IAN RIDENHOUR

EPK

Bio

Ian Ridenhour writes smart, piano-driven alternative rock music with pop sensibilities and a dark streak, or as Sav Buist of The Accidentals puts it: “like Jack White and Ben Folds had a baby.”

Ian began building a devoted following in Asheville, NC with 2016’s Cry About It, a dark pop-rock tour de force that juxtaposes infectious hooks and complex arrangements with raw, real-life lyrics that engage with the psyche’s shadowy side. The vanguard singles "Monsters” and “Dancing Children” were accompanied by music videos, winning top awards at Music Video Asheville and showing at other film festivals in the area. Cry About It was followed by the Ribcage EP in 2018, digging deeper into a harsher rock-focused sound, juxtaposed with rich arrangements and intricate production for a powerful sophomore effort.

After Ribcage’s success, Ian moved to Boston to pursue a songwriting degree at Berklee College of Music. During this time, he continued to perform in the immediate area, frequenting popular local venues and working as a session musician. Now, with over two decades of performing under his belt, he’s relocated to NYC to return to his original music with renewed vigor. His new record Things Fall Apart is slated to release in June 2026, centered around an unflinching look at mental illness in the modern world.

Bolstered by his powerhouse band, Ian’s performances are, as the Mountain Xpress says, “dynamic, with hooky melodies, frenzied riffs, and kinetic, danceable energy.” As well as playing festivals across the southeast and headlining listening rooms in western North Carolina and New England, Ian has shared the stage with The Accidentals, BJ Leiderman, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Third Eye Blind, among others. He’s been described by former music manager Bob Hinkle as “[…] a 21st century Billy Joel.”

PopMatters says that Ian is “easily one of the more diverse piano-centered rock acts of modern times,” which is perhaps what jazz legend Jimmy Cobb meant when he said of Ian, “in a couple of minutes, he’s gonna be a monster.”

MUSIC

stage plot

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