Belly. At this point Kelley Deal quit her fancy day job and took over responsibilities as frontwoman, singer, and lead guitarist. Their next album “Last Splash” is the record that put them on the map.
Over the next twenty years the band would break-up and reform many times, both sister would wrestle with sobriety – and they would both wonder in and out of countless musical ventures like Kelley’s Last of the Hard Men and Kelley Deal 6000. Her most recent project is R. Ring a collaboration with Mike Montgomery of the band Ampline, with whom she recorded a 2013 EP called “The Rise.” They recently released a split 7″ with Protomartyr called “A Half of Seven” on the Hardly Art label. Louisville is the last stop on the group’s month long “Peril-Pussy Tour” – which kicked off in mid-April in Ohio and wrapped almost full circle around the country.
R. Ring is playing New Vintage tomorrow night, May 18th at New Vintage. The show is at 8:00 PM and tickets are $10. The Fervor, Shivering Timbers, and Quailbones will be playing the show, as well.
https://www.louisville.com/content/r-ring-comes-new-vintage
WFPK RADIO (Louisville, KY AAA Radio)
Kelley & Mike live in-studio Tue May 19 at 4:20pm
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/wfpk/r-ring-in-the-wfpk-studio
KKFI RADIO (Kansas City Public Radio)
Kelley & Mike live phone interview on River Trade Radio show Sunday at 10am (between 9-11am CST)
http://www.kkfi.org/
HEAR NEBRASKA (Omaha music site)
The Breeders’ Kelley Deal on R. Ring, touring friendships and living in Ohio
by Chance Solem-Pfeifer
Catching an artist via phone the afternoon of a touring show, responses to a simple, “So what’s going on?” can vary.
Maybe: “Nothing.” Maybe: “Driving.”
Maybe: “Just had lunch at this taco stand we hit every time we’re in Oklahoma City.”
Maybe: “I’m good,” not bothering to hear or humor the question.
Kelley Deal’s mind goes immediately to the friend she and Mike Montgomery, the other half of R. Ring, are staying with that night. It’s in Corrales, New Mexico, a half hour north of their tour stop in Albuquerque. It’s beautiful there, Deal says.
In three decades on the road, as the guitarist for ‘90s indie stars The Breeders (with her twin sister Kim) and leading projects like The Kelley Deal 6000, it’s fair to assume Deal might have a friendly connection in every major American city. From her home base of Dayton, Ohio and spanning outward.
When R. Ring and Montgomery (known for his band Ampline) come to O’Leaver’s tomorrow night, it’s just such a social connection that firmed up the show with Miniature Horse and Gothko. RSVP here.
The last time R. Ring toured through Nebraska, playing The Waiting Room in 2012, Montgomery and Deal crashed at the home of Laura Burhenn (The Mynabirds), who took them to Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s house for brunch the next morning. At the time, Deal had no idea Moskowitz was a subcultural celebrity in the cooking world, for her successful line of vegan cookbooks.
Hitting it off, the R. Ring song “Salt” was later featured in a Moskowitz video, and the renowned vegan chef recommended O’Leaver’s for tomorrow’s show. The club, of course, is physically connected to Moskowitz’s new restaurant, Modern Love.
In carrying itself, R. Ring seems fundamentally based on an approach to music from different eras, interacting with the online music world only where it makes sense, where it feels humanistic.
On the one hand, Deal quite enjoys Twitter, where she’s active, engaging with fans about music and her knitting work.
But that lives beside a fiercely obscure kind of DIY-ness, that doesn’t just constitute nominal label independence. R. Ring’s available releases have been limited runs of hand-crafted 7-inches and singles. No binding record deals. No articulated plans for longer recordings. No overarching feeling that anything acutely official is coming.
In describing her reticence with other forms of social media, you get the feeling Deal’s remarks could be extended to blogosphere communique and the culture of streaming music, in general.
“… Updating all of these things, it takes a while. I just find it kind of boring,” uttering that last adjective in a kindly apologetic tone. There’s maybe a trace of knowing other artists self-dutifully bog themselves down in those channels hours each day.
Deal is playful and forthcoming on the phone, as she describes the bridge from R. Ring’s first thrust of touring and releasing music in 2012 to today, separated by a Breeders tour in which Montgomery came on board as a guitar tech for the band.
“Do you think he’d want to be a guitar tech?” Deal recounts the story in a high-pitched impression of the band’s tour manager.
“And she’s Australian, that’s why I’m doing this accent,” she laughs.
The imitation is in a youthful soprano, like her singing voice. And it’s mostly convincing, certainly a map pin somewhere in the British Empire of dialects.
Deal says she relishes in the chance to jump back and forth between projects. Her sister Kim and The Breeders’ Jim Macpherson have been rehearsing and writing new songs recently, which she, as an instrumentalist, sees happening from afar. It’s both stimulating and burdensome to be the voice of your band.
“I was just talking to Kim about this,” Kelley says, “[She was] spending the tour trying to not talk so she can sing and have it feel effortless and good. [Kim] spent a lot of time on [the last] tour making a sad face. And I’m talky-talky! Beause I’m just playing guitar, man.”
In R. Ring, Kelley has vocal duties in publicity and musical senses. The songs wind and entrance, and find her concentrating her hardest to date on the exposed vocal parts. On the recordings, you hear a zen-like focus to her falsetto and the high range of her chest voice, as she and Montgomery bond guitar lines. Hers is snakey and melodic, not unlike Breeders’ songs, and his percussive and guiding.
It’s spare, but not simple. In fact, structural complexity is a must for R. Ring to work in a live setting, Deal says.
“If we start writing songs in four-four with the accent on the one and the three … Man. Holy yawn. That’s not gonna fly.”
The traveling, the stages in small clubs across the nation are still key to the larger arrangements of Deal’s life. She lives in Dayton for all the obvious economic reasons a working artist might reside in the Midwest, but also simply: “Home is where your family is.”
But nor would that fly were she not on the road so much, hacking away at a job, sometimes wishing it were more of a roadtrip.
Deal notes she’s never been to The Grand Canyon. And it doesn’t seem like this swoop through the Southwest will allow the time either. Next go-round.
http://hearnebraska.org/feature/the-breeders-kelley-deal-on-r-ring-touring-friendships-and-living-in-ohio-feature-interview/
COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE (Columbia, MO daily)
Brass ring: Rock veterans make beautiful bursts of noise together
By AARIK DANIELSEN
Chemistry — in the music world, you have it or you don’t. Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery do and, working as R. Ring, the rock veterans have catalyzed a series of brilliant little reactions — glorious bursts of noise that ring much longer than their running time.
Working together for no more than four years, R. Ring has hit more home runs than many bands do in twice the at-bats. Some of that success can be chalked up to its members’ levels of experience — having staffed and led several bands, Deal is best known for working with her twin sister, longtime Pixies bassist Kim, in The Breeders. Montgomery has spent nearly 20 years with Cincinnati outfit Ampline.
To date, the group has focused its energy on creating fresh breaths of musical air, spurts and singles that typically last less than three minutes but are self-contained and sound self-actualized. R. Ring can deliver roaring guitar rock, poised punk with a pop aftertaste and lovely, lilting folk music. Deal and Montgomery clearly aren’t short on ideas and manage to thoughtfully tie notions and fragments together with little time to spare.
This summer, the band will split a release with Detroit rockers Protomartyr and share a 7” with Kentucky act Quailbones. A limited edition of that album is available early on a tour that brings them to Café Berlin Monday. Montgomery exchanged emails with the Tribune, discussing what appeals to him about working with Deal and the value R. Ring places on each show.
Tribune: Both of you are very experienced musically. I would think that you’ve come to a point where, perhaps, you’ve realized things you appreciate about potential musical partners and ruled out things you’re not interested in dealing with. At this point in your career, what are you generally looking for in a collaborator? What excited you about working with the other? Is there something the other has brought out in you musically that you haven’t really been able to access in any other project?
Montgomery: I think my music’s always been more rigid and Catholic, while Kelley’s tends to wander and drift throughout a spiritual wilderness. There’s tremendous fun in finding common ground. I had never sung or played with a woman before, so it’s a pleasure to sing harmonies and craft songs where the focus is more on vocal sounds and phrasing. I love playing with Ampline, but it’s heavier and loud and guitar-y and singing is sort of an afterthought. … Kelley has taught me to trust my instincts.
Tribune: You’ve also picked some cool dance partners to split releases with. What about these bands has captured your attention and made them feel like allies?
Montgomery: Sometimes when you meet people you just strike it off. That’s what happened with both Quailbones and Protomartyr. We met them on tours, liked each other’s music and just stayed in touch. People make a lot of promises to each other in situations like that. … We just all kept at each other, which I’m super glad for.
Tribune: The blueprint thus far seems to be releasing your music a little bit at a time. We’re obviously in a pretty interesting time as far as delivery platforms. Has this path been one of necessity, or do you think it has helped build the band’s identity in some way?
Montgomery: It’s not out of necessity. We have songs. I own a recording studio. … I don’t know what it is. … I think we both got into this thing as a gentle, no-pressure side project, so just doing little things here and there kept it really breezy. … But I can say to you (and Kelley) ‘I’m ready to make a proper record!’
