Originally from Portland, Oregon, guitarist and vocalist Ripley Johnson made his name in the California psychedelic band Wooden Shijps, with whom he recorded five albums since 2007, and then in Moon Duo, where he has teamed up with keyboardist Sanae Yamada since 2009. In 2019, he recorded a homonymous album under the name Rose City Band, released by Jean Sandwich Records. With a thousand copies quickly sold out, it was reissued the following year by Thrill Jockey, giving rise to a series of albums on which Johnson switches from one instrument to another. Halfway between country and psychedelic rock, he continued the adventure with Summerlong (2020), then Earth Trip (2021), an album produced by Cooper Crain and featuring guitarist Barry Walker. What had been an elaborate studio project came to life on stage with various musicians, before the recording of Garden Party (2023), produced by John McEntire and featuring John Jeffrey (drums) and Sanae Yamada (keyboards), among others. In 2025, the fifth album Sol y Sombra broadens the band's musical palette.
