Until The Ribbon Breaks

Until the Ribbon Breaks operate as a British trio that fuses electronic textures with pop, rock, and hip-hop. The project originated when Cardiff-born multimedia artist Pete Lawrie Winfield worked alone under that name, which itself nods to the old practice of assembling mixtapes meant to be replayed until the ribbon finally snaps. Winfield’s debut single “Pressure” appeared in early 2013, paired with a self-made clip that wove in footage from David Lynch’s 1997 feature Lost Highway. Several months afterward came the follow-up track “2525,” prompting Winfield to bring in James Gordon and Elliot Wall so the lineup could function as a full band.

Their remixes for the Weeknd, Sam Smith, and Lorde attracted notice, and Lorde subsequently asked them to support her 2013 North American tour. While finishing their first album they also reworked London Grammar’s “Sights” in 2014. The completed LP, A Lesson Unlearnt, arrived in January 2015.

Social media posts in November 2015 announced that James Gordon was departing to focus on his own work. Around the same period Pete Lawrie Winfield’s struggles with alcohol and drugs intensified; he traveled to Thailand for detox and rehabilitation, where he underwent a spiritual renewal. After further sessions with Elliot Wall in Los Angeles, Winfield relocated to the Far East, settling in a modest hut and writing new material on a laptop. The next UTRB single, “Here Comes the Feeling,” surfaced in October 2017 and reflected Winfield’s recovery journey.