Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand is an American country music and bluegrass group from Ogden, Utah, founded in the mid-1990s by Ryan Shupe. After self-releasing four studio albums, they were signed to Capitol Records in 2005 and achieved a Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs with the single "Dream Big". Over the years, they have released several albums on both major and independent labels, including Last Man Standing (2008), Brand New Shoes (2010), and We Rode On (2016).
After the title track of Dream Big charted in the Top 40, the second single from the album failed to achieve similar success, leading to the band's departure from Capitol Records. In 2008, they signed to Montage Music Group and released the album Last Man Standing. Following its release, the band continued to tour nationally, refining their unique sound.
In 2010, the band self-released the album Brand New Shoes on their independent label. This album featured crowd favorites and highlights the cross-genre, acousti-jam sound they have become known for.
The band’s latest project, We Rode On (released in 2016), marks a shift toward a more rock-oriented direction. To promote the album, they released several music videos, including "The Sun Will Shine Again", "We Rode On", and "Just Say Yes".
Formation and ideology Ryan Shupe started playing the fiddle at age 5. He played in various musical groups growing up starting with a group of talented 10 yr olds called the "PeeWee Pickers" who toured nationally.Blue Sky Music Camps | Faculty His experiences in bands forming and then breaking up led him to the concept of a "rubber band". It would be elastic in members being able to rotate in and out without a name change or breaking a groove. Since their formation they have become one of the most successful musical acts from the state of Utah among other acts such as SHeDAISY, Peter Breinholt, and Neon Trees. The band also made an appearance on the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on October 18, 2006, for a family in Logan, Utah.
Sound Though the band has played in traditionally country venues and festivals all over the United States (such as the Telluride Music Festival and Nashville, TN) their music draws from various influences such as bluegrass and rock as well. They have been described as "a mix between Dave Matthews Band and Dixie Chicks without the political agenda."
Discography
Albums Title Album details Peak chartpositions US Country US If I Were a Bird Release date: 1996 Label: Tydal Wave — — Simplify Release date: 1999 Label: Tydal Wave — — Live! Release date: 2001 Label: Tydal Wave — — Hey Hey Hey Release date: 2003 Label: Tydal Wave — — Dream Big(re-issue of Hey Hey Hey) Release date: September 26, 2005 Label: Capitol Nashville 13 87 Last Man Standing Release date: May 27, 2008 Label: Montage Music Group — — The Gift Release date: November 18, 2008 Label: Tydal Wave — — Brand New Shoes Release date: May 2010 Label: Tydal Wave — — We Rode On Release date: September 2015 Label: Tydal Wave — —
Singles Year Single Peak chartpositions Album US Country US Bubbling 2005 "Dream Big" 27 13 Dream Big 2006 "Banjo Boy" — — 2008 "Be the One" — — Last Man Standing 2016 "We Rode On" — — We Rode On 2016 "The Sun Will Shine Again" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Music videos Year Video Director 2005 "Dream Big" Peter Zavadil 2006 "Banjo Boy" 2008 "Be the One" Acosta/Webley "10,000 Lakes2014 "We Rode On" Jesse Ranney/Doug Goodwin2015 "The Sun Will Shine Again" Alvey Productions2016 "Just Say Yes" Jesse Ranney/Doug Goodwin2017 "Dream Big (from We Rode On album)" I.C Media/Danor Gerald
References
External links Official Ryan Shupe website