The Gentle Guest profile picture

The Gentle Guest

About Me

The Gentle Guest is Eric Rykal and friends. Their music is bottled in Eau Claire, WI, for the most part, near the Chippewa River in the living room of a little blue house. Their sound can be found somewhere between the Great Depression and 2008.
After the release of The Gentle Guest's first EP no less than a year ago, and six-months of stagnant creativity, Rykal, the individual, instigator, and inspiration behind the project, spent a night in an empty bar in St. Paul, MN, witnessed a performance by a wayward Portland band, became inspired, and suddenly felt the need to write this album.
We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight is the band's debut full-length and was written by Rykal on a rainy weekend, this past April; it was recorded during the first few weeks of summer with the help of a slew of Amble Down regulars, and has been performed all over town and throughout the region since its conception. The album's ten tracks give off an Americana feel with a bit of rustic blues mixed in, all containing the folklore of overridden hobo tales in their story-telling and theatrical lyrics.
"The line of thinking that continues throughout the Gentle Guest songs is one of turbulence and rationality causing a disruptive event of average proportions."
- Daytrotter (02.09)
"Some of the most innovatively riveting material I have heard so far this year."
- Obscure Sound (09.08)
"There’s brassy horns, a get-up-and-clap rhythm, and the general feeling that this music is made for you to move to."
- The Sound on Sound (09.08)

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We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight (CD)
iTUNES | AMAZON
Our Little Ruckus (CD/EP)


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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 18/12/2006
Band Website: ambledown.com
Band Members: Eric Rykal
Zach Hanson
Paul Brandt
Trevor Ives
Mike Noyce
Andy Hofer
Aaron Winter
Simon Adler
Mark Hanson
Brian Wells
and many others.
Influences: Foolhardiness.
Record Label: Amble Down Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

THE GENTLE GUEST DOES DAYTROTTER

illustartion by: Johnnie Cluney. Last November as The Gentle Guest cruised through the Midwest, they made a stop at Daytrotter to record four rip roarin' tunes - three of which appear on the group's l...
Posted by on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:44:00 GMT

THE GENTLE GUEST EXTENDS TOUR | ADDS DATES WITH A.A. BONDY

The Gentle Guest has extended their November tour with some dates out east opening for the fabulous A.A. Bondy (see dates below).11/07/08 - Duluth, MN - Beaner's Central11/08/08 - Superior, WI - Thirs...
Posted by on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:55:00 GMT

WE ARE BOUND TO SAVE SOME SOULS TONIGHT - OUT NOW!

We've been talking about it for weeks; it hoots and hollers; it wails and yells; it's our most unique release to date! The Gentle Guest's debut full-length, We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight is...
Posted by on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:38:00 GMT

THE GENTLE GUEST: PRE-ORDER | FULL-ALBUM STREAM

You can now pre-order our new full-lenght album, We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight (out: 09.30.08). Click here to order (all pre-orders ship on 09.15.08). Amble Down are also running a specia...
Posted by on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:04:00 GMT

New Full Length/Album Release

Our new full length is due out September 30th on Amble Down Records. It is entitled We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight and it's dark and rowdy with just the right amount of slop. We hope you enjo...
Posted by on Fri, 02 May 2008 23:12:00 GMT