Ruby Leftstep, the alternative rock band from New Hartford, Conn., released their second extended play, “TED,” on Friday, Sept. 19. The release marks the group’s first extended EP since their debut effort “The Ground Up” came out in August 2022.
In the last three years since “The Ground Up” came out, a lot has changed for the up-and-coming Ruby Leftstep, including Eddie Dahill switching from bass to drums and the release of five singles. Combined with a consistent schedule of shows in Connecticut and across the northeast, the band has grown to be one of the staple acts in the nutmeg state’s DIY scene.
The band started developing the EP in January and spent the first four months of the year writing and figuring out arrangements. They were fueled by a desire to make a record now that they had a better understand of producing, but also one that reflects the current lineup. This is what led them to re-record “For the Record,” a song originally released on “The Ground Up” that has remained a setlist staple for them.
“The last time we recorded, it wasn’t with this lineup,” said Dahill. “All of the drumming on the first EP isn’t me, so I wanted to have ‘For the Record’ on here because I play it so differently.”
The band started recording in May at On Deck Sound Studio in Northfield, Conn., where Dahill works. With each member living in different parts of the state, the group had to make the most of a limited amount of sessions, which was the opposite from their last EP.
“We were kind of writing a lot of ‘The Ground Up’ as we were recording it because we had more time,” said Thom Busemeyer, the group’s lead guitarist. “We were all living up in Litchfield County and we could all sit around and noodle. But for this one, we went to the recording studio where Eddie works and tried to be as cohesive as possible.”
Dahill echoed similar sentiments, saying that “As opposed to the first EP where we’re doing nothing all the time, we were doing everything in no time.”
The five-song release showcases a variety of sounds, including layers of warm electric guitars, rolling acoustic guitars and perfectly-produced drums. Some of it came effortlessly, with the basic track of “I Told You So” being recorded in one take.
“How Does It Feel?” provided greater challenges, specifically when it came to recording Busemeyer’s multiple guitar layers. He noted that the song “was really hard to record and the main melody part wasn’t cutting through from the drone enough,” leading the band having to go back and re-record it. The result was a guitar solo that Dahill says is his favorite that Busemeyer has played with the band.
“Marceline” features guest vocals from Zoë Coz, the first time the band has had a guest on a song. Coz, a friend of the band who now lives in Denver, was sent files of “Marceline” and other songs to record background vocals by the band. A day later, she sent recordings back that the band was impressed by.
The EP’s name comes from the first names of each of the band members: Thom, Eddie and Dylan Hrinda, the group’s lead singer. Dahill came up with the name before the group started recording and the name stuck throughout the process.
“It started originally because when we would be at a show, especially at a place we never played before and were meeting people, it was hard to remember names,” said Busemeyer. “So any of us would respond to Ted.”
The songs of “TED” have fit well into the band’s setlist and they’ve typically played the entire order of the EP consecutively. The EP’s closing track “Garbage” is one that they’ve particularly enjoyed playing live, as Busemeyer said the song’s open-D guitar tuning allows him to hit massive, ringing chords.
To commemorate the release of “TED,” Ruby Leftstep will be taking the stage at The Dog P0und in Storrs on Friday, Oct. 3, for an hour-and-a-half long performance that they’ll be recording to release as a live album. Busemeyer noted that the band plays most of their songs differently live than in their recorded versions. Dahill added that they want to capture the energy of playing DIY venues in Connecticut with the release, especially in Storrs where they have received a lot of support.