Not many bands can say they recorded an album in the operating room of an allegedly haunted former lunatic asylum. When your band’s name is The Ridges, however, it only makes sense.
“We really set ourselves up for adventure,” vocalist and guitarist Victor Rasgaitis said. “We approached it with the idea that we wanted it to be bigger than just a CD; we wanted it to be a story. And we had this crazy idea about doing it at The Ridges, but we never thought it would happen.”
The band got lucky when John Sanders, a senior at Ohio University, asked them to play a Halloween party at the Asylum.
“It really just fell into our laps, like it was meant to happen,” Rasgaitis said. “None of this would have been possible without him.”
In December, The Ridges set up to record in an old operating room in the building, which the band found to have perfect acoustics. The group discovered, however, that recording in an allegedly haunted building is not without excitement.
“We did this photo shoot where we dressed in Victorian-style clothes walking around the Ridges,” cellist and vocalist Talor Smith said. “People were driving by staring at us, and we couldn’t help but think that they might think we’re ghosts.”
The group also had its own brush with a ghost. On the track “War Bonds,” the sound of a girl laughing can be heard in
the background.
“We videotaped that session,” Rasgaitis said. “And no one is laughing on the video. ... It just doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard.”
The building’s acoustics and potential ghost are accompanied by sound effects created by percussionist Johnny Barton, who added to the eerie sound by clanking chains and breaking boxes.
“By doing something unique and by doing it in this way, I think it really connected us,” Rasgaitis said. “Everyone weighs in (on the music), so we end up with a very rich depiction that everyone sees differently.”
With the album finished, Rasgaitis said the band couldn’t be happier with the result.
“We really wanted to tell a story, and I think we did that,” Rasgaitis said. “Even the album artwork is a story, and that’s why I really encourage people to buy the physical copy.”
To promote the album, the band made the five-track CD the same $5-price as the digital album.
“It started with John Sanders asking us to play, and it ended with him doing the album artwork,” Rasgaitis said. “Our first show we ever played was at Donkey, and now we’re playing there again. We’re The Ridges and we recorded at The Ridges. ... We’re all about circles.”
Rasgaitis said he always knew he would release the album in Athens.
“I just feel like we’re letting Athens in on an inside joke,” he said. “An audience here can feel connected. It’s like they’ll get it. They know what it’s about.”
nb360409@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCulture
