From this month’s Performer (Spotlight column):

Asked how Boston has affected their sound, Oquist jokes, “The bitter
winter has dulled us from expressing joy.”

For some, the heavy sound may be too much to handle. The band knows this and even jokes about it. “If you listen to RIBS all day you will get depressed,” Oquist jokes.

“I don’t think we’re depressing,” Freund replies.
“Empowering?” Oquist asks.

“It just depends. Like how Jay-Z says when he listens to Radiohead he wants to slit his wrists. But, when I listen to Radiohead I get excited and energized. Maybe I want to slit Jay-Z’s wrists,” Freund jokes.

With themes of obsession, revenge and betrayal in their music, RIBS have slowly captured a steady fan base in the college town and are looking to gain more converts across the country. They have had a steady slew of dates in Boston, with the goal of performing outside the city as much as possible in 2011 in order to grow a larger fan base. Their Boston shows have garnered much acclaim and have led to the band being hailed as one of the must-see acts in town by local press.

When Freund posted on the popular news site Reddit about the release of British Brains, the onslaught of public praise was overwhelming. The post became one of the most popular in history of the site, helping RIBS sell 600 copies of the EP in the first week of its release.

“It showed us that we were on to something and inspired us to keep moving,” Freund says. “People were basically telling us you can’t stop now and don’t take another five years to put out your next EP.”

For the full story, check out this month’s issue of Performer (Jan 2011).