You can’t help but be excited when talking about Orlando singer-songwriter Cat Ridgeway. Her infectious energy and contagious enthusiasm in everything she creates are electric, while her passion and commitment to her music radiate through her fiery blend of indie-rock and punk with hints of dream pop and folk. A skilled lyricist and melodist, Ridgeway is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who can play guitar, harmonica, trumpet, trombone, drums, piano, mandolin, and bass – sometimes playing three instruments at once. Ridgeway, along with the revolving members of her touring band, The Tourists, create a sweaty, energetic, exciting party with each live show. It’s not uncommon to see them play musical chairs as they switch places and instruments on stage. Expect the unexpected. With Sprinter, Ridgeway’s upcoming 2025 album release, she draws the listener in as she strives to understand life’s trials and emerge with a better sense of perspective and self.
In a charming flurry of frantic fusion work, Ridgeway introduces us to her head-spinning take on modern rock. The artist’s new single, “Epilogue,” grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you awake from the mundane daydreams of the workday. The neck-breaking tempos and rapid-fire melodies showcase Rideway’s acrobatic vocals while simultaneously emphasizing her poetically punk songwriting. On the surface, “Epilogue” is a ripping punk tune, but the nuances of Ridgeway’s performance make this one feel so refreshing. Her breathless melodies allow each word to hit like a gut punch, all while Ridgeway is preaching a message of liberation and freedom. She approaches the ever-looming idea of regret with a nonchalant attitude, lending her power to what is in front of her. Ridgeway crafted an uplifting piece of punk music with searing guitars and a relentless punk spirit.
“When I was in middle school or so, my brother showed me the song ‘Talk on Indolence’ by the Avett Brothers, and I loved the seamless blend of folk and punk they achieved. I also found the whole yelling really, really fast thing super fun, so we started covering it as a band. I got pretty attached to the dynamic high we hit playing that tune, so I wanted to create a song of my own that scratched the same itch,” explains Ridgeway. “This is one of the rare few songs I’ve written that started with just a lyric alone. Setting it to music proved to be quite the feat, and it’s the only song I’ve ever recorded fully remotely (the banjo, rhythm guitar, and vocals were all done in my studio as I was finding my way through the arrangement, and then Mike ironed it all out and dressed it up in Asheville). One of the metrics I set for myself when writing the lyrics for this album was: is this strong enough to be a tattoo? If the answer was anything other than HELL YES, I rewrote it. When I landed on the line ‘I’m raising hell up to heaven,’ I immediately knew I’d taken the song where I wanted it to go.”
