The Long Ryders-
Biography

There aren’t too many rock’n’roll bands these days that are committed to originality. Of course, there are exceptions.

Los Angeles’ Long Ryders have returned to vinyl with Native Sons, their first album and a musical leap forward from their debut EP last year, 10-5-60.

Their first recorded effort harkened back to the days of garage/folk rock and hip country, while Native Sons ZIPPO (ZONG 003) forges ahead: reflecting the influences of icons like Chuck Berry and Gram Parsons, but nevertheless maintaining the raw edge and energy of the eighties. Enlightened by the past, invigorated by the present, and inspired by future prospects, one might say. The Long Ryders line-up includes: guitarist and author Sid Griffin, bassman Tom Stevens, sticks’n’skins pro Greg Sowders, and steel guitarist / multiinstrumentalist Stephen McCarthy.

Griffin calls the new LP, ”A step forward.“ ”So many groups these days are willing to jump on a bandwagon and do whatever their manager tells them in order to go with the fashionable trend", exclaims McCarthy. Stevens pipes in, "It’s real nice for an audience to hear real drums, real vocals and real instruments rather than the plastic, and-and stuff making the rounds today.“ Sowders states emphatically, ”We don’t compromise. Period.“

Emerging from diverse musical backgrounds, the four agreeably dovetailed their individual talents to come up with a hybrid of many musical forms which can only be described as pure ”Long Ryders“. Hollywood born-and-bred Sowders’ background included a stint with L.A.’s first ska band The Boxboys, while Kentuckian Griffin led cult groups The Unclaimed end The Frosties. Indiana-raised Stevens pursued a solo pop career before ”ryding“ into town, and Virginia boy McCarthy’s roots were firmly entrenched in traditional country music.

On Native Sons, The Long Ryders were joined in the studio by veteran soundman Henry Lewy whose credits range from engineering Eddie Cochran’s youth anthem “Summertime Blues” to producing LPs for rock stalwarts ranging from Don Everly to Joni Mitchell to Neil Young.

Fiercely committed to preserving the energy and integrity of their live performances on their first long player, The Long Ryders don’t intend on being classified or categorised. You’ll soon discover why the band is just as comfortable playing an intimate acoustic set with Roger McGuinn or T-Bone Burnett as they are kicking up a storm onstage with the likes of The Alarm or X. Their goal isn’t to play country, folk or retrospective rock - they play American music. Ho trendiness allowed.
No heavy posing. And, most of all, no compromise.