Album Notes

In a town whose rock bands get lost in the “more aloof than thou” game, former Atlanta mainstay James Pinkstone chooses to side-step the “scene” and celebrate pop craftsmanship instead. Written in hospitals, offices, bedrooms and cars, The Ridealong holds up literate, reflective lyrics that confess urban isolation, good old-fashioned heartache, and Pinkstone’s personal victory in a life-or-death struggle with a hereditary blood disorder. It’s a smeared telegraph, on beautiful letterhead, bearing bad news.
A writer, musician and studio rat, Pinkstone has been making songs for over ten years. His former, touring band Variac has shared the stage with acts such as the B-52s, Butch Walker, and Dead Confederate, but Pinkstone himself has always preferred to focus on composition and recording.
Tracked with help from Engineer/Producers Kris Sampson (The B-52s, The Coathangers) and two-time GRAMMY© winner Don McCollister, The Ridealong features guest performances by members of The Hiss, Ponderosa, Ski Club and Ocha La Rocha, along with guest backup vocals by Atlanta songstresses Naomi Lavender and Tracy Hill. Though the performances themselves are nothing short of top-notch, it’s the lyrics that will give The Ridealong its long-term wheels.