A free, instantly-downloadable .WAV file of new track "A Pleasant Fiction" with all pre-orders of the Rich Ragany album "You Can Get Dark With Me".

Rich Ragany & The Digressions - "What We Do (To Not Let Go)" - 14-track digital album in .WAV format.

Barrel And Squidger Records proudly present "What We Do (To Not Let Go)", the third studio album from Rich Ragany & The Digressions.

“If Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac got together in a sweaty club with Johnny Thunders, they would probably sound like The Digressions. So, rock ‘n’ roll is far from dead tonight.” - Vive Le Rock magazine

Fronted by former Role Models leader Rich Ragany, the last few years has seen the Calgary, Canada-born and now UK-based songsmith build up quite a reputation with his band of rock n’roll trailblazers, The Digressions. With musicians that include Andy Brook (celebrated producer, Status Quo engineer, The Middlenight Men), Gaff (Glitterati, Dedwardians, Desperate Measures), Ricky McGuire (UK SUBS, The Men They Couldn't Hang), Simon Maxwell (Role Models, The Yo-Yo's) and Kit Swing (Mallory Knox, Seven Days And Doesn't Die), the band won over the hearts of many in 2021 with their critically-acclaimed ‘Beyond Nostalgia & Heartache’ album, gaining considerable airplay on BBC Introducing, and rave reviews and features from the likes of Classic Rock, Vive Le Rock, Louder Than War and Powerplay etc.

Sharing stages with the likes of The Lemonheads, Warrior Soul, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Whitfield Crane, Ginger Wildheart, The Professionals, Steve Conte (New York Dolls) as well as packing out London venues in their own right, all this deserved attention has led to the band signing a deal with Barrel And Squidger Records and they return with a brand new album titled ‘What We Do (To Not Let Go)’.

Lead single ‘One Last Thing To Prove’ gave people the first sweet taste of its charms – a song that lulls the listener into a false sense of security with a beautiful piano and simple chord refrain before out of nowhere the Digressions kick in with a Stooges worthy rock n’ roll riff, complete with ‘Raw Power’ one-note piano stabs. But the vocal harmonies that the band are renowned for lift the song far beyond any low rent garage vibes, and the song soars.

“One night out in Camden I ran into an old friend Pete,” explains Rich, remembering the origins of the song. “We go way back to Canada. He's a sound tech for some pretty amazing acts. Anyways, I see him, and his arm is in a sling. I ask him what he's doing after. He says he can't be out late as he leaves in the morning to hit the road. "With a broken arm man??" He replied, "We all got one last thing to prove..."."

It’s a taster of an album that is crammed full of soaring melodies and the kind of rock n’ roll that can take on many different moods, sounds and styles. For ‘What We Do (To Not Let Go)’ that band went for a different approach to its predecessor…

“As ‘Nostalgia….’ had that wide-screen depth and cinematic feel,” explains Rich, “I decided to lay down a new approach. Gone were layering guitars and keys, in with punchy one takes... everyone getting one shot... everybody gets one job (Gaff is lead guitar, Kit rhythm for example no layers... just the parts), solos are solid takes and not pieced together. This to me would ensure that everyone's personality would shine right through while making the songs far more immediate and vital. If it's one thing I've learned while being incredibly lucky to work with the Digressions, it's that they have a ton of personality.

“After writing, recording our ‘Beyond Nostalgia And Heartache’ album through the pandemic I felt we were on an incredible creative roll. So just before the release of Nostalgia I booked time again with Andy at The Brook Studios in Wallington Rock City. I had the songs and the band had grown into something very special. We had to keep going, which felt natural. What you get is a muscular yet melodic, anthemic rock n roll album. A new way of telling our story. One I can say I am so proud to be part of.”

Rich Ragany And The Digressions are:
Rich Ragany – vocals/guitar/drums
Gaff – lead guitar
Kit Swing – guitar/vocals
Andy Brook – keyboards/vocals/guitar
Ricky McGuire – bass
Simon Maxwell – drums/percussion

A free, instantly-downloadable .WAV file of new track "One Last Thing To Prove" taken from the Rich Ragany & The Digressions album "What We Do (To Not Let Go)".

