Fronted by former Role Models leader Rich Ragany, the last few years has seen the Calgary, Canada born and now UK-based songsmith build up quite a reputation with his band of rock n ’roll trailblazers, The Digressions. With musicians that include Andy Brook (celebrated producer, SHUSH), Gaff (Glitterati, Dedwardians, Desperate Measures,) Ricky McGuire (UK SUBS, The Men They Couldn’t Hang), Simon Maxwell (Role Models, Yo Yos) and Kit Swing (Mallory Knox, Seven Days And Doesn’t Die), the band won over the hearts of many in 2021 with their critically-acclaimed Beyond Nostalgia & Heartache album, gaining considerable airplay on BBC Introducing.
Rich Ragany
Sharing stages with the likes of The Lemonheads, Warrior Soul, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Whitfield Crane, Ginger Wildheart, The Professionals, Steve Conte (New York Dolls) as well as packing out London venues in their own right, all this deserved attention has led to the band signing a deal with Barrel And Squidger (who have released music by CJ Wildheart, Massive Wagons, members of Status Quo and Sex Pistols) and released their new album What We Do (To Not Let Go) in March of this year. Rich Ragany And The Digressions have now released their new single How Much Of Me Is You?
“How Much Of Me Is You? No matter how much you try, sometimes the people you want to accept you just won’t,” explains Ragany. “You can poison yourself with the elixir of their love… Get addicted to the turmoil…This is about, in sound and lyrics, letting go and tearing away. Now doesn’t that feel better? “How much of me is you? Not enough I guess. What a fuckin’ mess…”
It’s a taster off an album that is crammed full of soaring melodies and the kind of rock n’ roll that can take on many different moods, sounds and styles. For What We Do (To Not Let Go) that band went for a different approach to its predecessor…
Check out the fantastically unique and energetic video by Craig Temple for the glammy-guitar and harmony-heavy stomper How Much Of Me Is You? below:
“As ‘Nostalgia….’ had that wide-screen depth and cinematic feel,” explains Ragany. “I decided to lay down a new approach. Gone were layering guitars and keys, in with punchy one takes… everyone getting one shot… everybody gets one job (Gaff is lead guitar, Kit rhythm for example no layers… just the parts), solos are solid takes and not pieced together. This to me would ensure that everyone’s personality would shine right through while making the songs far more immediate and vital. If it’s one thing I’ve learned while being incredibly lucky to work with the Digressions, it’s that they have a ton of personality.
“After writing, recording our Beyond Nostalgia And Heartache album through the pandemic I felt we were on an incredible creative roll. So just before the release of Nostalgia I booked time again with Andy at The Brook Studios in Wallington Rock City. I had the songs and the band had grown into something very special. We had to keep going, which felt natural. What you get is a muscular yet melodic, anthemic rock n roll album. A new way of telling our story. One I can say I am so proud to be part of.”
What We Do (To Not Let Go) is out now via Barrel and Squidger Records with album release parties on 3rd March at The Parish in Huddersfield and 4th March at London’s Camden Assembly in London were all well received. The band have also just secured the main support slot on The Southall Lawless Stage of The Call Of The Wild Festival on 27th May with more dates across the country being added.
