Lunch Ladies
Press
“Cynthia Rittenbach stretches her vocals across guitars that wink and bellow for a vibe that’s all melancholic glances in the rearview while an excited trepidation bubbles underneath at what could be on the horizon.” ~ The FADER
“Set this as a backdrop for gorgeously whimsical vocal highs and it plays like the soundtrack to some otherworldly carousel, the feature attraction at a circus in the clouds.” ~ Impose Magazine
There’s something a little post-punk, almost Smiths-like about singer/bassist Cynthia Rittenbach’s wistfully melancholy vocals. Paired with the vibrant layers of melody behind her, energetically contributed by bandmates Matt Whitley, Matt Ramiz, and Peter Gargano, it hovers over the intersection of indulgence and nostalgia. ~ WXPN The Key
Biography
Growing up along the coast near the beaches of New Jersey, you’re naturally imbued with a particular shade of wistfulness, longing and desire. House shows in Long Branch or New Brunswick, late-night dutch coffees at the Inkwell, long drives blasting music with no destinations; these experiences spread out across four seasons influence every artist born and raised in the area in varied ways.
One of the more promising upstarts out of central NJ, Lunch Ladies, package these sentiments with a hazy, dreamy, jangle-pop sound that evokes the golden age of Creation Records. Having made a name for themselves in all of the tri-state DIY circles, Lunch Ladies recently released their debut full-length, Down on Sunset Strip, out now via Good Eye Records.
Consisting of Matt Whitley (vox, guitar), Cynthia Rittenbach (vox, bass), Matt Ramiz (vox, guitar) and Peter Gargano (drums), Lunch Ladies foster a creative dynamic that embraces harmony, in its many forms, with the three vocalists trading lead and support duties across the album’s seven tracks. From the adrenaline rush, ironically, of “Lazy” to the dreamy balladry of “Sad Jeans,” the young quartet explores complex emotions across the breadth of their beautiful aural aesthetic.