Welcome to an introduction to RALPH TV. The Brighton-based quartet released their debut album Cabin Fever Dreams last month so we caught up with co-founding member, bassist and vocalist Will Osborne to see how he and his band mates (Ben Brown (Guitar/Synth/Vocals) and brothers Isaac (Drums/Vocals) and Luke Vopser (Lead guitar/Vocals)) are getting on in these crazy times.
Before they were named RALPH TV, childhood friends Ben and Will started the project as Ralph’s World but had to quickly change it after the threat of legal action by a children’s entertainer in Chicago using the same name.
Fast forward to 2020, everyone is stuck indoors for the past three weeks and is likely to continue. So the band have been busy entertaining fans on Instagram with live streams.
Will said: “It’s been pretty chill, we’re the kind of boys who like staying home anyway so we’ll be ok on that front. We’ve been doing Instagram live streams which are really fun. Might be sorting a couple more out in the future too. Aside from that I guess we put out our album, does that count as entertainment?”
It certainly does! Following a stream of singles and a EP in 2018, RALPH TV shared their debut album Cabin Fever Dreams on March 27th. Inspired by the band’s tastes homebound, daydream induced, escapism, the quartet exhibit an eccentric yet charming brand of DIY indie pop that marries traditional pop sensibility with a distinctive sugary lo-fi edge.
Speaking about the recording process and meaning of the LP, Will commented: “It was chaotic at points, but we did it all ourselves which is something we are really proud of. Luckily our housemate Tom Bacon is a fantastic studio engineer and is a whizz on pro tools. But yeah most of the album was recorded DIY at our house apart from the live drums.
“The album is definitely a special landmark for us, it feels like a good summary of what RALPH TV has been about since we started. Sets us up nicely to explore and develop new processes and ideas moving onto the next album.”
“My personal favourite songs are ‘Making Movements’ and ‘Strung’, added Will. “I prefer the funkier tracks compared to the dreamier ones if I had to pick.”
Going to the roots of Will’s musical influences like most children, your parents have a huge influence on what you generally listen to. From the age of five, Will got cassettes by The Beetles and The Beach Boys and funk and disco records which was the only bits of music he owned for years.
As a songwriting team they always set out to make music to put people in a good mood. “We like music that’s vibrant and colourful,” said Will.
When the guys aren’t writing songs or performing on stage, it’s movies, books, video games and meditating that keep them going. “The homebody lifestyle is something that we’re sadly already quite adept at,” adds Will.
“I also listened to a lot of my parents disco and funk records as a kid, I remember requesting Earth, Wind and Fire at my primary school disco in Year 6” – Will Osbourne (vocals/guitar)
Once Corona Virus is out of the way, RALPH TV will back out there to finish off as much as they planned to this year.
“You can expect us to be going on our rescheduled tour which, at the moment, looks like it will be kicking off in August, but don’t hold me to that just yet.
“Hopefully some festivals we were booked to play might survive too but we’ll wait and see. We’ll also be putting out more singles and videos along the line I’m sure.”
RALPH TV’s album Cabin Fever Dreams truly sets them apart from their peers; blending their distinctive sound with their charisma and passion for music to create meaningful lyrics and an ethereal experience for the listener. Listen on Spotify below.
An Introduction to… is a new interview series which puts the undiscovered centre stage. If you would like to be featured email getintouch [at] indiecentralmusic.com with ‘An introduction to’ and the name of your band in the subject headline to be considered for a feature.
