Review: Ramonda Hammer- Whatever That Means
Ramonda Hammer are an LA-based female fronted grungepop band that’s derived their name from reality television show, Cheaters. Described as angsty,anthemic grungepop by many. They’ve been compared to massive rock bands like Wolf Alice and The Pixies (most impressively) due to their distinctive old schoolmelodic, heavy guitar riff sound.
The forthcoming entitled album entitled: ‘Whatever that Means’ is a varied un- self-conscious mix of melancholy and fun (think Smashing Pumpkins vibes, with throaty, screeching vocals in the stylings of Hayley Williams aka Paramore). The band have a nostalgic, yet unconventional sound. Davis’s songs have spontaneous chord progressions, time signatures and dissonant tempo changes, with a nod to the 90s greats. Their lyrics are inspired by heartbreak, angst,self-destruction, selfsoothing, human ignorance, and uncontrollable urges.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign in October 2015, Ramonda Hammer recorded their first professional album at the legendary Sunset Sound Recorders with Grammy nominated sound engineer Morgan Stratton. The album is titled Whatever That Means, which is not only a playful acknowledgement to everyone who’s puzzled by the band’s name, but is also a lyric from a track on the album called “See”, in which Davis screams, “I hate that all I write about is how I feel about the people that I care about, and I’ll try to have more depth…whatever that means!”
Whatever That Means will be released on Friday 29th April – just in time for a summer tour.
Written by Natalie Wardle.
