Six String Ride is comprised of Midwest folk-rocker, Ruvane Kurland, and Southern Illinois Singer/Songwriter, Steve Wierman. The duo has been performing since 2004 at Bars, coffee houses, vineyards and festivals building a delicious cornucopia of fans. Six String Ride just completed an all acoustic album at the Vibe Room in St. Louis, MO, rich with various harmonies and sexy lead guitar parts. See band member bios below:
RUVANE KURLAND
For several years, Ruvane Kurland has been touring through clubs and coffeehouses around the Midwest with his unique brand of mellow groove rock. Kurland has shared the stage with such acts as Mango Jam, Soul Farm, Rob Bonaccorsi (previously of the Freddy Jones Band), Rick Recht, and Tim Mahoney and the Meanies.
After releasing his debut album, "Acoustically Speaking," in 1996, Kurland followed up with "Esoteric Perfection," a year later. In April 2000, he released yet another collection of acoustic sounds, entitled "Drops of Time."
Born in Burlington and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Kurland began professionally performing his original music at age 17. Kurland has toured extensively through Omaha, Iowa, Chicago, and the Twin Cities.
Kurland has made several radio and television appearances, and his music is featured on the soundtrack to the movie, "Vengeance Zombies 2000," produced by Bo Hakala.
Kurland's singing and songwriting skills, along with his witty and entertaining stage presence, have drawn comparisons to such acts as U2, The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band, and Peter Himmelman. Of his music, Kurland says, "It's folk with a rock edge."
STEVE WIERMAN
As a child, Steve Wierman developed a toe-tapping love of music primarily by listening to the Dixieland jazz preferred by his parents. In grade 4, he began formal instruction on violin. By grade 5, he was ready to bag the violin in favor of the saxophone, in order to learn a more contemporary sound. As with many others of his age, the British Invasion of the mid 1960s sparked an interest
in the guitar. Wierman traded his saxophone for a Fender Esquire, and has been playing the guitar in one form or another, ever since.
Wierman has played in numerous bands. After an initial infatuation with popular rock-n-roll, Steve discovered the wonders of Chicago blues, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and especially guitar player Mike Bloomfield. This gave way to the formation of several blues bands an an appreciation of loud, electric guitars. Somehow, concurrently, Wierman developed an appreciation for acoustic guitar music. He especially enjoyed the music of Bob Dylan, and the stylings of Leo Kotke. Wierman discovered his voice was similar to that of Kotke, described by Kotke as, the sound of geese farts on a muggy day.
After living in a variety of places such as Phoenix, Chicago, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Santa Fe, El Paso, Minneapolis, and Columbus; Steve arrived in Carbondale, Il in 1990. Since that time, Wierman has played in many
venues, and with many different groups of musicians. Some of the groups were plugged, others unplugged, Badger, Blue Heron, and Joyride are just to name a few. Badger was featured on the second Carbonation CD. Nightlife newspaper described the music of Blue Heron as turquoise-to-teal acousticbluesfolkrock.
Wierman has a wonderful talent for playing lead guitar, and looks forward to performing for many years to come.
