Biography
Formed by Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery, R. Ring merges distorted rock textures, somber Americana hues, and inventive structures into unpredictably catchy tracks. While juggling Deal’s commitments to the Breeders and Protomartyr alongside Montgomery’s work as proprietor of Candyland Recording Studio and guitarist in the post-rock group Ampline, the pair shaped a gritty yet layered approach on the 2017 album Ignite the Rest before introducing greater refinement and darker atmospheres to the 2023 follow-up War Poems, We Rested.
Deal first crossed paths with Montgomery in 2010 after receiving an invitation to contribute to a Guided by Voices tribute album. Her then-backing band Buffalo Killers pointed her toward his Cincinnati facility Candyland—later relocated to Dayton, Kentucky, in a coincidental echo of her own Dayton, Ohio, base. When Montgomery later asked her to join him onstage during one of his opening sets, the two began collaborating, resulting in the 2012 single “Salt,” which served as the theme for vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s online series Make It Vegan, as well as the Misra-issued Fallout & Fire/SEE that same year. They also produced a limited-edition cover of Devo’s “Mr. DNA,” pressed in a run of 100 copies housed inside grip-tape-wrapped wooden blocks. Their first European tour was documented the following year on the Rise EP.
R. Ring resurfaced in 2015 via two split singles: the Sofa Burn release Pussy Peril, recorded with Quailbones, and A Half of Seven, which included Protomartyr. Tracks from these releases fed into the duo’s first full-length, rounded out by cellist Lori Goldston and Bat Fangs/Speed Stick drummer Laura King; Ignite the Rest appeared on Sofa Burn in April 2017.
Soon after that debut, Montgomery and Deal began shaping the next record. Seeking to move beyond the straightforward sound of their initial effort, they composed in the studio with King, brought Goldston back into the fold, and added vibraphonist Joe Suer. Deal’s touring schedule with Protomartyr and Montgomery’s duties at Candyland stretched the timeline, yet the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic gave them extra time to polish the sessions. The resulting War Poems, We Rested, issued in January 2023 on Don Giovanni, offered a lush, dynamically expansive sound; a special edition bundled a chapbook featuring poems by Sadie Dupuis, Lee Ranaldo, and award-winning poet and music writer Hanif Abdurraqib, among others.
Deal first crossed paths with Montgomery in 2010 after receiving an invitation to contribute to a Guided by Voices tribute album. Her then-backing band Buffalo Killers pointed her toward his Cincinnati facility Candyland—later relocated to Dayton, Kentucky, in a coincidental echo of her own Dayton, Ohio, base. When Montgomery later asked her to join him onstage during one of his opening sets, the two began collaborating, resulting in the 2012 single “Salt,” which served as the theme for vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s online series Make It Vegan, as well as the Misra-issued Fallout & Fire/SEE that same year. They also produced a limited-edition cover of Devo’s “Mr. DNA,” pressed in a run of 100 copies housed inside grip-tape-wrapped wooden blocks. Their first European tour was documented the following year on the Rise EP.
R. Ring resurfaced in 2015 via two split singles: the Sofa Burn release Pussy Peril, recorded with Quailbones, and A Half of Seven, which included Protomartyr. Tracks from these releases fed into the duo’s first full-length, rounded out by cellist Lori Goldston and Bat Fangs/Speed Stick drummer Laura King; Ignite the Rest appeared on Sofa Burn in April 2017.
Soon after that debut, Montgomery and Deal began shaping the next record. Seeking to move beyond the straightforward sound of their initial effort, they composed in the studio with King, brought Goldston back into the fold, and added vibraphonist Joe Suer. Deal’s touring schedule with Protomartyr and Montgomery’s duties at Candyland stretched the timeline, yet the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic gave them extra time to polish the sessions. The resulting War Poems, We Rested, issued in January 2023 on Don Giovanni, offered a lush, dynamically expansive sound; a special edition bundled a chapbook featuring poems by Sadie Dupuis, Lee Ranaldo, and award-winning poet and music writer Hanif Abdurraqib, among others.
Albums
Singles
