Ripe is an American funk and alt pop band. Originally from Boston, the band is based in

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. Led by frontman Robbie Wulfsohn, the band also consists of guitarist Jon Becker, drummer Sampson Hellerman, and trombonist Calvin Barthel.

History

Formation and early years (2011–2017)

The band formed in 2011 as a six-piece group while its members were attending the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

. Drummer Sampson Hellerman and lead guitarist Tory Geismar had moved together from New York to Boston, where Berklee is located. There they met Robbie Wulfsohn, who would become Ripe's lead vocalist, as well as guitarist Jon Becker, and Josh Shpak and Calvin Barthel. The latter two feature on the band's horns, on trumpet and trombone, respectively. For a short time, the band was called "Produce the Juice", but after coming up with other "organic-sounding names" they finally settled on Ripe. Hellerman recounted that he and Geismar did not dorm, and instead roomed together in an apartment but "quickly realized heyhad no idea how to meet people." As a result, they hosted open door parties; Wulfsohn attended the first of these parties, and the three of them "sat down and did a little jam," writing a song that they uploaded to

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. Wulfsohn had left his hometown of Toronto to attend Berklee. He lived on the same floor as Becker, as well as Maxwell Stofman, who became the band's manager. Due to being fascinated with funk, the band sought out a horn player and hired Josh Shpak as their trumpeter. Shpak brought along trombonist Calvin Barthel with him. In 2014, Ripe gained online attention as a result of a live-performance video recording of their song "Goon Squad" going viral on the "r/listentothis"

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. Later, in 2015, Nadav Shapira would join the band as its bassist. Prior to releasing their debut studio album in 2018, Ripe's reputation was built primarily through live performances as their output prior to 2018 saw a total of ten songs released.

''Joy in the Wild Unknown'' (2018)

In the midst of touring, Ripe released their debut studio album ''Joy in the Wild Unknown'' on April 6, 2018. On it, they collaborated with

Cory Wong Cory Juen Wong (born March 8, 1985) is an American guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and video producer based in Minneapolis. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans several genres i ...

, who was behind the board. Joe Visciano was also brought on the album as a mixer, and

Randy Merrill Randy Merrill is an American mastering engineer who has worked with international artists including Blink-182, DAY6, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Harry Styles, One Direction, Adele, Imagine Dragons, Beck, Liam Gallagher, Jonas Brothers, Muse ...

worked on its mastering. In 2020, Ripe embarked on a tour.

''Bright Blues'' (2022–2023)

In 2022, the band released the single "Settling". The band released their second album ''Bright Blues'' in 2023, their first through

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. Noah Conrad and Ryan Linvill served as producers and co-writers on the album. During the year, the band also performed on their "Bright Blues" Tour. In November 2023, Ripe released a live album, ''Live from MGM Music Hall at Fenway''.

Musical style and influences

Ripe's music style has been self-described as

alt-pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

, with Wulfsohn stating "what we make is music you can dance to. We're drawn to the peak of a song — the emotional catharsis when everything comes out. It's all about reaching that moment. The revelation comes back to us when bodies shake with joy." The band is also often associated with

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and dance music, and has been described as "

neo-soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contem ...

" by ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

''.

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and R&B are also genres that the band is known for incorporating into their sound. Gwen Egan of '' Boston.com'' wrote that the band has an "infectious blend of pop, funk, and rock".

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

has been noted as one of the band's influences. Becker stated that the band also models their sound after

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Band members

Current members * Robbie Wulfsohn – lead vocals (2011–present) * Jon Becker – guitar (2011–present) * Sampson Hellerman – drums (2011–present) * Calvin Barthel – trombone (2011–present) Former members * Tory Geismar – guitar * Josh Shpak – trumpets * Nadav Shapira – bass guitar

Discography

Studio albums: * ''Joy in the Wild Unknown'' (2018) * ''Bright Blues'' (2023)

References

{{reflist, 30em 2011 establishments in Massachusetts American funk rock musical groups American pop rock music groups Berklee College of Music alumni Glassnote Records artists Musical groups established in 2011 Musical groups from Boston