"A wickedly itchy groove concoction of funk and R&B is how the OC WEEKLY described RUBYDIVER's recent TurfTone Records release SuperRemote. The description is fitting for this Long Beach based quartetcomprised of modern-day soul diva Miss Paula Duke, guitarist Erik Hanson, drummer Greg Jamison and bassist Todd Sanderswho formed RUBYDIVER in the summer of 1995 with the aim of revitalizing the soul sounds of the late 60s and early 70s (ala CurtisMayfield, Funkadelic) with a distinct blend of fat modern/alternative rock grooves.
After a year of working out their tunes and playing a number of scaled-down acoustic sets, RUBYDIVER began hitting LA and OC clubs with their infectious brand of future-soul in 1996. Their steady rise on the local club scene has taken them from an opening act to a headlining act at LA clubs including The Mint, The Dragonfly, Luna Park, Martini Lounge and The Gig to Long Beach and OC clubs like the Foothill, the Blue Cafe, the Glass House and San Diego's Belly Up Tavern. During this steady rise, RUBYDIVER has opened for the likes of Common Sense, Reel Big Fish, Ozomatli, Eve 6, the Untouchables, Goldfish and John Taylor.
The band thrives on the fusing of deep, guitar-based grooves and drum loops with intoxicating soul melodies and positive lyrics, courtesy of the talented lyric/melody writing team of guitarist Hanson and vocalist Miss Paula. Their fusing of genres is evident on the TurfTone Records RUBYDIVER debut, SuperRemote, which has consistently sold among the top-10 releases at select record stores in Southern California since its release in May, 1998. Recent RUBYDIVER shows have included various percussionists, horn players and DJ'spointing toward an even broader sonic spectrum in the future.
We all get into music ranging from Sting to Tribe Called Quest to Miles Davis to Bob Marley to Beck, and I think that shows in the music we write, whether it's a conscious thing or not, says guitarist/songwriter Hanson. There's also a heavy Long Beach vibe to the music we make, which is an intangible something' that you don't hear, for example, in a lot of the of the OC bands or in the industry-driven stuff going on in LA. I think it's definitely less angst- or image-driven and more inviting.
Furthers Miss Paula I think there's a huge scene just waiting to bust with so many genre-breaking bands. And we want to be a part of thatthe musical tapestry that's going on not only in Long Beach but in Northern California and anywhere people are less focused on image or trends and more focused on bringing people good, deep and soulful music and a positive vibe.
The future is certainly bright for RUBYDIVER and for the scene which they're illuminating, with the band drawing 4-6 hundred fans to regular Long Beach gigs and their CD gaining airplay at commercial and college stations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, including specialty shows on Las Vegas' X-treme Radio 107.5 and L.A.'s modern rock station Y107fm. RUBYDIVER plans to embark on a tour in support of SuperRemote in the Summer of 1999. Stay tuned...
Contact: Kurt Hoffman, TurfTone Records 310/546-1207. kurt@rubydiver.com
