Rob Riccardo
Rob Riccardo
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FROM THE OCEAN TO THE DESERT...
Born and raised on the beaches of Long Island, New York, the foundation of the now Arizona-based songwriter's music derives from the surf scene of his formative years on the East Coast. Shortly after picking up the guitar in high school on a bet from a friend, Riccardo discovered the acoustically driven melodies and socially conscious lyrics of artists like Jack Johnson, John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd and Ben Harper. These musicians, along with classic troubadours from his father's record collection like James Taylor, would serve as the initial inspiration for writing his own songs.
Following a long post-college musical hiatus, Riccardo moved from New York City to Arizona and, encouraged by his wife, started to take songwriting seriously for the first time. After a year of experimenting with a variety of genres and discovering his voice, he developed his own blend of folk, rock and reggae infused with a heavy serving of conscious lyrics.
With a newfound focus and a fresh batch of songs, Riccardo teamed up with Gilbert, Arizona-based producer Erick Morina to record his debut full-length album, The Calm Within, a collection of tunes heavily inspired by his yoga and meditation practice. Just two months after the June 2017 release of his first LP, Riccardo went back into the studio with Morina to record his follow-up EP, Elemental Awareness, released in November of 2017.
Following a similar timeline, Riccardo went back into the studio with Morina just a couple months after his previous release to record a new batch of songs he had written over the winter. His highly anticipated second full-length album, Seeker, released worldwide on September 14, 2018.
Following the release of Seeker, Riccardo began producing his own songs as an experiment. He started with his new instrumental side project, Slow Traverse, and then began production on album number three entirely on his own at home. His latest project compiles a variety of genres and sonic vibes, but all of the songs have a positive and reflective message, which is what Riccardo has become most known for. His third album, The Fire in Me, released everywhere on August 2, 2019.