Ripe

Born in Boston in 2011 around Berklee College of Music students, Ripe first built itself as a live band before expanding its discography. Led by vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn, with Jon Becker on guitar, Sampson Hellerman on drums, and Calvin Barthel on trombone, the project initially took the form of a wider ensemble marked by brass presence and a collective approach to playing. Ripe develops a blend of funk, alt-pop, pop rock and soul, with songs centered on groove, dynamic choruses, and arrangements that keep a prominent space for the instruments. After the EPs Produce the Juice (2013), Hey Hello (2015), and Ripe on Audiotree Live (2016), the band gradually attracted attention thanks to live performances and online circulation of a performance of 'Goon Squad'. Their debut album Joy in the Wild Unknown appeared in 2018 with Cory Wong contributing as producer. Later settling in Los Angeles while maintaining a strong connection to Boston, Ripe continued in a more pop vein with Bright Blues in 2023, released on Glassnote Records, and documented their live work with Live From the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in the same year. Ripe's trajectory remains tied to the American live circuits, between venues, festivals and tours, in a register where the original funk energy opens to a more direct writing style.