Tribune: One of things I like most about what I’ve heard so far is that the songs are relatively short, but they feel fully realized. As if anything more or less would have thrown the balance off completely. How have you tuned your ears to one another in the songwriting process? What sort of balance have you struck between the intentional — as far as conversations about which ideas to follow and flesh out — and the instinctual, just playing what comes?
Montgomery: I think we’re learning with every song to trust each other more and more. I’ll rifle through 50 structure possibilities of an arrangement in my brain, think it’s solid and Kelley will make a minor tweak I never would have thought of. You have to learn to compromise on ‘ownership’ of ideas and allow each other some room to breathe within the songs. She’s got great instincts and a serpent’s tongue for sniffing out the off-kilter melodies floating in the air about me.
Tribune: Do you feel like you’ve really settled into a live feel yet? Knowing that you’ve commissioned artwork specifically for this tour, it seems like you really prize the singularity of the moment the listener experiences live. What is your philosophy at this point for how closely aligned the live and studio experiences should be?
Montgomery: We do really want each show to be fun and special. Neither of us is overly concerned with accurately reproducing studio recordings live. If it’s just the two of us, we can’t play any extra s–t live that we may have overdubbed on a track to keep a record listener’s ears perked … but we’ll get to the core of the song and milk it for everything we can! Plus I think rooms and people influence how you play and behave.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/arts_life/after_hours/brass-ring-rock-veterans-make-beautiful-bursts-of-noise-together/article_e690315c-5a53-5b56-b1c3-7bd223024061.html
DENVER POST (Denver daily)
Best Colorado shows this week: – R. Ring — May 15, Hi-Dive – We thought it was pretty telling when R. Ring’s Kelley Deal told us, “Music is everywhere, but if you’re going to take the trouble to go to a place and play in front of people you really need to stay plugged in and present in the performance.” That should be a pretty good indication of what’s to come at the band’s Hi-Dive show on Friday.
http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2015/05/15/best-colorado-shows-this-week-purity-ring-five-points-jazz-fest-and-more/103815/
DENVER POST (Denver daily)
R. Ring’s Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery circle back to musical basics
John Wenzel May 15, 2015
Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery both have successful, time-consuming projects on their plates, whether it’s Deal’s main gig in Dayton, Ohio-based indie icons the Breeders (with sister Kim, formerly of the Pixies) or Montgomery’s band Ampline and his Cincinnati-based recording studio Candyland.
But some things can’t be denied — as when Deal and Montgomery discovered a creative chemistry after working together on a Guided by Voices tribute album. Turns they also both live in cities named Dayton (Ohio and Kentucky, respectively).
“We both were in full rock bands, but both kind of interested in exploring and making music outside of the confines of a bass-drum-vocals-guitar jam,” Deal said over the phone this week. “But without going into plopping our laptops on stage, either.”
For the past five years they’ve been working together as R. Ring, a beguiling and intentionally spare duo whose songs drip with sugary melodies, organic textures and enough genuine mystery to warrant close, repeated listens. So far their output is limited to a handful of singles, including on Dayton-based Misra Records and the Sub Pop spin-off Hardly Art (their new split with Protomartyr), but Deal already feels a full-length coming on.
We caught up with Deal (via phone) and Montgomery (via e-mail) in advance of R. Ring’s first Denver show at the Hi-Dive on May 15, with Safe Boating Is No Accident and Space Suits for Indians, as part of their larger, cross-country “Pussy-Peril” tour.
Reverb: How did you start working together? Was there a shared reference point? Were you stuck in an elevator together for 16 hours, eating Tic-Tacs to stay alive?
Mike Montgomery: Kelley was asked to contribute a song to a Guided by Voices tribute album. She asked an Ohio band called Buffalo Killers to work with her on it. They were already working on some recordings at my studio in Cincinnati, so they asked if they could come there to whip it into shape. Through working on the recording and mixing, we stayed in touch and eventually started working on our own songs.
Kelley Deal: I think it was a right-time, right-place kind of thing. In our musical lives we were both looking to make music, but organically. I just really liked (Mike’s) ear, the ideas he had, and his stuff sounded great at his studio. Over the course of mixing and mastering that project I just got to know him more and more.
Kelley: Does R. Ring give you a certain creative liberty that the Breeders doesn’t?
KD: We make decisions based on what’s the most appropriate for the song and what it is that we want to emotionally get across. For instance, we have a song called “Hundred Dollar Heat,” which would seem to be great with a little shuffle drum in the background and bass landing on the 1 and 3 (count), or something like that. But that takes that song and moves it into something else. And I’m interested in seeing what it does to just play with the guitar and the effects on my vocals. I know what bass and drums sound like on that song. I don’t want to hear bass and drums. I’m looking to… God, it’s not simplify, because this seems harder than a regular rock band, for sure. But, for example, on one song we were playing around with a sewing machine as the rhythm track. We ran it through an amp, had a brick on the pedal at a certain speed, and played to that. I don’t really want to sample that sound. I want to create it in real time. Not that (sampling) is verboten or anything, but if I do that then I can sample all kinds of stuff, and that just changes it.
So do you have rules, or a guiding principal, for this project?
KD: If so, I don’t even know what that is. Just honoring the songs and that performance — and honoring that evening, that moment that we’re having live — is really what it’s more about. Music is everywhere, but if you’re going to take the trouble to go to a place and play in front of people you really need to stay plugged in and present in the performance. People have left their houses, they have come to us, and we’re sharing and creating something that’s happening right there. Otherwise you could just stay and listen to music at home or watch television or Netflix.
As far as touring, do the Breeders always come first in terms of music?
KD: I am always available for it and that would take priority in terms of scheduling stuff whenever Mike and I get ready to do something. I just check in with the Breeders camp and say, “Hey, what’s going on?” and if nothing is determined or things can be mushed around I say, “Cool,” and then we can go do our thing. It’s a family band, and you’ve always gotta be available for family. I still like playing and hanging out with my sister! Of course, I hate her some days… (laughs)
As a fellow Dayton, Ohio native and lover of its musical history I was tickled to see Ampline’s SofaBurn Records, on which R. Ring is also releasing a single, happens to be based out of Dayton, Ken. What’s up with this alternate-reality, double-Dayton connection?
MM: I bought a building in Dayton, Ken., about five years ago and I’ve been slowly transforming it into a sprawling music compound with an apartment, practice rooms and the soon-to-be new, permanent home for my studio Candyland. We did a couple of singles on SofaBurn with Ampline. Through the process of asking the label owner if he’d be interested in releasing an R.Ring single, I ended up getting a job working for him! It just made sense to merge it all together and set up an office in Dayton. So, when I get back from this tour, that’s what I’ll go back to working on.
And no offense to Kentucky, but I’m sure indie and alt-rock folks tend to think of Ohio when they hear Dayton, since that’s the birthplace of the Breeders, Guided by Voices, Brainiac, Swearing at Motorists and tons of other bands.
KD: It’s funny, for myself and so many friends I know, the best-selling thing that you can do at a festival, the best-selling shirt you can have, is an Ohio shirt.
Right, I even saw you wearing a vintage Brainiac shirt (“Fuck All Ya’ll, We’re From Dayton”) at the Ohio-centric All Tomorrow’s Tacos party at South by Southwest last year.
KD: There’s something about it, but people are crazy about Ohio, and Ohioans are the craziest. They have a lot of pride. I don’t feel like I’m indebted to Ohio, like it’s some obligation I have to fulfill, it’s just part of it. It’s more of a celebration. Christian, our drummer who lives in San Diego but is originally from Ohio, was wearing a Cleveland shirt at our show last night.
There’s another Dayton-to-Denver connection here, in that a few musicians in the Mile High City (in the band Somerset Catalog) are now pitching in with Misra, which is based in Dayton. Will you release your full-length with them? Or do you even have plans for a full-length?
KD: We just kind of play it by ear. We’ve got these two singles coming out, one on SofaBurn and one on Hardly Art, but we’re open to doing a full-length. We’ve just been busy with the tour, but I think it’s time to do it. It feels like it’s time, maybe because we’ve collected enough music, whether it’s CD-only or Internet-only or on vinyl. We’re ready to assimilate all these things and think about what it might look like. I’m kind of excited about it in a way that I haven’t been for awhile. We’re just really in tune with each other in terms of what feels like the right next thing to do. We’re on our fifth year now!
MM: We have been talking more and more about doing a “proper” full-length. We are still friendly with Misra and Leo (DeLuca) and are grateful for everything they did for us. As for future releases, we always take it one step at a time. We do, however, have a bit of a stacked deck with SofaBurn: I’m the one writing the contracts! The label owner is not interested in possessing a band’s soul for eternity and he’s genuinely interested in supporting artists and helping them grow. So far it’s been a great fit.
http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2015/05/15/r-ring-kelley-deal-mike-montgomery/103764/
ABQ TO DO (Albuquerque A&E site)
R. RING at Launchpad May 14
R. Ring is Kelley Deal & Mike Montgomery. It is voices, guitars and keys. It is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song.
http://www.abqtodo.com/event/detail/441904131/R_Ring_
ALIBI (Albuquerque weekly)
Thursday, May 14, is a really big deal at Launchpad (618 Central SW) as the rocket ship-like venue welcomes R. Ring. That’s the name of the new and utterly fantastic rocanrol duo featuring—wait for it—Kelley fucking Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery. If memory serves, Deal was partially responsible for some of the most poignant alt-rock produced during the ’90s. In The Breeders, Kelley’s work on the album Last Splash was not only unforgettable to the masses, it also set the standard for many indie bands to come.
