A message from Ric D:
"I was born on September 21, 1980, which officially makes me the oldest member of Ashes of Babylon. I was raised in the small town of Vinton, Louisiana, and I attended private school in Sulphur, LA. By the time I reached high school, my family moved to the city of Lake Charles. I think that music has always been a part of who I am; my parents did not aspire to be musicians, but they have always fostered the creative aspects of my personality, and in turn, it’s because of them that I was actually introduced to playing an instrument and manipulating sound.
The first time I ever really played with any musical instruments was at the Louisiana Creative Scholars Summer Camp in 1993 and 1994. I always liked the drums and I dabbled on guitar, but I fell in love with the tone and percussive nature of the bass, as demonstrated by some of the bands that inspired me when I was growing up.
After a chance encounter with the band 311 in the summer of 1996, I was inspired to get my first bass. It was a birthday present from my parents, and I didn’t know anything about music theory at the time. I first learned how to play by mimicking what I was hearing on the radio, or printing bass tablatures off of the internet. I was playing my bass constantly; in the midst of emotional and life-changing times, the music soon became a safe harbor for me, and still is to this day. By the time I went to college in the fall of 1998, I was ready to start jamming with other musicians. I spent six years in Baton Rouge, LA attending LSU on and off, but also really making an effort to jam with other musicians as much as possible. This drastically sharpened my skills, and in early 2003, I joined an original band called Shaggtribe with a couple of guys, one of which is my best and oldest friend, Beau (also in AoB). I got my first taste of the stage and my first experiences playing shows out on the road with that band, and it was an adventure that changed my life. Unfortunately, the band broke up, and it wasn’t long after that when I decided to move back to Lake Charles in Fall 2004. Beau had also made the move back to Lake Charles, and we continued to play and record music and develop our skills while we finished college. It was during this time that Ashes of Babylon was formed; the band officially came together in August 2006, and it continues to be a work in progress. I also received my psychology degree in Spring 2008.
My first big recording project came in early 2008 with Ashes of Babylon’s first record, ‘Revolutionary Roots’. Aside from recording a few songs with Beau, I really had never done anything quite like that before. I recorded that album out of my bedroom with a multi-track recorder, a handful of cheap mics and a 16-channel snake going into a spare bedroom. It was a rag-tag operation, and I never expected the record to come out as well as it did. But with a little mixing help from my uncle, Dave Percefull, at yellowDOG Studios in Austin, we were able to cut a great record. Who would have known it would be getting sales and reviews overseas? It continues to blow my mind! Our latest album, ‘Day To Day Living’, was cut to tape at yellowDOG, and it’s sure to turn some heads as well! Since the band moved to the Austin, TX area in August 2009, I’ve been able to get more involved at the studio and I’ve garnered some mixing and second engineer credits on a few albums that have come out of there.
I’ve been influenced by lots of different musical genres over the years. Early in my life, my parents exposed me to soul, R&B, disco, and light rock. As I got older, I became interested in many more styles including rock and alternative, reggae, funk, electronica, hip-hop, and jazz. I sort of had to find my own way musically and I think that all of my own musical experiences, coupled with all of my musical influences, have helped me to create a style all my own. I’ve never really had any formal musical training and I’ve always enjoyed experimenting with different styles, so I don’t feel tied down to any style in particular. The process is dynamic and constantly evolving, and I’m learning new things every time I pick up my instrument. The same thing can be said for Ashes of Babylon; everyone in the band brings something unique to the table, and it culminates into our own sound, our own style. We have good chemistry together as a band, and I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that we are all connected with each other, either by family ties or relationships dating back to our childhoods. They are not only my band mates, but they are also my family, and I’m so grateful to have them in my life. We are constantly writing new songs and playing shows whenever and wherever we can, and we’ve made some great fans along the way. Together with our fans, we create something that is positive and powerful, and it has been an amazing journey! I look forward to many more years of blessed music and positive vibes!"