River Spell, a Colorado-based band, will make their Carbondale debut at Steve’s Guitars on June 14. As a part of their summer tour, they will be traveling all over the state and will eventually circle back to Carbondale to perform at The Black Nugget on Sept. 1.
Officially formed in 2022, the band consists of lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player Grant Livingston, Ben Maillaro on the electric guitar, Jake DeMarco on bass, and Carbondale local Zack Ritchie on the drums. Together they make a sound all their own with an eclectic mix of folk, bluegrass, jam, funk and rock.
Since the band’s inception, they have performed at Belly Up Aspen, Boulder’s Fox Theater, Your Mom’s House (Denver) and The Larimer Lounge (also in Denver). Steve’s Guitars will be a memorable moment for the bandmates, especially for Ritchie.
“We’re really excited! This is our first time playing a hometown show or in the stomping grounds of a bandmate,” said Livingston. “We hope to evoke emotions of all sorts, but, generally speaking, we want to have a lot of fun. We’d like to get a dance party going and let people feel alive, help people come alive, and help ourselves come alive. We’re just excited to get out there and celebrate.”
Livingston was living in Northern California before making his way to Colorado, and has been a songwriter and musician for several years. Initially playing music on his own, he released “Grant and Friends” in 2021. He explained that this album featured an alternating cast of characters as he searched for bandmates. He would eventually meet his current colleagues and has been playing with them ever since.
Ritchie grew up in a family where music was always playing, and they frequented shows. He said that when he finally got to middle school and was granted the opportunity to play instruments, he was drawn to the drums.
“My parents were very gracious and supportive and braved the early years of me just banging on stuff,” he stated. “In my formative years with music, I saw a lot of music at Steve’s Guitars. I have always wanted to go back there and have the opportunity to play from that stage. … It’s a bucket list venue for me.”
During his college years, studying music at the University of Colorado Boulder, Ritchie floated around freelance drumming for various bands. Ritchie eventually found his way to River Spell and has been performing with them ever since.
“It was a perfect fit right off the bat,” he said. “The way they play matches how I play well, and it’s just a fun approach to music.”
Livingston said that while he and his bandmates find inspiration from the musical talents of the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the outdoors inspires a good amount of the songwriting.
“We try to get out on a trailhead, take a backpack and a guitar and keep walking until we feel inspired and come back with something new,” he said.
Along with this, Livingston said that he and his bandmates practice a lot of improvisation both in the studio and on the stage, meaning that each audience is in for a unique show.
The band is currently piecing together their first EP, which they hope to release this summer. They also hope to release a full-length live album from their upcoming performance at the Black Box Theatre in Boulder, later in June.
While River Spell’s music is not yet on any streaming platforms, “Grant and Friends” is available to stream on Spotify, and videos of their past performances are on their website. For updates, visit www.riverspellmusic.com
For tickets to the Steve’s Guitars show on June 14 at 8pm, visit www.stevesguitars.net