Deal has joined her simple, provocative style with a musician whose band Ampline has thoughtfully explored American social issues while invoking the spirit of author John Dos Passos. It’s all achieved through unconventional song structures and scintillating guitar passages. Taken together, the sound of R. Ring is a sometimes sparse but always compelling revisioning of string-driven rock and roll. Deal and Montgomery will be joined onstage by drummer Kristian Svitak, a professional skater who can plant it with the best of ’em. It’ll cost you eight bucks and require 21-plus ID to trip this particular version of the light fantastic. Launchpad opens at 8pm that night for a 9:30pm show. Bellemah opens.
http://alibi.com/music/49100/How-to-Take-on-the-World.html#story49101
THE KANSAS CITY STAR (daily)
This weekend’s best music: R. Ring – Sunday, May 17, at Replay Lounge
Best known for playing guitar on the Breeders’ wildly successful 1993 alternative rock hit “Cannonball,” Kelley Deal now performs deliberately disheveled indie-rock with Mike Montgomery under the banner of R. Ring. With the Josh Berwanger Band and Schwervon. The cover charge is $3. Details are available at replaylounge.com.
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/back-to-rockville/article20741004.html
THE BAY BRIDGED (San Fran music site)
R. Ring’s “Loud Underneath” featured in their Spotify mix with simple show listing
R.Ring, 1939 Ensemble, Cold Beat at Elbo Room
http://thebaybridged.com/2015/05/11/this-week-in-sf-jesus-mary-chain-ex-cult/#.VVIS8tpVhBd
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES (music blog)
“Singing Tower” – R. Ring. Two rock vets team up for a poignant, delicate acoustic lament. Seems like if you can write a song somewhere, you can write a song in a lot of places.
http://independentclauses.com/tag/iji/
OMAHYPE (Omaha music site)
R. Ring (The Breeders, Ampline) w/ Miniature Horse, & Gothko at O’Leaver’s Pub Saturday, May 16
R. Ring is Kelley Deal & Mike Montgomery. It is voices, guitars and keys. It is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song.
http://omahype.com/event/r-ring-the-breeders-ampline-w-miniature-horse-gothko
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL (Daily)
R. Ring goes vinyl: Duo’s release comes in July; meanwhile check them out at Launchpad
By Adrian Gomez / Asst. Arts Editor, Reel NM
Kelly Deal is enjoying a day off in Dayton, Ohio. And, oh, is she enjoying it.
“It’s so beautiful today,” she says with enthusiasm. “It’s starting to warm up and we don’t have anything to do.”
Deal is in the calm before the touring chaos sets in as the band will be on tour for nearly a month.
She and Mike Montgomery are the masterminds behind the indie rock duo R. Ring. The duo recently put together a split single with Kentucky garage-rockers Quailbones.
R. Ring
With Bellemah
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 14
WHERE: Launchpad, 618 W. Central
HOW MUCH: $8 plus fees at holdmyticket.com or 886-1251
While the vinyl album won’t be released until July, R. Ring will be producing 100 handmade, custom-packaged versions of it as a 12-inch vinyl LP with screen-printed artwork just for this tour.
“We wanted to give something special to our fans,” she says. “They are the reason we continue to make music. They come out to the shows and support us through it all.”
Deal says this is the only new music the pair have been working on, but they are in the throes of scoring an independent film.
“We’re not qualified for it at all,” she quips. “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands since The Breeders are on hiatus.”
Deal and her sister, Kim, are in The Breeders, and the pair have taken a hiatus from making music.
Deal says making time for touring isn’t that difficult.
“I am lucky to have a few part-time jobs that I can juggle around,” she says. “Mike is working for this new record company and he can take some time off for touring. We have the best supporters out there.”
While Deal has found success with The Breeders, don’t expect to hear any of the band’s material during R. Ring’s set. Deal says it’s something that wouldn’t make sense.
“I don’t ever see myself doing any of those singles,” she says. “The Breeders is completely different from what I’m doing now.”
http://www.abqjournal.com/581021/entertainment/albuquerque-indie-rock-48.html
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (SF Daily)
Bay Area arts and entertainment picks, week of May 10
R. Ring, 1939 Ensemble, Elbo Room, S.F. (Mon.).
http://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Bay-Area-arts-and-entertainment-picks-week-of-6247741.php
PORTLAND TRIBUNE (Portland daily)
The Breeders’ Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery form R Ring, which shares a show with Hurry Up, which features Kathy Foster and Westin Glass of the Thermals alongside Maggie Vail, as well as Bed, Alex and Sierra Haager. 9 p.m. Sunday, May 10, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N. Mississippi St. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Info: 503-288-3895, www.mississippistudios.com.
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/11-features/259417-130704-live-music
PORTLAND MERCURY (Portland weekly)
SUNDAY, MAY 10
MUSIC—If you missed Kelley Deal’s magical, lilting voice back in September with the Breeders, then now’s your golden ticket to watch the musician get lo-fi with R. Ring. The duo of Deal and Mike Montgomery (Ampline) play textured indie rock that floats and soars on a wash of sonic lullabies. Their pedigree is palpable. COURTNEY FERGUSON
w/Hurry Up, bed.; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10-12
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/my-what-a-busy-week/Content?oid=15568135
ELEVEN PDX (Portland monthly A&E magazine)
AURAL FIX: R. RING
The music industry is kind of a mess. Record sales are lower than they’ve been in decades and no one seems to know how to fix that. So, what to do? If you’re Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, you revel in your freedom from the corporate machine. Their project R. Ring features two voices, two guitars, and occasional releases—commercialism be damned. The result, not too surprisingly, is a pure distillation of their obvious musical compatibility without any allowances made for radio or corporate sponsorship. That R. Ring’s singles have been released in batches of 50 or 60 in handmade wood and metal packaging underscores both the personal craftiness of the project and their complete disregard for appealing to the masses. But this isn’t a gimmick: the music they’ve shared so far is loose and dynamic and pretty fantastic.
A song like “Fallout & Fire” features the subtle advantages of R. Ring’s access to Montgomery’s Candyland studio: a warm recording of Deal’s voice with a hint of overdubs, crisp, clean acoustic guitars with so much twang and crunch and depth that you feel like you’re sitting inside them as they play. The track creates a sense of intimacy and directness with the musicians. As Montgomery puts it, “There’s nothing to hide behind.” The other tracks that they’ve made public, such as “Hundred Dollar Heat,” are simple affairs that benefit from the duo’s obvious musicianship. Fans of The Breeders or the Kelley Deal 6000 already know and dig her vocals, which feature prominently on R. Ring, so it’s not exactly a blank slate.
Taking this show on the road would seem to be a natural progression owing to the stripped-down nature of the music, but both Deal and Montgomery are curious about how it’ll work. Without a traditional album to support, what will they play? Who will show up? As Deal puts it, “Do they know what they’re getting?” If their live shows convey the care and artistry they’ve put into their ultra-limited, handmade releases so far, the right people will show up and enthusiastically listen. »
R. Ring plays Mississippi Studios May 10th.
http://elevenpdx.com/new-music/aural-fix/aural-fix-r-ring
ABOUT.COM (popular A&E site)
Kelley Deal Keeps It ‘Loud Underneath’ in New Interview
The Breeders star on two upcoming releases and unwinding with knitting
By Melissa Bobbitt
When you speak with alt-rock legend Kelley Deal, the word that comes out of her mouth the most is “grateful.” On this particular morning, she’s picking up medication for her elderly parents. And she’s grateful to live in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, so the whole family’s in close proximity. (Twin sister Kim – her Breeders band mate and former bassist/vocalist of the Pixies – and brother Kevin live nearby, all taking turns caring for their aging folks.) She’s grateful to be hitting the road with her songwriting partner, Mike Montgomery, as R. Ring, an evolving project that started acoustically and mushroomed into a pulsing force.
She’s grateful for knitting, a longtime hobby that she says “keeps me out of trouble” and away from past drug and alcohol habits that brought her to rehab in 1995.The Kelley Deal on the other end of the phone is a woman with an explorer’s heart and an experimental palate. Kim asked her to join the Breeders in 1989 as a drummer; a few years later, Kelley obliged– as a guitarist. She eventually picked up the violin to fill in parts on the Breeders’ joyous Last Splash 20th anniversary tour. (“I think by the end of it I got pretty good. It takes a lot of practice,” she says. She laughs and adds: “And nobody wants to hear me practice violin.”) She cites the Japanese avant-garde musician Aube and rock’s mad scientist Frank Zappa as current obsessions. And when it comes to her own writing, she finds structure stifling.“I don’t feel like I write songs; I write emotions,” she explains. “… So I’m writing something, and here I am, like, the critic in me is saying, no, I’ve got to force it a certain way. Nobody’s going to get it or it just doesn’t make sense. What am I doing, if I just have no chorus, no bridge, just nothing else? But that’s all I want. I just want it to have this one thing. That’s the point of why I have my guitar. It’s this thing. So then I’ll force myself to do something with it, and then when I’ll hear it, it’s like a regular popular song, and I’m like, ugh, boring! But that’s the process, too. It’s kind of fun.
