Steep Ravine with Feed Me Jack

Steep Ravine's sound conjures up an authentic slice of Northern California spirit, combining the energy and drive of bluegrass with the heart and soul of folk and roots music. The band features the string-playing ingenuity of guitarist Simon Linsteadt, violinist Jan Purat, mandolinist Andy O’Brien, and upright bassist Alex Bice. 

The band takes its name from a favorite hiking trail on Mt. Tamalpais, draws its musical influences from far and wide, including David Grisman, Bill Monroe, Neil Young, James Taylor, Tony Rice, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. The band’s collective abilities cross multiple musical genres, bringing a fresh, distinctive sound to original tunes and arrangements alike. Linsteadt and Purat started a folk band together in high school and later moved on to study music at UC Santa Cruz, where they fortuitously met O’Brien and Bice at a bluegrass jam session in the sleepy coastal town. 

The band’s recently released four-track debut EP pairs two originals with two renditions of traditional bluegrass tunes, offering a glimpse of the quartet’s musical prowess.