The Ukiah Drag

Hailing from southern origins yet now centered in the Northeast, the Ukiah Drag weave a murky blend of blues and brooding indie rock. The lineup consists of guitarist and singer ZZ Ramirez, guitarist and singer Brian Hennessey, bassist Andrew Eaton, keyboardist Nick Klein, and drummer Tommy Conte. Previously a member of the respected Florida outfit American Snakeskin, Ramirez moved to Boston following that group’s dissolution and connected with fellow former Florida residents Hennessey and Conte. The trio shared living quarters and soon began collaborating on music, incorporating a set of previously unrecorded Ramirez compositions that had been slated for American Snakeskin. Using rudimentary lo-fi equipment, the Ukiah Drag captured two cassette-only releases, Jazz Mama Is Cryin' and Variations of Candy, and quickly gained attention for their richly atmospheric and haunting material. Eventually the band shifted operations to Providence, Rhode Island, where Eaton and Klein completed the roster. Brooklyn’s Wharf Cat Records issued the group’s debut vinyl offering in March 2014, the single “Dirt Trip” backed by a rendition of the Coasters’ “Poison Ivy.” Wharf Cat and the Ukiah Drag next partnered on the full-length In the Reaper's Quarters, which appeared in September 2014.