The live performance energy of Ripe is peak freshness. This exciting and dynamic band has been touring widely for over a decade. From aspiring to play house shows in Boston around their alma mater Berklee, to playing festivals such as Boston Calling, Levitate, Austin City Limits – their fanbase couldn’t fit in an Allston basement now. Ripe formed in 2011 at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. The seven piece funk/pop group is the creation of lead guitarist Tory Geismar, drummer Sampson Hellerman, lead vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn, guitarist Jon Becker, trombonist Calvin Barthel, Josh Shpak playing trumpet and Nadav Shapira on bass, the band describes themselves as “musical soulmates”. Their new single “Settling” is currently making the radio rounds for its undeniable groove and universal appeal. The song embodies the band's positive energy with lyrics that inspire the listener to feel free to speak their minds and start living the life they want. Taking action now, not settling and waiting around for things to get better. The ability to synthesize this powerful and important message into incredibly funky and fun music is why fans love Ripe. This quote from lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn captures this, “I do think that so much of our human experience is analogous and shared, and if our joys and sufferings are objectively different, they feel subjectively very similar. If I can elevate the mundane aspects of life into something exciting and singular and lasting, I feel like I’m doing my job.” “Settling” and “Noise in the Forest” are the first songs released by the band since “Joy In The Wild Unknown”, their last album produced by guitarist Cory Wong in 2018. Representing a new chapter for the band, the singles are even more special. The band has a short list of releases with “Produce the Juice” in 2013, “Hey Hello” in 2015, and the single “On My Mind” in 2017. They attribute their short discography to their aggressive schedule of extensive touring. Earning their reputation on the stage, they’ve been able to fine-tune and sharpen their sound ahead of creating new music. When speaking about the new releases, Robbie says, “This record that our listeners have allowed us to make gave us a body of music that has certainly raised my individual spirits a number of times this last year and we now get to take this thing that (both in the making of and now in the release of) makes us feel better and bring it to our extended family to make them feel better too. If we do that successfully, they’ll turn right around and feed us again. That’s the feeling I find myself getting joyfully lost in…” This reveals the group’s motivation behind making the music, to create a positive feedback loop between themselves and the audience. This intention comes across strong in their high energy engagement with the fans at their shows. It’s the interactive nature of their performances which makes their fans feel so close to the music. Ripe puts on a show you would only regret missing.