SunDown47 - Along For the Ride

Along For The Ride, the new full-length record from SunDown47, stands proudly at the intersection of Big Sky Americana and Heartland Rock. Deeply soulful and masterfully executed, the record unfurls with an in-the-pocket ease that can only be earned through worn frets and miles on the odometer. It had been quite a while since Steve Drymalski spent his days cruising the country in beat up van with his band, Men Among Thieves. Sometimes, though, the life just isn’t done with you (regardless of your feelings about such things.) This is one of those stories… one that starts with a late-night listening session, and ends (?) with a record that stands ready to take its place in the canon of classic American Rock & Roll.

“One day as I was falling down a You Tube rabbit hole while hanging out in my basement” tells Drymalski. “I came across a version of Neil Young's “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” from a BBC performance he did in 1971 that just really blew my mind. It got under my skin, and I had an uncompromising urge to make my own version of it. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before.” Drymalski reached out to his friend – and studio owner – Brad Matala and booked some time. Together with some well-established members of the Twin Cities studio scene “we worked out a version of Neil’s tune and recorded it” says Drymalski. “Everyone felt really good with the vibe, and we just kept going.”

An outflow of musical vision merged with time and experience, Along For The Ride reflects an astounding rock n roll history; Drymalski has spent years working side by side in multiple capacities with artists such as Neil Young, Soundgarden, Sone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith, among others. Yet, at its heart, what truly make this record special is the way in which it captures the essence of a moment in song. “As a kid I spent so many hours on my bedroom floor listening to records with an album cover in my hands.  My imagination would take me to wild places…” tells Drymalski. “Who were these amazing people who made this, and how did they do it? Along For The Ride was me finally realizing my imagination! If this record makes anyone feel those same things than I achieved what I set out to do.” Time, as always, will tell… but the odds are certainly in his favor.