John Ralson

Posted by Steven Robertshaw on 13-Feb-08 @ 05:14 PM

HQ: Lake Worth, FL
NOW PLAYING: Sorry Vampire (VAGRANT; vagrant.com)

THE STORY SO FAR: After recording his Vagrant debut Needle Bed in a mere five days, John Ralston spent nearly three years perfecting his sweetly melancholy indie rock on the follow-up, Sorry Vampire. Ralston had good reason for taking his time, though: He recorded with myriad musicians (Jay Bennett, David Vandervelde) during sessions held everywhere from Davie, Florida, to Knoxville, Tennessee. "It wasn't that I knew exactly what I wanted until I heard it," explains Ralston. "It was really a process of exploring sound, textures and layers. Some of these tracks have up to 114 tracks on the song, but then we'd start peeling them away. I just wanted it to sound gorgeous, but in a way that maybe the second, third or fourth time-or maybe even you listen to it again after a year-my goal was that you'd hear something different that you didn't the first time."

WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW 'EM: Ralston has a handle on projecting his yearning vocals (which often sound eerily similar to Elliott Smith) over tracks that effortlessly move from alt-country-tinged jams ("Ghetto Tested") to synth-driven rockers ("Fragile"). Plus, Ralston says he wanted to give fans a lasting artifact, not just another drop in the indie-rock bucket. "I wanted to make a record that wasn't disposable," he says. "People seem to rush through the whole process of making a record. I wanted a record that I put absolutely everything possible into." -Rachel Lux

YOU LIKE? YOU'LL LIKE: ELLIOTT SMITH / SUFJAN STEVENS / EARLIMART