Rich Ragany - "You Can Get Dark With Me" - 10-track digital album in .WAV format.

*Barrel And Squidger Records proudly present "You Can Get Dark With Me", the all-new solo studio album from Role Models/Digressions frontman Rich Ragany, featuring a guest appearance from Ken Mochikoshi-Horne of Los Angeles punk legends The Bronx / Mariachi El Bronx *

The last few years has seen the Calgary, Canada born, New York City seasoned, and now UK based songsmith, Rich Ragany, build up quite a reputation with his various bands of rock n’roll trailblazers, The Role Models, The Loyalties and most recently, Rich Ragany & The Digressions.

Rich's songs have won over the hearts of many, most recently with the critically-acclaimed albums "Beyond Nostalgia & Heartache" and "What We Do (To Not Let Go)" gaining considerable airplay on BBC Introducing, and rave reviews and features from the likes of Classic Rock, Vive Le Rock, Louder Than War and Powerplay etc.

Rich over the years has shared stages with the likes of Ramones, Bad Brains, SNFU, Rammstein, Oasis, The Lemonheads, Warrior Soul, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Whitfield Crane, Ginger Wildheart, The Professionals, Steve Conte (New York Dolls)... as well as each band packing out venues in their own right.

All this experience and resulting attention has brought him to signing a deal with Barrel And Squidger Records (who have released music by CJ Wildheart, Massive Wagons, members of Status Quo and Sex Pistols) with a brand new album titled "You Can Get Dark With Me"

Rich describes the new album:

After the big dramatic production of The Digressions' albums I wanted to create something more personal... a world of its own.

So I decided to deconstruct to reconstruct.

Every song is a mix of home recording, from the first day of writing each song, and proper studio stuff, to keep a real personal “straight from the moment of inspiration" feel… but have a sonically and emotionally expanded spirit as well.

Guitars recorded on the fly in my bathroom as I wrote, in real time. Mostly acoustic, later taken and manipulated to sound "electric" (inspired by the Stones' similar sonic experiments on Street Fighting Man). Backing vocals done on the spot... some of these literally recorded on a phone mic in my bathroom.

I then took all this to my trusted friend and talented producer, Andy Brook and added big studio-grade bass and drums via the talented duo of Simon Maxwell and Ricky McGuire... and experimented some more.

Then JUNO and Canadian Country Music Award winning producer (and another old friend and brother) Russell Broom got involved in a few tracks. Travelling back to my early home of Calgary and recording with him really brought things full circle.

The first preview single "A Pleasant Fiction" has a very special guest as well. One of my favourite guitarists, Ken Mochikoshi-Horne of Los Angeles punk legends The Bronx.

So... songs that started out so simple and solitary had travelled quite far.

In its own world… reaching out now…

RICH RAGANY - Lead And Harmony Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Piano and Keyboards

With…
SIMON MAXWELL - Drums And Percussion
RICKY MCGUIRE - Bass

And…
KEN MOCHIKOSHI-HORNE - Additional guitar on “A Pleasant Fiction”

Produced by Andy Brook and Rich Ragany.
Mixed by Andy Brook at The Brook London UK.
Recorded In Rich's bathroom and The Brook London U.K.
Mastered by Graeme Lynch at Two Zero Nine Mastering.

Cover Design: Dave Longford-Kerr

Songs and lyrics by Rich Ragany

Presales begin on Friday, April 26th (Rich's birthday)... Each pre purchase will come with a free download of the song "A Pleasant Fiction" (featuring Ken Mochikoshi-Horne of The Bronx joining Rich on guitar)

Album Release June 14th

Album Release Parties:
June 14th Huddersfield The Parish
https://parishpub.co.uk/gigs/685/

June 15th London The Black Heart
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/609002