Modern American
Female Rock Star
By Nan Holda
 

It was summer in Europe, Robynn Ragland was 18 and she was ready to express herself. Vacationing in Bonn, Germany, after her first year of college, Ragland had plans to take a year off and sing with an American cover band named Scarlet. The band was set to tour Germany, performing '80's and '90s pop music like The Eurhythmics. That is, until Ragland's dad, who was living in California, found out. "He was not going to let that happen," Ragland recalls. "He's a very strong-willed person." When her father forced her to come back to California, Ragland felt "totally worn-down and defeated." After returning to the U.S., Ragland's musical dreams still flickered. During her remaining undergrad years at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Ragland studied political science and sang with a locally famous ska-tinged pop group called Rhythm Akimbo. Releasing three CDs, the band "basically took over the town" roughly twice the population of Champaign-Urbana. But when it was time to graduate Ragland was the only band member who wanted to move to LA and take things to the next level, and so the band dissolved. Remembering the last collision with her father, Ragland opted to study law at Washington University in St. Louis, admitting, "it was a hard decision.... My dad was not into any kind of music career for me."
However, music quickly lured Ragland back during her first year of grad school. "I remember going to see The Samples," she recalls. "As soon as [the show] started, you could feel the bass and the drums in your chest. I burst into tears because I missed music so much." Searching for band mates, Ragland joined a world beat group called Five of These. After joining the band as a rhythm guitarist and background vocalist, Ragland progressed to co-fronting the band and two of her songs were recorded on the group's only CD. Even though Five of These reached modest popularity in St. Louis, Ragland knew she would eventually leave the band to concentrate on her own brand of pop-rock. Fueled by the success of graduating and passing the bar exam, Ragland decided to do her own thing. She knew she would neverpractice law, and so she decided she was going to make her own music. In 1995, Ragland caught the eye of Giant Records, and hooked up with Champaign producer Adam Schmitt. When the Giant arrangement collapsed, Ragland started a short-lived St. Louis band called Elizabeth Einstein (named after a Schmitt tune). Paladin Records signed Ragland to a solo record deal in 1997, and Ragland, Schmitt and a group of musicians spent five months recording her first solo CD at Ragland's family farm.  After two additional record label fiascos-first with Paladin, then with Red Ant-and a drawn-out legal nightmare, Ragland's debut Modern American Female Gut was eventually released in March of 2000 on her own Saifer Records label. It was one of the most stressful times in Ragland's life. "Here we put our heart and souls into this thing and no record.... I felt like I had been pregnant for three years and [was] not able to deliver." All the labor eventually paid off-the record became Amazon.com's number one best-selling album for over six months in the St. Louis area. Last summer Ragland played on the Levi's First Stage for shows with Tom Petty and Jackson Browne, Oasis and The Black Crowes, James Taylor and Stevie Nicks. In addition, her songs have appeared on television programs Dawson's Creek, Wolf Lake and The Real World, and in the feature film Wish You Were Dead. Currently, Ragland is working on a follow-up album, and while excited about the project she isn't pinning herself to a schedule. She's also keeping busy spreading her music to today's youth-creating the voice for a line of dolls called Boppin' Rockers and recording one of Schmitt's tunes for a Disney Channel movie "Tru Confessions" that will air April 12 (check local schedules for time). As for her father, Ragland says, "I still think he's afraid of my having to struggle [in music], but he seems proud. People say he's always telling them about my music and what I'm doing." Heads up, because Robynn Ragland is finally ready for the big time. With her sexy looks, catchy hooks and a sweet soprano voice, everyone is going to be hearing about this talented singer/songwriter. Catch Ragland live at the Iron Post where she will perform with her full band-Schmitt, Brendan Gamble, Peter Roubal and G. Lee-at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Local acoustic singer/songwriter Paul Kotheimer will open.