”You can hear the cheerful spirit of hers bubbling in R. Ring’s latest single, “Loud Underneath.” It’s classic Kelley Deal, all playful vocals and rubbery guitar. It’s part of a split 7” vinyl with post-punk outfit Protomartyr– who had her do guest vocals on the flip track, “Blues Festival.” Another upcoming R. Ring split, with the wonderfully spastic Quailbones, will feature their much calmer tune “Singing Tower.”
Initially, Deal and Montgomery weren’t into the idea of a full-length album. But as they casually released material since forming in 2012, Kelley warmed to compiling the songs into a record. As she notes, some tracks are only available online; some are only on CD; still others were only presented live or on vinyl. She describes her desired experience with an album would be “an entire piece … of mellow, groovy tunes.”
As for that other work in progress, the Breeders’ latest is being nurtured in spurts in Dayton and Chicago, with Pod producer Steve Albini. The Last Splash gang – Kim, Kelley, drummer Jim Macpherson and bassist Josephine Wiggs – are all back, revitalized after the successful 2013 tour. The Deals and Macpherson practice twice a week, with Wiggs swinging by or sending digital input from New York as time permits. And Kelley, for one, is stoked about the band’s new stuff.
“Kim is writing some of the best lyrics that I’ve ever heard her write,” she gushes. And Wiggs is contributing some “badass bass,” as Deal puts it. No release date is in sight “because of perfection,” but she hopes it sees the light of day either late this year or early 2016.
Kelley’s life hasn’t been perfect. She laments that she missed out on visiting some great American treasures like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone back in the blur of the 1990s because she was too apathetic to the world around her. (“I mean, I’ve been to Iceland, for Christ’s sakes. So I can’t complain that much,” she notes gratefully.)
And royalties from her various endeavors are even more constipated than before, thanks to streaming services and other fluctuating developments. “I’m OK with it because it’s been my whole experience, my only experience,” she says. “… Every musician that I know has another job or does something for income, and music is something they do where it’s a hobby that hopefully– you know, the goal is not to spend, not to owe money making it.”
Kelley works part time at a funeral home – in addition to touring and making to-die-for scarves – for her income. Maybe being immersed in the afterlife is what makes her so hungry to live this life as vibrantly as possible.
R. Ring tour dates:5/05 – Billings, MT – Pub Station5/06 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett5/07 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern5/10 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios (w/ Bed)5/11 – San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room (w/ 1939 Ensemble)5/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Satellite (w/ 1939 Ensemble)5/14 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad5/15 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive5/16 – Omaha, NE – O’Leaver’s5/17 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge 5/18 – Columbia, MO – Cafe Berlin5/19 – Louisville, KY – The New Vintage (w/ Quailbones)
http://90srock.about.com/od/Interviews/fl/Kelley-Deal-Keeps-It-Loud-Underneath-in-New-Interview.htm
WE HEART MUSIC (Minneapolis, MN)
R. Ring at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (03 May 2015)
I would imagine that seeing an R.Ring show is very much like hanging out with a few friends at a concert practice session… Very intimate, and if things didn’t go quite as planned, it is okay, everyone is having a good time. That was what we got at the 7th Street Entry show in Minneapolis last night, May 3rd.
Wowsville
Opening up the show were two local bands Daisy Chains and Wowsville, the latter featuring ex-members of Prissy Clerks. Both bands had an indie summer sound and played for thirty minutes or less.
R. Ring is a duo of Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, but for this particular show, they were joined by Joe on drums. Joe is going to travel with the two, at least up to San Francisco.
With only a handful of published songs, I didn’t think the band would play more than 30 minutes. To make up for the lack of songs, they started their set with two The Kelley Deal 6000 songs (“Scary” and “Trixie Delicious”) and played every songs they’ve written… plus throwing in a Shellac cover (“Ghost”). According to Deal, the KD6k songs were both written in St Paul (Minneapolis’ twin city).
Deal did most of the vocals, with some exceptions. Montgomery took over singing for “Steam” and the cover song “Ghost”.
You can tell that some of R. Ring’s songs had that Breeders-feel to their songs. A good example was how unconventional that keytar-thing used on “R U Mine” and the distorted vocals on “Cutter”.
The other thing about the band you should also know is that they like to handmake their merchandise. Whether it is making/designing their own T-Shirts or drawing all the artwork or hand knitting “cozy covers” over their CD… it’s certainly unique and cool. All the merch had stories behind them, if you have time, you should ask Kelley Deal to tell you the history behind all their merchandises.
R. Ring are currently on tour. Look for R. Ring’s upcoming split 7″ with Protomartyr this June.
http://weheartmusic.typepad.com/blog/2015/05/r-ring-at-7th-street-entry-minneapolis-03-may-2015.html
L. A. WEEKLY (weekly)
R. Ring, 1939 Ensemble, Spurs May 12th at The Satellite
By John Payne
R. Ring marks the return of The Breeders’ Kelley Deal, partnered with Cincinnati bud Mike Montgomery of Ampline. Their concept is simple: just a mix of voices, guitars and keyboards in songs that can be harsh and haywire or gentle and dreamy, whatever feels right in the heat of the moment. The duo is not terribly concerned with getting product out on the market; they released a 7-inch on Misra Records in 2012 and have no plans for a full-length album. An exciting blend of Krautrockian moto-drive, avant jazz and screechy no-wave noise, Portland’s 1939 Ensemble are an instrumental trio in the “possible musics” mold who make intriguing new beats and melodies out of various percussive objects, vibes and head-warping amp feedback. Also: the psych/soul/cowboy experience that goes by the name Spurs.
http://www.laweekly.com/event/r-ring-1939-ensemble-spurs-5449707
37 FLOOD (Louisvillle music site)
R. Ring (Kelley Deal of The Breeders & Mike Montgomery of Ampline) and local champs The Fervor will be playing at The New Vintage with Shivering Timbers and Quailbones on April 19th.
http://37flood.blogspot.com/2015/05/519-r-ring-fervor-new-vintage.html
LA NIGHTLIFE (LA show listings site)
R. Ring May 12th at The Satellite
R. Ring is composed of Kelley Deal (The Breeders) and Mike Montgomery (Ampline). They released a 7″ on Misra Records in Oct 2012 and were more recently featured on Misra’s 15 Year Anniversary compilation. It is voices, guitars and keys. It is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song.
http://www.lanightlife.com/events/view/13207-R.+Ring+(feat.+Kelley+Deal+of+The+Breeders)
BILLINGS GAZETTE (Billings, MT daily)
Club Wrap: R. Ring at Pub Station
Sparse, chaotic, lulling music all in the same song.
That’s the best way to describe the duo R. Ring, who plays the Pub Station on May 5 in a 21-and-older show.
R. Ring is Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery. They mix together voices, guitars and keys. The music is, at the very least, a stark departure from the music they make in their other bands (Kelley with The Breeders and Mike with Ampline.)
They are currently putting finishing touches on recordings for a single due out on Misra Records.
http://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/music/club-wrap-r-ring-at-pub-station-sol-seed-at/article_33bc985d-864a-5bb7-a71d-7579cdabd23c.html
TONE MADISON (Madison music site)
SATURDAY MAY 2 – R. Ring, Vanishing Kids. Frequency, 9 p.m.
Kelley Deal of The Breeders and Mike Montgomery of Cincinnati instrumental-rock band Ampline both seem to find a liberating detour in their collaboration as R. Ring, whose output so far has consisted of a limited-run EP and the occasional 7-inch. Take their two most recent offerings: “Loud Underneath,” on an upcoming split with Detroit band Protomartyr, pounds along on a snapping snare and brightly distorted guitars, while “Singing Tower,” recorded for a split with Kentucky band Quailbones, builds on tender acoustic guitar and piano for a brief but wonderfully disarming minute and a half. Show up in time for the opening set from Madison band Vanishing Kids’ disorienting meld of post-punk, psych and prog.
http://www.tonemadison.com/articles/madison-calendar-april-30-through-may-6/
THE INLANDER (Spokane A&E site)
“Staff Pick” – R. Ring feat. The Breeders’ Kelley Deal & Ampline’s Mike Montgomery
When: Wed., May 6 @ The Bartlett
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/r-ring-feat-the-breeders-kelley-deal-and-amplines-mike-montgomery/Event?oid=2436557
VISIT SPOKANE (Spokane A&E site)
R Ring May 06 @ The Bartlett
R. Ring is Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery. It is voices, guitars and keys. It is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song. Kelley also plays with the Breeders. Mike plays with Ampline.
http://www.visitspokane.com/includes/events/R-Ring/13032/
KXLU RADIO (Los Angeles college radio) – May 12th in-studio 5pm
SPOKANE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (Spokane daily)
Deal’s side project is the real deal
Breeders guitarist hits Bartlett with duo R. Ring
Nathan Weinbender
Kelley Deal is no stranger to side projects. She’s best known as a member of the Breeders, which was founded as a side project by her twin sister, Kim, during down time as a member of the Pixies. And since joining the Breeders in 1992, Deal has started other bands, including the Kelley Deal 6000 and the heavy metal supergroup the Last Hard Men.
