Search - Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband :: Last Man Standing

The new CD, "Last Man Standing," is a progression from Ryan Shupe & The Rubberbands previous albums. "I think the album is more rocking this time around," explains Shupe. "If you heard the last album, you would notice a progression, but it's pretty much in line with what our fans have come to love about us. Nobody's going to hear it and go `that doesn't sound like them, but it's a different direction than the last album. You're going to want to turn it up a little bit more in your car!" The band produced the new CD and reunited with Deere, who co-produced three of the tracks. Known for their live show and spontaneous, creative jams, the group wanted to balance that unbridled energy out a bit with some radio-friendly songs that were fine-tuned in the studio. With songs like the catchy "Don't Leave Me Lonely," and the optimistically ambitious title track, there's no question that the band hasn't changed their essence or core, but merely expanded into bigger territory musically. Tunes like the swayingly beautiful "All I Need," (a love song penned by Ryan for his wife,) and the inspiring "10,000 Lakes," with its encouraging wisdom, ("Give me eyes to see, to perceive, to believe, to imagine the possibilities) show a more serene side of the band, though they soon crank things back up to a fever pitch and return to their glorious picking on songs like the feisty rocker "My Life," and the sunny "Be The One." And the album's closer, the hilariously retro ode to everyone's favorite junk food, "Corn Dogs," feels like a trip to the county fair and reveals Ryan and his brood haven't lost their sense of humor amidst all that serious musical talent. The CD offers something for everyone, which is just what the band has in mind when it steps into the studio to capture their own particular brand of magic on tape. And Shupe feels it should please both ends of their broad spectrum of fans, from those who just like to tap their toes to some great picking and fiddling, to those who appreciate the more sophisticated elements to the group's musical endeavors. "I think it does both, really," says Shupe. "It's a musician's music, but it's also for people who want a good tune. That's kind of the beauty of our band, I think. If you're a musician you like it, because it has complex arrangements and things that are different than what's out there, because we're pushing the boundaries a little bit, and doing a rock country hybrid with banjo and fiddle and stuff. But you're still getting the songs that you'd like to hear played on the radio. I think we are able to be a great band live, yet also have solid songs people can relate to and enjoy. I want us to have songs that are great and mean something to people. We think it is the best sounding album we have to date."