the Riderless

The Riderless are from London, Ontario, Canada.

Here's an up to date bio for The Riderless via April 2/04.

All this shit began almost 5 years ago.

Kev, Ryan, and I would jam acoustic and electric guitars very strangely.

We were all self-taught and into sound.

Keys, timings, structures, etc. (musician speak) did not really interest us.

We played our first show at the Whippet Lounge for the Peace for Primates benefit.

We lifted "the riderless" from a William S. Burroughs writing.(this name has since taken on infinite meanings)

We were instrumental and improv.

Two electric guitars, bass, bongos, turntables, drum machine at very slow speeds, and violin through effects pedals.

We were not harmed by confused listeners. Success.

The next few years were centered around the old Forest City Gallery backroom parties.

Still instrumental and improv.

Kev counted up to about fifteen people who had played with us over this course of time. Celebrities? No.

People who still play around town? Yes.

Violins, lap steel, bowed guitar, two drummers, freeform "midnite" words, banjo, slide, harmonica, two basses, four guitars, etc. You get the point.

David Thomas from Pere Ubu once said that if you put weird people in a room, they will make weird music.

Then something stranger happened.

We discovered the delta blues, country blues and exotic folk music from around the world.

Holy fuckin' shit.

RHYTHM.

We were always more into "groove" than "noise" although various degrees of intoxication can easily blur these two aspects of "music".

Now, I guess one can say we "streamlined".

Sell out? Stupid question when concerning The Riderless.

Are you bragging? It's years later, asshole. We got better at playing.

We stumble upon Ian to play drums for Kev and I stripped down fingerpicked electrics almost two years ago.

RHYTHM.

Ryan, a veteran treeplanter, is here then gone, here then gone, here then gone, then here.

I switch to bass.

Cheryl is added for effects-laden trip keyboards through tubes.

First album made at The House of Miracles by Andy Magoffin with this new line-up.

Improv electric drones and semi-structured acoustic exotica.

A mischievous Cheryl sneaks some whispered singspeak onto a couple of tunes. We made a limited set(due to brokeness) of 50 cds to pass out locally to everyone we can think of who gave a shit about us, supported us, helped us, drank with us, inspired us, put up with us, etc.

We called it "Hail of Knives" to commemorate the line-up switcheroo.

Still gigging wherever we can with friends and "family". Grassy Knoll, Great Disconnect, DJ Phonecard(auxiliary member from DAY ONE), Diversity Workshop, Back to Bhutan.

We meet Will through late night binges at the Rose and Crown.

He plays guitar with us one night there and blows our heads off. Next day, he is in. (it's fuckin' weird how people can just click)

Second album recorded again at the House of Miracles by Andy.

A great occasion, for Ryan is back to partake in the proceedings.

Also, Shawn known for his Grassy Magic is asked to lay down some Riderless Magic on various instruments.

This one is heavy on the acoustic hobo psychedelic trip.

It's titled "Bow Or Bow".

Ryan, veteran treeplanter, is here then gone.

We tighten up as a gigging five piece with Will and Kev on guitars, Cheryl on keys, Ian on drums, and myself on bass. We think we play some memorable gigs.

Which brings us to about a month ago when new friend Nick records a Cheryl-less Riderless at Fanshawe College.

A bizarre session due to band latenight-isms affecting dayafter-isms.

"The Red Pawn E.P." is christened.

This one is an all electric moody, withdrawn, and building forty or so minutes.

All three recordings will be available very, very soon through us at Kinghaxi records.

Peace, pat

Yes. We are booking a tour of canada from windsor to cape breton and back for this august. Contact us if you are interested.