Biography
Psychedelic country jam band Rose City Band originated as the creative outlet for Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo guitarist and vocalist Ripley Johnson. After the group’s self-released 2019 debut sold through its initial run, the Portland, Oregon-based musician partnered with Thrill Jockey for a reissue that launched the project into steady activity. What began as a low-key recording endeavor soon expanded into a touring ensemble that issued a steady stream of increasingly layered recordings, among them the 2021 release Earth Trip and the 2023 album Garden Party, before unveiling its fifth effort, Sol y Sombra, in 2025.
Drawing its name from Johnson’s hometown, Rose City Band surfaced in May 2019 with a self-titled seven-song album on the boutique imprint Jean Sandwich Records. Issued with scant accompanying details, the set blended hazy, textural space rock with cosmic country in the vein of the Grateful Dead; its limited pressing of 1,000 copies sold out rapidly. Thrill Jockey reissued the record early the following year, prompting Johnson to discuss the sessions in an interview that clarified his central role as producer, singer, and primary instrumentalist, supported by a fluid circle of collaborators. The label also scheduled a follow-up for spring or summer 2020.
That second collection, Summerlong, emerged in May 2020 and tilted further toward country textures while retaining psychedelic and folk underpinnings, incorporating pedal steel, jaw harp, and mandolin. For the third album, Earth Trip, Johnson enlisted pedal steel guitarist Barry Walker and enlisted producer Cooper Crain to mix his home-recorded tracks. Released in May 2021, the record explored motifs of natural splendor and the restorative power of the outdoors. By then Rose City Band had moved beyond the studio: a performing lineup featuring Johnson, Walker, keyboardist Paul Hasenberg, bassist Dewey Mahood, and drummer Dustin Dybvig began playing shows and touring internationally.
Although Johnson largely tracked the fourth album, Garden Party, on his own, he channeled the vitality of the live shows into material centered on summertime and outdoor life. Guest contributions came from Moon Duo colleagues John Jeffrey on drums and Sanae Yamada on synths, along with input from the road band. Recorded with John McEntire, the set appeared on Thrill Jockey in April 2023. Sol y Sombra followed in January 2025, advancing the group’s cosmic country aesthetic through more elaborate arrangements that highlighted refined pedal steel work and close vocal harmonies within its signature spaced-out Americana framework.
Drawing its name from Johnson’s hometown, Rose City Band surfaced in May 2019 with a self-titled seven-song album on the boutique imprint Jean Sandwich Records. Issued with scant accompanying details, the set blended hazy, textural space rock with cosmic country in the vein of the Grateful Dead; its limited pressing of 1,000 copies sold out rapidly. Thrill Jockey reissued the record early the following year, prompting Johnson to discuss the sessions in an interview that clarified his central role as producer, singer, and primary instrumentalist, supported by a fluid circle of collaborators. The label also scheduled a follow-up for spring or summer 2020.
That second collection, Summerlong, emerged in May 2020 and tilted further toward country textures while retaining psychedelic and folk underpinnings, incorporating pedal steel, jaw harp, and mandolin. For the third album, Earth Trip, Johnson enlisted pedal steel guitarist Barry Walker and enlisted producer Cooper Crain to mix his home-recorded tracks. Released in May 2021, the record explored motifs of natural splendor and the restorative power of the outdoors. By then Rose City Band had moved beyond the studio: a performing lineup featuring Johnson, Walker, keyboardist Paul Hasenberg, bassist Dewey Mahood, and drummer Dustin Dybvig began playing shows and touring internationally.
Although Johnson largely tracked the fourth album, Garden Party, on his own, he channeled the vitality of the live shows into material centered on summertime and outdoor life. Guest contributions came from Moon Duo colleagues John Jeffrey on drums and Sanae Yamada on synths, along with input from the road band. Recorded with John McEntire, the set appeared on Thrill Jockey in April 2023. Sol y Sombra followed in January 2025, advancing the group’s cosmic country aesthetic through more elaborate arrangements that highlighted refined pedal steel work and close vocal harmonies within its signature spaced-out Americana framework.
Albums
Sol Y Sombra
2025
Garden Party
2023
Earth Trip
2021
Singles from Earth Trip
2021
Summerlong
2020
Rose City Band
2020
Singles