Deal’s newest venture is R. Ring, a sparse, no-frills rock duo she started with fellow Ohio-based producer and musician Mike Montgomery (also of the band Ampline) a few years ago. The two met, Deal recalled, at Montgomery’s Cincinnati recording studio, and she was immediately intrigued by his unusual production methods.
“I really liked the sounds that he got,” Deal said during a recent phone interview. “I liked that he would suggest these things, stuff I wouldn’t think of.”
Deal said she and Montgomery will be playing with several different drummers on certain gigs during this tour, which lands them in Spokane on Wednesday (one of those gigs will be a Portland concert with Jose Medeles, a former member of the Breeders). But most R. Ring shows are just Deal and Montgomery and their guitars.
“When you get a full band up there, there are certain expectations of what the sound is like,” she said. “When there’s just two of you, you’re responsible for all the music. … The challenges of taking a complete thought and a complete emotional narrative to a song with two voices and two instruments, I find that really interesting. … What each player is doing and singing becomes really important. It’s like this cool jigsaw puzzle.”
R. Ring’s music sticks to the dreamy vocals and loud-quiet-loud dynamics typical of the Deals; the only difference here is that the louds aren’t quite as loud as they usually are. In the last several years, the band has released a handful of singles and EPs, their most recent being an exclusive Record Store Day single called “Loud Underneath.”
“We both like distorted guitars, and I like effects on both vocals and guitars,” Deal said. “But it’s still just two guitars. There are going to be quiet moments, and if people talk all the way through it, I can’t do much about that. … I’m not surprised by that.”
In terms of their writing process, Deal and Montgomery tend to write separately and then bring the fragments together to work on them.
“The seed kind of has to start with one person,” Deal said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever sat down and said, ‘O.K., we’re not leaving …’ Although that would be a wonderful exercise, you know, saying, ‘We’re not leaving this chair until we have this new thing that began and ended right now with each other.’ That’d be interesting, but I find that hard to do.”
Deal said she tries to keep busy with other projects, some of which she labels “weird” – she recently made a viral video with Internet-famous cat Lil Bub, she sells knitted handbags, she and Montgomery are working on scoring an independent film.
“I feel like I’m doing a lot of things that I’m not qualified for,” she said, “but I guess that’s what everybody kind of feels like, maybe.”
And as for the Breeders, Deal said they’re currently in the middle of “lots of writing” (“Kim’s lyrics are kind of the best I’ve ever heard, which is stunning,” she said). The alt-rock icons recently toured to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their most successful album “Last Splash” (a tour on which Montgomery worked as a guitar tech), and two decades after their single “Cannonball” became a surprise hit, Deal said she’s used to shifting gears in between projects.
“It is a gear shift, but it’s not a hard one,” she said. “It’s so great when I meet with (the Breeders) and we’re going through songs, and there’s my guitar, and I’m gonna stand there and play guitar and shut up. But it’s really fun to go out with Mike and start trouble, a ‘What are we going to do now?’ kind of thing.”
If you go
R. Ring
With the Holy Broke
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague Ave.
Cost: $7 advance, $10 day of the show; tickets are available at www.thebartlettspokane.com.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/apr/30/deals-side-project-is-the-real-deal/
WILLAMETTE WEEK (Portland, OR weekly)
R. Ring, Hurry Up, Bed.
Music Calendar, Music Listing
BRANDON WIDDER
9 pm, Sunday May 10 | $10 advance, $12 day of show.
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave.
[LO-FI GARAGE] Kim seems to get all the praise when talking the Deal twins—blame it on the Pixies. But her sister Kelley Deal’s work alongside Ampline’s Mike Montgomery in R. Ring remains as pivotal to the music as her efforts with the Breeders. The collection of singles the duo has issued since 2012 is far more spare, though, laced with gentle drums and guitars that goes from sweet to seething within the course of two minutes. Kelley’s innocent humming is at the forefront of it all, sometimes backed by towering distortion and other times by tender acoustics that could lull one to sleep.
http://www.wweek.com/portland//event-213135-r_ring_hurry_up_bed.html
L-ETOILE (Twin Cities A&E site)
SUNDAY, MAY 3
R. Ring, Wowsville, and Daisy Chains@ 7thStreet Entry
701 First Ave N Minneapolis 8 pm / 18+ / $10
You may know Kelley Deal as the guitarist for The Breeders who picked up a guitar in 1991 without knowing how to play and went on to record Last Splash (cue bassline from “Cannonball”). Identical sister to lead singer and bassist Kim Deal, she went on to form The Kelley Deal 6000 and The Last Hard Men, and then rejoined The Breeders in the late ‘90s. She is now in a project with Mike Montgomery from Ampline called R. Ring, a folkish acoustic duo which they describe as “a stark departure from the music they make in their other bands.” They come to the Entry as part of their Pussy Peril Tour. Also playing is local lofi garage rockers Wowsville and indie rock trio Daisy Chains. -Mike Jones
http://www.letoilemagazine.com/2015/04/30/weekend-whats-what-430-53/
CITY PAGES (Twin Cities weekly)
The Best Twin Cities Concerts This Weekend:
R. Ring With Wowsville, and Daisy Chains @ 7th St. Entry this Sunday
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2015/05/the_best_twin_cities_concerts_this_weekend_5_1_3.php
THWART (Shawn Obnoxious’ music blog)
R.Ring News and Tour Dates
Hello, I’m in pretty tight with a Public Relations firm called PR PAVEMENT, who seem to run a tight ship with an up-front attitude. The vast majority of this post is from their press release for a set of upcoming split 7″ ep’s with a local Dayton/Kentucky (<Cincinnati=Greater Cincinnati) band called R.Ring and Quailbones (SWKY) and Detroit based band, Photomartyr. Keep on reading to find out more information including tour dates and three area appearances) of R.Ring.
Shawn Abnoxious O-3 (…!)
[Followed by press release and tour dates]
http://shawnabnoxious.blogspot.com/2015/04/rring-news-and-tour-dates.html
BEST EVENTS (concert listing site)
Louisville: R. RING, THE FERVOR, SHIVERING TIMBERS, and QUAILBONES at The New Vintage!
by Maurice Moore
May 19, 2015 at The New Vintage in Louisville, KY.
The New Vintage and The Other Side of Life are proud to present:
R. RING
http://rring.tumblr.com
Featuring Kelley Deal of the Breeders and Mike Montgomery of Ampline
http://bestevents.us/louisville-r-ring-the-fervor-shivering-timbers-and/418973
HEY REVERB (DENVER MUSIC BLOG)
R. Ring 5/15 at Hi-Dive. Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery are R. Ring, an acoustic alternative rock band.
http://calendar.heyreverb.com/performer.aspx?perf_id=1964059
MUTINY RADIO (San Fran Internet Radio)
Phone interview with Mike Monday May 4th 2pm PST
WE HEART MUSIC
Minneapolis: May 2 – May 4, 2015
R. RING at 7th St Entry Sunday 05/03/15, 8pm ($10)
Kelley Deal (The Breeders) & Mike Montgomery (Ampline) are R. Ring. We wrote about them in 2012 and I honestly had not heard from the duo for a long time. In fact, it was almost by accident, while I was putting together the show previews for the first week of May, that I ran across this odd date for Sunday, May 3rd.
R. Ring recently released a split 7″ with Protomartyr. The release is available digitally, but vinyl fans will have to wait until mid-June.
Also note, there is no opener/support act, so it should be a fairly early Sunday evening.
Tour dates:
4/30 – Dayton, OH – Canal Public House
5/01 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
5/02 – Madison, WI – Frequency
5/03 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
5/04 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
5/05 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
5/06 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett
5/07 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
5/10 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
5/11 – San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room
5/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Satellite
5/14 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
5/15 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
5/16 – Omaha, NE – O’leavers
5/17 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
5/18 – Columbia, MO – Cafe Berlin
5/19 – Louisville, KY – The New Vintage
http://weheartmusic.typepad.com/blog/r-ring/
LOS ANGELES EXAMINER
Things to do this week: April 20-26
Montgomery interviews ahead of Satellite show
R. Ring is fronted by the Breeders’ Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery. The band brings impressive new music and is ready to rock the Satellite on May 12. Montgomery interviews enthusiastically here:
W.E. What are your thoughts on the upcoming LA May 12 show at the Satellite?
M.M. We’re excited to finally play some shows in California! We’ve been there a lot with our other bands but never as R.RING. It’ll be great to see some old friends and meet some new ones.
W.E. You also have a split-single coming out soon. How would you describe the process of making the recording?
