The Ripples, from Abbey Road Studios on their first album

PalmThey hadn't even been playing their first concert for a year, back in July 2023, when the members of The Ripples – Toni Sbert, Nacho Andreu, Juan Andreu, Berto Meana, and Jordi Rullán – entered the famous Abbey Road Studios to record one of their songs. It was April 2024 when, after the band's first few tracks, they reached a milestone they hadn't even set out to achieve. "I always say that, whatever happens, the band has already been worth it for that," confesses Toni Sbert, singer and guitarist of The Ripples, "and I was already telling them that while we were there."

Recording their first song, "No Direction," in the studios where not only The Beatles but also Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and Oasis, among many others, have recorded, was as unexpected as it was opportune for the band members, who were then between 23 and 29 years old. "It was like living out a movie script you wouldn't believe," Sbert summarizes. "Joan Andreu, Pecan Pie's promoter, had gotten us some gigs in London, and it turned out that a friend of ours, who was kind of our manager, had a friend studying at Abbey Road Studios, where you can go to study music production and they let you use a book I like to record," he said the day before leaving. The singer shares, still proud and excited.

However, it wasn't just one song or a one-time thing. "Apparently, they liked us, or something, but we were able to go back, so 'Something's Got a Hold on Me' was also recorded there." The rest of the songs that make up One hell of a rideThe group's debut album was recorded at Es Teatre studios in Calvià, produced by Tomi Solbas. This first record clearly shows the influence of 60s and 70s music, especially Anglo-Saxon and American, spearheaded by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Gram Parsons—clear references for this Mallorcan band. "They are all musical icons, huge influences for us, and their styles have always been our favorites," explains Sbert.

The Art Jove Award

However, their time at Abbey Road is just a small part of a journey that seems to have quickly taken off: they've played over 50 concerts, many of them in the UK, released their debut album on vinyl and digital formats, and won the 2020 Art Jove Music Prize. This €300 award will take them to play at the San Sebastián festival, Mobofest, and the next edition of Fira B!. "We're really excited because we've had a great time playing abroad and we hope to continue doing so, but recognition at home is always welcome. And beyond the money, which is always appreciated, these performances will be at three very important music events in Mallorca, so we're really looking forward to it." Before all this, however, they will present their first full-length album on December 19th at Es Gremi, in a concert featuring tracks from... One hell of a ride and where numerous friends and collaborators will also pass through.

Ultimately, Toni Sbert himself acknowledges that The Ripples emerged from this: the shared passion for making music among a group of friends with very diverse professions—one is an air traffic controller, another a graphic designer, two run a restaurant, and another charters boats to the Port de la Música. "We know it's very difficult, because the current situation is what it is, and it's not so easy to guarantee a monthly income, even for a while, just by making music. But the goal is to be able to dedicate ourselves to it 100%, which is why we're constantly talking about the album," Sbert says with a laugh.

A self-released album

The group's beginnings took place in Palma during the summer of 2022, when Toni Sbert and Nacho Andreu, lifelong friends and music enthusiasts, decided to start composing together. "We'd always played together, since we were teenagers," recounts Toni, "but it wasn't until that summer, when we reconnected, that we wanted to try writing a couple of songs with no other goal than to make them. And then the others got involved, they were very motivated, and we had considered it, to be honest, but once we started, we haven't stopped since."

As for the album, it has been released in both digital and vinyl formats: the vinyl release was handled by Cero en Conducta, a label associated with the Mais Vinilo record store in Palma, while the digital release was independent of record companies. "After our tour in England, we were in contact with several record labels there. They had seen us live and liked what we did. But when it came to releasing the album, they told us we needed an agent." booking And agents of who-knows-what, and followers, and listeners, and… we found these kinds of dynamics kind of disgusting, so before knocking on doors and hearing this kind of argument again, we preferred to bring it up ourselves, that's all. Since we don't make music mainstream"Record labels could have given us a boost in terms of numbers," Sbert argues, "but that doesn't mean the boost would have been enough or even worked. So we've decided to take this other path. It doesn't mean we can't release other projects with a record label in the future, but with this first one, we preferred to do it this way."