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1) We’re super-excited to be speaking today with Christian Dryden, acclaimed multi-instrumentalist frontman for the rightly lauded NYC-based band The Ritualists; greetings and salutations Christian and welcome to Vents Magazine! Before we dive into the Q&A mosh-pit, could you introduce our ever-inquisitive readers to the amazing musicians who make up The Ritualists?
I’m flattered! Thank you for having me and greetings as well. I sing & play bass in the band while Jeffrey Andrew is on keys, David Andreana is on guitar and Eric Kuby hits the drums!
2) Major kudos and accolades on the upcoming and eagerly-anticipated The Ritualists album Too Pure to Cure which is set to light up record charts across the ever-lovin’ globe when it drops this April 22! Starting at the top, can you talk about what inspired one of the very best LP releases of 2025?
Wow, again, thanks so much for the kind words & I’m glad you dig it! As a writer, I’m inspired by most everything and anything, from the inward to the outward, the mundane to the fantastical. Much of this record deals with a lot of duality- love/hate, adversity/ triumph, weakness/strength, as well as some themes I simply can’t get enough of, like mythology & doubt.
3) The producer on Too Pure to Cure is the always brilliant and nigh legendary GRAMMY winner Mario McNulty! What was it like for you and the band to collaborate with this industry icon on the new LP?
It was a wonderful experience, in which we learned a great deal about how to better communicate the song to the, ummm tape? Mario was meticulous about piecing together some of our rather ornate pieces of music and having it flow very well.
4) We’re big admirers of the tune Sweet Despair which stands front-and-center on the forthcoming Too Pure to Cure album! What’s the VH1 Behind the Music origin story on this gem of a ditty?
That is one of my favorites as well! I actually pushed for it to be released as a single, but was outvoted. Of all the songs on the record, this one is the oldest. It took the longest for me to write. I had the chorus guitar/bass riff and the lyrics for the verse, but nothing that tied it together. The rest of the song came months later, and once we were performing it as a completed work, I thought we had something special. The song covers themes of emptiness and well…despair. These feelings, while difficult to handle, can also lead to beauty, in terms of ideas, thoughts, and naturally, works of art.
5) In your humble opinion what differentiates Too Pure to Cure from the Distinguished Competition on the 2025 music scene?
You are correct! There is A LOT of music out there. I think that our album flirts with a few different sub-genres, while sort of forging its own musical path. But the key is, that nothing on this record is contrived or pre-conceived. I didn’t write any of this stuff with any ulterior motive other than trying to make something great. It all comes from my soul and my band is laying their collective hearts on the tracks for you. Much of the more modern stuff that’s been coming out seems very “safe” and too rehearsed for my liking. There’s very little danger and mystery. I’d like to believe our stuff provides some much needed darkness to rock music.
6.) In the wake of the April 22 release of The Ritualists new album Too Pure to Cure, can fans look forward to catching the band on the touring/performing circuit?
We will be heading down south to play a few dates in celebration of the release, one of which will be at an exhibition by the painter whose portraits grace our album cover, Sebastian Correa, at his “Edge Gallery” in Wilson, NC on 4/25. That show will be preceded by a date in Raleigh, with Richard Bacchus, formerly of NYC’s D-Gen and then on Sunday 4/26, at beautiful Asheville, with our pals, East Ritual! Then, we will come back and have 3 dates booked in the NY area, 5/9 at the infamous, GlamDammit party at Baker Falls, NYC, 5/20 at Nublu with Hundred Watt Heart and our big album release party blowout at Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn on 6/7.
7) Who are some of the musical touchstones for The Ritualists? Who pushes the creative needle inspiration-wise for you?
David Bowie, Roxy Music, Duran Duran, The Cult, Echo & the Bunnymen, Suede, The Verve, The Horrors, White Lies, to name a few! All of the aforementioned do a great job of weaving intriguing musical parts with really strong vocal melodies, and that is what we try to do.
8) As we noted at the top, The Ritualists hail from New York City. How do those specific stomping grounds inform the energy and verve of the band?
The Glitter & Grit of NYC informs just about everything we do, from our sound, to the way we present a live show. NYC, and particularly the Lower East Side and Brooklyn, have had a profound impact on our attitude and sensibilities.
9.) What does the creative process generally tend to look like when The Ritualists come together to work on new music? Is there rhyme and reason to the creative proceedings, or is it a bit more freeform than all of that?
I usually bring something that I’ve been working on at home and present it at a rehearsal. Going from a quieter, more acoustic setting to then hearing it blaring through monstrous speaker cabinets in our rehearsal space, quickly informs me as to whether it is worth exploring further. The guys then begin to pick it apart & dissect what’s going on and it is usually a relatively painless process. This current lineup has had the fortune of touring a bunch together and in doing so, we’ve really gelled, creatively. They know the way I write and I often write with their styles and idiosyncrasies in mind.
10.) Any final thoughts you might like to share with fans regarding the magnum opus of an LP, Too Pure to Cure?
Since our first release Painted People, you guys have been very vocal and loyal in your support for the band. We thank you for that, and we hope that this new one tops all the priors & takes you on a well-deserved, magical journey with us.