M.M. This song came together fairly quickly at the studio. We recorded and mixed it in one long day. Sometimes you listen back after some distance from the process and sort of wrinkle your nose…but we both liked this one in all its quirky, weird entirety.
W.E. What are the main influences on the band’s sound?
M.M. My parents, my brother, Kelley, my other bandmates, classic rock, punk rock, folk, skateboarding… I suppose a little of everything. We don’t have a “sound” or “style” that we’re going for. We just want to honor the impulses of each new song as they come up and then try to arrange them in ways that are interesting to us.
http://www.examiner.com/article/montgomery-interviews-ahead-of-satellite-show
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER / CINCINNATI.COM
Things to do this week: April 20-26
April 21: R.Ring featuring Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, 10 p.m., Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside. With Protomartyr, Tweens and Smut. Free. 513-542-3603; www.northside-tavern.com.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/04/20/things-week-april/25875485/
VISIT MONTANA (Montana visiter site)
R. Ring – Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery blend voices, guitars and keyboards. Liv @ Pub Station in Billings May 5th.
http://www.visitmt.com/things-to-do/events/2015-05/r-ring-billings.html
YAHOO! MUSIC (popular music site)
Hear It First: New Track from Breeders/Ampline Project, R. Ring
Wendy Geller
R. Ring, the project formed by the Breeders’ Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery, is very different from the pair’s respective main gigs, featuring sparse arrangements of vocals, guitars, and keys.
For those who are intrigued to hear, Yahoo Music is pleased to premiere a new track “Singing Tower,” which will be released officially on a 7″ vinyl split-single with Kentucky garage-rockers Quailbones, out this July via Sofaburn Records.
Montgomery, who penned the lyrics, had this to say about the tune: “I had a really kind, ancient uncle who lived across from an equally ancient church. The ringing bells used to parse his days. After he died, I imagined him haunting the bell tower. This song is for him; to let him know it’s safe to come down now.”
Hear It First: New Track from Breeders/Ampline Project, R. Ring
For more information, or to keep up with their spring touring schedule, visit here.
https://www.yahoo.com/music/hear-it-first-new-track-from-breeders-ampline-115958853101.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma
MAD MACKEREL (UK music blog)
R. RING – LOUD UNDERNEATH
Yesterday we shared Protomartyr’s offering from their forthcoming split single with R. Ring.
Today we have the flip side for you from the aforesaid R. Ring who feature The Breeders’ Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery.
Loud Underneath, is an abrasive slab of simmering lo-fi garage angst, and we like it a lot.
The single, A half of Seven is out on limited vinyl on the 16th June via Hardly Art, or can be bought digitally here.
http://madmackerel.org/2015/04/17/r-ring-loud-underneath/
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER (Cincy daily)
Montgomery, Deal heads R. Ring out on West Coast tour
By Garin Pirnia
Veteran musicians Mike Montgomery and Kelley Deal established themselves in local bands – Montgomery in Ampline, and Deal in the world-famous the Breeders – but in 2010 the pair came together and formed the rock duo R. Ring, a sort of slow burn of a band.
In the past few years they’ve released a single called “Fallout and Fire,” a four-song EP, played SXSW, toured Europe and have played a score of shows around Cincinnati and Deal’s hometown of Dayton, Ohio, but they haven’t released a full-length nor plan on it yet.
R. Ring’s the kind of band where Deal and Montgomery showcase their talents center stage, instead of contributing to “side bands” such as the Breeders. Lately, they’ve embraced the fecund local music scene here and the Midwest in collaborating with Murray group Quailbones on a split 7” single (“Singing Tower” / “A Tip to Trick the Tide”), due out in July on Dayton, Kentucky, label SofaBurn.
R. Ring also recorded a split single with Interpol-sounding and critically-acclaimed Detroit post-punk group Protomartyr (coming out soon on Hardly Art), who Deal will sing with when R. Ring opens for them at Northside Tavern. Montgomery’s Ampline recorded a split 7” single with Buffalo Killers, which will be released on Record Store Day Saturday. Besides those endeavors, Deal’s consistently busy with the Breeders and says “We’re always going to be tinkering.”
We bantered with Deal and Montgomery ahead of their Northside Tavern gig, which will be the kickoff to their spring/summer Pussy-Peril tour that will take them to the West Coast for the first time.
Question: I spoke to you guys for the first time in 2012, but what have you been up to since then?
Deal: In 2013 I did the whole Breeders thing. So the R. Ring ship, SS R. Ring, has been on hold for a while. It’s been in the harbor. Captain Mike and skipper Kelly, we’re taking it back out. After doing some shows together, I was like, let’s go to the West Coast. This is something we’ve been wanting to do at the beginning when we started getting together. We wanted to drive across country. In my mind it was this gentle meander out where we stop, we sightsee, do a show. Then the reality settled in that in order to make it work financially and stuff, you got to show, show, show. It’s too many shows! Where are the vacation days, Mike?
Montgomery: We’ll have to schedule those.
Q: Did the impetus to jumpstart R. Ring come after doing a big tour with the Breeders? Were you looking to do something smaller and more intimate?
Deal: Each one of them [the bands] are really fun in their own really unique way. With the Breeders, I’m in a side band. I play guitar and it’s really nice just to play guitar. I like that. But I also like to sing. I think Mike does that too with his band Ampline. He’s the front guy, he’s the main singer. They’re a three-piece, and he’s the only guitarist, so he’s got a lot of weight he has to carry on that. Whereas with R. Ring, we kind of share it but we have our moments of leading the choir.
Montgomery: They’re both different in pleasing ways. We celebrate the divergence.
Q: Tell me what the new single, “Singing Tower,” is about.
Montgomery: I wrote it thinking of my really old dead uncle who lived across from this church for 90 years of his life. He went to church every day. The kids that played there, he’d find their little toy army men ran over in the parking lot and he would always pick them up. He had what I guess you call a curio cabinet full of these smashed toys and stuff, and when I would go visit, I could ask if I could take out and play with all these left over remnants. I just thought he was a good spirit lurking about the house, the parking lot, the church – that was kind of his world.
Q: Did you see a difference when you played shows in Europe versus the U.S.?
Montgomery: The way you’re treated over there from the time you show up at a club is different than it is here in the states. Even if you’re a smallish band that doesn’t have a following, you’re still offered food, drink, a place to stay. Promoters act as if they’re hosting you, you’re their guest and they’re glad that you’re there. Whereas here in the states, … if you’re not going to benefit a club owner monetarily, then their level of hospitality or warmness, I think, diminishes in correlation to what you’re bringing them in at the front door.
Deal: I agree with that.
Montgomery: I will say that having been on the Breeders tour, where it’s lovely ladies and it’s a very well-oiled machine and it’s a really positive experience and they’re playing sold-out clubs well-attended, they couldn’t be treated better in the states, really. It’s just a nice operation to be around.
Q: How has the dynamic of the band changed in the past five years?
Deal: For me, Mike, if I may, oddly enough, it feels fresh to me and shared as it did back then. Just the idea for me just trying to keep it green, if you well, that’s what I think that we’re doing, that we’re actually succeeding at in a nice, gentle way.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/04/16/montgomery-deal-heads-ring-west-coast-tour/25761845/
BILLINGS GAZETTE (Billings, MT daily)
R. Ring brings modern sound to Pub Station next month
By Jaci Webb
R. Ring is playing the Pub Station on May 5 in a 21+ and general admission show.
Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday for $10. They are also $10 the day of show. Tickets are available at 1111presents.com, Pub Station Box Office (2502 First Avenue North), or by calling (877) 987- 6487.
R. Ring is Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, mixing voices, guitars and keys. The music is sparse, chaotic, abrasive and lulling, often within the same song. It is, at the very least, a stark departure from the music they make in their other bands (Kelley with The Breeders and Mike with Ampline.)
They are currently putting finishing touches on recordings for a 7″ single due out on Misra Records.
Deal lives in Dayton, Ohio. Montgomery lives in Dayton, Kentucky.
http://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/music/r-ring-brings-modern-sound-to-pub-station-next-month/article_455310d2-2433-51b0-a280-5d07b9ad5ad1.html
YELLOW SCENE MAGAZINE (Denver/Boulder monthly)
A brief chat with R. Ring
Brett Callwood
R. Ring, featuring the Breeders’ Kelley Deal plus Mike Montgomery, is a sparse, challenging, but ultimately thrilling group. They have a couple of split singles coming out, and they’re playing the Hi-Dive in May, so we chatted with Deal.
Yellow Scene: When did the band form and what the vision?
Kelley Deal: It was around 2010. We had met through mutual friends of ours – a band called the Buffalo Killers. I was doing a song with them, and they knew this guy called Mike Montgomery who owned a studio called Candyland in Cincinnati. We recorded that song with him at his studio. I really liked his decisions, and he had a really good demeanor – he was funny. He had an opportunity to open up for a friend of his who was doing like a CD release party and he asked if I wanted to do the show with him. I didn’t know what songs we would do, and didn’t know either. We got together and out together six songs that we did. At that time in my life, my big thing was to say yes to more things. I was saying no to a lot, for some reason. I made a decision to start saying yes to more, whatever it was. Get out there and do stuff. I’m really glad I did, because it’ll be five years this year and it’s been a really cool, gentle meandering around.
YS: How does the sound differ to the Breeders?
KD: The Breeders is a full band experience with drums, bass, guitars, vocals. It’s a rock outfit. With Mike and I, it’s typically just two guitars and two vocals. We may have a snare drum and percussion with us this time on some shows, but typically everything is reliant on the sound and the ambiance that we can make with electric guitar, acoustics or vocals. I also have this made-up keytar – a little organ that I sling over my shoulders and make some sounds with. It’s fun for me, because it forces me to break down the song and to understand what parts of the melodic arc in this song or narrative has to be there or the song falls apart – in a bad way, not in a good way? It’s like a puzzle, and it’s fun to do.
YS: Do you like playing Colorado?
KD: We don’t hit Colorado a lot. I’ve plated there over the years a lot, but there are some places you kinda go to all the time, and I think because Colorado is kinda by itself there and right in the middle, I somehow miss playing it a lot. But every time I go it’s awesome.
YS: What can we expect from the set?
KD: I don’t know what day of the week we’re playing, and that can impact it. Sometimes we play the Empty Bottle in Chicago on a Saturday night, and that feels a little strange because people are expecting a rock band. It’s all set up for a rock band, for rockage. Expect not to get your face rocked off – that’s what I would say. It’s a journey.
YS: When the tour’s over, what’s next?
KD: Well, we’ve got two releases out right now. We’ve got a 7” coming out with Quailbones, which is a really cool band out of Kentucky that nobody’s heard of. We also have a single coming out with a band called Protomartyr, a really great band from Detroit. We met them last year at SXSW and we became fans. They liked us and because we’re from Dayton, Ohio and they’re from Detroit, we said that we should do something together. So often, people will say that and nothing comes of it. What’s really cool, especially in the music business nowadays, is it’s only limited by what you take action on. We all followed through, and I know it sounds simple but it gets really hard to do that. People get busy, and it’s something you want to do but you just don’t make the time. They came down in December, they went to Candyland, and Mike and I recorded their song, and I sang vocals on it. It’s a really cool song called “Blues Festival.” Then Mike and I recorded a song called “Loud Underneath,” and so we have a split 7”. It’s a really fun project.
R. Ring plays with Safe Boating is No Accident and Space Suits for Indians at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15 at the Hi-Dive; 7 S. Broadway, Denver; 303-733-0230; $10.
http://yellowscene.com/2015/04/16/a-brief-chat-with-r-ring/
GHETTOBLASTER MAGAZINE (national music magazine)
RING READY SPLITS WITH QUAILBONES AND PROTOMARTYR, TOUR (2015)
http://ghettoblastermagazine.com/2015/r-ring-ready-splits-with-quailbones-and-protomartyr-tour-2015/
BROADWAY WORLD (music site)
R. Ring Shares New ‘Loud Underneath’ Single from SPLIT 7; Tour to Kick Off 4/21
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/R-Ring-Shares-New-Loud-Underneath-Single-from-SPLIT-7-Tour-to-Kick-Off-421-20150415
BROOKLYN VEGAN
Protomartyr share new song “Blues Festival” from split 7″ w/ Kelley Deal’s band R Ring (who are touring)
by Bill Pearis
Protomartyr have a new split-single with Kelley Deal’s band R Ring that will be out via Hardly Art in June (digitally, you can get it on Tuesday, April 14). Kelley also sings on Protomartyr’s side, “Blues Festival,” which is a cautionary tale of hyped bands: “Hell is forever being local support / Hell is opening up a five-band bill / Hell is headlining the Blues Festival.” Stream it below.
Protomartyr will headline a three-band bill in NYC on Wednesday (4/15) at The Wick which BrooklynVegan is presenting. It’s part of their tour with new Sub Pop signees The Gotobeds, and Grooms are on the bill as well. Tickets are still available and we’re giving a couple pairs away.
The single with Protomartyr is one of two splits R Ring (which is Deal with Ampline’s Mike Montgomery) are releasing. The other is with Kentucky garage rockers Quailbones and will be released in July via Sofaburn Records. You can stream R Ring’s side, “Singing Tower,” below. R Ring are heading out on tour this week. No NYC shows have been announced but all dates are listed below.
—
R Ring – 2015 Tour Dates
4/18 – Wooster, OH – Lucky Records w/ Buffalo Killers and Ampline (noon)
4/18 – Dayton, OH – Omega Music w/ Buffalo Killers and Ampline (6pm)
4/21 – Cincinnati, OH – Northside Tavern
4/30 – Dayton, OH – Canal Public House
5/01 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
5/02 – Madison, WI – Frequency
5/03 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
5/04 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
5/05 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
5/06 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett
5/07 – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
5/10 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios (w/ Bed)
5/11 – San Francisco, CA – Elbo Room (w/ 1939 Ensemble)
5/12 – Los Angeles, CA – Satellite (w/ 1939 Ensemble)
5/14 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
5/15 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
5/16 – Omaha, NE – O’leavers
5/17 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
5/18 – Columbia, MO – Cafe Berlin
5/19 – Louisville, KY – The New Vintage (w/ Quailbones)
(more dates to be announced soon)
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2015/04/protomartyr_sha_1.html
WYSO PUBLIC RADIO – In-studio session, 150 East South College Street, Yellow Springs, OH Wednesday, April 29th 7:45pm EST arrival
WITH GUITARS (music site)
R. Ring To Kick-Off U.S. Spring Tour April 21st in Cincy!
http://www.withguitars.com/r-ring-featuring-the-breeders-kelley-deal-amplines-mike-montgomery-to-kick-off-u-s-spring-tour-april-21st-in-cincy/
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES (music blog)
“Singing Tower” – R. Ring. Two rock vets team up for a poignant, delicate acoustic lament. Seems like if you can write a song somewhere, you can write a song in a lot of places.
http://independentclauses.com/tag/r-ring/
HANG THE DJ (music blog)
Kelley Deal side project R.Ring debuts single
R. Ring — featuring Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery — is back in action. In 2012 the duo released a few singles, and now they’ve returned with a new song titled “Singing Tower.” The track will be released as a split 7″ single this July (Kentucky garage band Quailbones will have a song titled “A Tip To Trick The Tide” on the flip side) through Sofaburn Records. A special limited edition handmade custom packaged 12″ version will be available on dates on the band’s U.S. tour this spring, which so far does not include a stop in the Detroit area. Another split 7″ single from R Ring is in the works and more details on that will be announced shortly. For now, stream “Singing Tower” below via Yahoo.
R. Ring North American tour
4/18 — Wooster, OH @ Lucky Records w/ Buffalo Killers and Ampline (noon)
4/18 — Dayton, OH @ Omega Music w/ Buffalo Killers and Ampline (6pm)
4/21 — Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern
4/30 — Dayton, OH @ Canal Public House
5/01 — Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
5/02 — Madison, WI @ Frequency
5/03 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
5/04 — Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
5/05 — Billings, MT @ Pub Station
5/06 — Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
5/07 — Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
5/10 — Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios (w/ Bed)
5/11 — San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room (w/ 1939 Ensemble)
5/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite (w/ 1939 Ensemble)
5/14 — Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
5/15 — Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
5/16 — Omaha, NE @ O’leavers
5/17 — Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
5/18 — Columbia, MO @ Cafe Berlin
5/19 — Louisville, KY @ The New Vintage (w/ Quailbones)
http://www.cristinarocks.com/2015/04/kelley-deal-side-project-rring-debuts.html
MUSIC NEWS NASHVILLE (Nashville music site)
R. Ring To Kick-Off U.S. Spring Tour April 21st
http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/r-ring-to-kick-off-u-s-spring-tour-april-21st/
THE CHICAGO AMBASSADOR (Chicago A&E site)
A conversation with rock icon Kelley Deal
When she’s not playing lead guitar in The Breeders, one of the seminal bands of the 90s, Kelley Deal is part of R.Ring, a two-piece band with Ampline guitarist Mike Montgomery. Deal is also famously the twin sister of Kim Deal, lead singer of The Breeders and former member of the Pixies.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, Kelley Deal worked a 9-to-5 job while her sister’s music career took off with the Pixies and then the Breeders in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite declining a chance to join the Pixies, as well as a chance at being an original member of The Breeders, Deal says she has no regrets. She eventually jointed the Breeders in 1992, right before its EP “Safari” and the album that launched the band to super-stardom, “Last Splash.”
A heroin addict since her teens, her drug use became public and problematic in 1994, after the success of “Last Splash” and extensive touring. A year later, Deal was involved in a drug bust, which put the Breeders on indefinite hiatus.
In rehab, Deal began writing her own songs and after rehab, formed The Kelley Deal 6000, which put out two albums before The Breeders returned in 1997. Since then, Deal has been sober and a consistent figure in The Breeders and since 2011, has also been playing with Montgomery in R.Ring, who will play The Empty Bottle on May 1.
The Chicago Ambassador recently chatted with Deal about R.Ring, The Breeders, and how she fell in love with knitting.
CA) You return to Chicago May 1 to play The Empty Bottle. Any spots in town you like to hit?
DEAL) We usually are kinda stuck in a recording studio, usually in (Steve) Albini’s studio (Electrical Audio). But we also try to go to Second City. There’s a really good tamale truck near Albini’s place. There’s not a lot of food I want to eat. I’m really kind of boring when it comes to that. I’m not a foodie. You guys have really good thrift stores, so I scrounge around there.
CA) Did you record anything with R. Ring at Steve Albini’s studio?
DEAL) No, we have not. Mike visited and met Steve a couple times but we haven’t recorded there.
CA) R. Ring has been around since 2010. How did it come about? Did you know Mike Montgomery?
DEAL) There was a tribute album being done in honor of Guided By Voices (Sing for Your Meat) and I did a song called scalding creek. I used a local Ohio band called Buffalo Killers and we did it together. They knew Mike. We went to the recording studio to record it and Mike was there and over the course of working with them, he had some great ideas. He was easy to work with, funny and very charming. He can talk anyone into anything. He said something about playing a solo acoustic thing for a friend’s party and I said, ‘Oh, you should ask me.’ I didn’t actually mean it. Well, I kind of did but that was as far as it went. Then he was asked to open for a band that he knew and asked me to play with him. We played six songs, some were his and some were mine. When we first sent me his songs, the name of the artist was R. Ring. I asked ‘who is that guy?’ and he said it was a concept that he had for a long time about right-ring fingers, like on fingerprint identification cards, the right ring-finger is R. Ring.
CA) One thing I found interesting about you is that you’re really into knitting and even wrote a book about it. What’s the story behind that?
DEAL) I was on tour in Amsterdam in 1996 and I was sober, and I was so bored. This was before you had the Internet and smart phones and computers, and even good TV. There was rugby on one channel and something in Dutch on another channel that I didn’t understand and I couldn’t read anymore. I remember we were on tour with the Radar Brothers and the drummer’s girlfriend was knitting and I asked her to teach me. She did, and that became my new obsession. Especially on tour, it’s something fun to do and keeps your mind occupied.
CA) You sell some of your knitted items online, correct?
DEAL) I have an online store and I sell scarves. It’s kinda freaky, I go and find old sweaters and take them home. I tear them apart and wash them and shrink them and then I cut them apart and sew them back together and sell them as scarves. I name them so each one has this weird name, for example, one of them is called “Justine’s track marks” (laughter). It’s weird. People do weird shit.
CA) I guess that’s part of what makes you interesting.
DEAL) When you’re doing it, it seems so normal. But yeah, you’re right. People have all types of things that they are into.
CA) You were born and raised in Dayton, Ohio and you still live there. On your website it says that you’re a native of Dayton and ‘that’s all one needs to know about you.’ Is that more important to you than your music career?
DEAL) I don’t know. I think, without going into a bunch of stuff, it’s really like a beginning of a conversation about me.
CA) You and your sister Kim both had an opportunity to join the Pixies in the mid-’80s, with Kim on bass and yourself on drums. Kim followed through while you opted to move to California where you worked as a computer programer. Did you ever regret that?
DEAL) No. To be fair, it was to be their drummer because I had played drums all through junior high and high school. You can’t just sit down, at least I can’t sit down and play. You really have to practice. I didn’t feel confident enough that I could support a band with my drumming skills.
CA) When you joined The Breeders, they wanted you initially to play drums, but you insisted on playing lead guitar instead of drums when you really didn’t know how to play, correct?
DEAL) That’s correct. I don’t know, for some reason… with lead guitar, the scrawnier and stranger it is, the better it sounds to me. With drums, you can’t do that. You’re supporting a band.
CA) You actually had the chance to join The Breeders when they were making their first album but you couldn’t get time off work, right?
DEAL) Yes, that’s right. The second time I did.
CA) That was for which album?
DEAL) Safari, the EP. It still had Tonya (Donelly) and Britt (Walford) on it. I was an addition to it.
CA) I read that initially The Breeders felt like nobody would be into their music. Is that the same attitude with R.Ring? The reason I ask is because you’ve put out really limited releases of somethings — such as releasing 100 copies of a cover of Devo’s “Mr. DNA.” –Why such a small number?
DEAL) Because I’m in a rock band that’s a full band (The Breeders) and Mike Montgomery is also in a rock band (Ampline), when we come together and do our thing, it’s really kind of a quieter moment, in a weird way. We like to touch each item, we make all of those covers. Like, one thing that we did, Mike hammered out with little nails, ‘R.Ring’ on these CD cases. We also made these interesting liner notes. It’s more personal and hands-on.
CA) The fans probably appreciate that.
DEAL) I hope so. I don’t know what people like or don’t like. There’s so much music out there now.
CA) For people who only know you from The Breeders, what would you tell them to expect if they are going to see R.Ring?
DEAL) In Chicago we’ll have a drummer with us, but it’s very paired down. We are trying to make as much emotional, sonic music that we can, using the least amount of instrumentation. That can be be loud, however. In fact, we do a cover of “Ghosts” by Shellac… on acoustic guitars. We do odd things like that.
CA) The Breeders wrapped up a tour in 2014 and recorded some material. Any plans for an album release?
DEAL) We have all kinds of things. It’s not like it’s planned but we love getting together and making music. There are successes to that, there are some failures to that. We are working together on new music, yes.
CA) Does R. Ring get put on the back-burner if The Breeders start touring again? Does one group get precedence?
DEAL) It’s kind of worked out so far. R.Ring did a couple years of a lot of good stuff and then I had a year and a half with The Breeders. I feel like I get the best of both worlds. With The Breeders there’s a certain expectation and I’m a side man in that band. I play guitar and that’s it and I like that. I don’t lead the band. There’s a wonderful thing about that. With R.Ring, I take lead on a lot of songs. I’m more involved somehow. If something sounds weird, the only person I can look at is Mike, we have no one else to blame.
CA) You guys have release the EP “Rise” and the 7-inch “Fallout & Fire.” Any new releases coming up?
DEAL) Yeah, we have two things coming up. We have a spit single with a band called Protomartyr from Detroit. We also did a spit single with a band called Quailbones from this small little town called Murray, Kentucky, that has the coolest music scene. Everybody is in each other’s band, they write amazing songs and it’s really a vibrant scene there. I’m shocked every time I go there.
CA) You basically put out your own music.
DEAL) We are not looking or interested in signing with a label. Everything that we do is one-off. We do a record. There’s no point to it anymore, unless I’m missing something. Let me know if you find out what I’m missing. I don’t know what the point is, at least for what I want to do, which is to put out cool things and play interesting shows where we don’t have to rock people’s faces off. We just go and have a good time.
CA) You’re currently 53?
DEAL) Goddammit. Let me think about that..yes, I am 53.
CA) Seems like you’re ramping up instead of slowing down.
DEAL) I’m going along and feeling pretty good about things but sometimes I look around and say ‘Gee, where are the other 53-year-old ladies doing this?’ Besides Kim Gordon and my sister, there are not a lot of ladies doing this anymore. Sometimes I just go, ‘Am I doing anything inappropriate here?’ But then I think maybe I am but that’s ok too.
CA) I was going to ask, do you really care?
DEAL) No. As long as I’m having fun, I’m ok with it.
CA) Is it easier that you’re sober?
DEAL) Oh, hell yeah. Kim and I talk about this a lot. We ask each other, ‘Do you remember when we did all this? How did we do it all so impaired?’ It’s so much easier now, it’s really weird.
CA) Is it any more rewarding?
DEAL) I don’t want to negate the idea that it wasn’t fun. It was hugely fun, I had a great time. I’m not denying that. But I’m not looking to have that type of fun again. I had it, it was great, I’m done.
For more information about R. Ring’s May 1 show at The Empty Bottle, click here.
https://thechicagoambassador.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/a-conversation-with-rock-icon-kelley-deal/
SPOKANE INLANDER (Spokane weekly)
STAFF PICK – R. Ring feat. The Breeders’ Kelley Deal & Ampline’s Mike Montgomery
When: Wed., May 6 @ The Bartlett
http://www.inlander.com/spokane/r-ring-feat-the-breeders-kelley-deal-and-amplines-mike-montgomery/Event?oid=2436557
DAYTON.COM (Dayton news site)
Happy April! 30 great events coming up this month
APRIL 30
R.Ring: Kelley Deal of the Breeders brings her side project to Canal Public House, Dayton. 9 p.m. Good English and Pale Angels also performs.
http://www.dayton.com/news/events/happy-april-30-great-events-coming-up-this-month/nkj9n/
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER / CINCINNATI.COM (Cincy daily)
R. Ring will perform free show at Northside Tavern
R. Ring, fronted by The Breeders’ Kelley Deal and Ampline’s Mike Montgomery, will be performing a free show Tuesday, April 21 at Northside Tavern.
The show, along with the U.S. spring tour precedes the new 7-inch vinyl split-single with Kentucky garage-rockers Quailbones, which will be released in July.
Deal currently lives in Dayton, Ohio and Mike lives in Dayton, Kentucky.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/27/rring-northside-tavern/70554952/
