WYSO Music Director Juliet Fromholt spoke to Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery of R. Ring ahead of the release of their new album, War Poems, We Rested. In the interview, Deal and Montgomery talk about writing and recording the album, which was completed before the COVID-19 pandemic and will be released on Don Giovanni Records on January 27. The release of War Poems, We Rested will be accompanied by a limited-edition chapbook of poetry inspired by songs on the album. Compiled by poet and musician Matt Hart, the chapbook includes work by Sadie Dupuis, Lee Renaldo (of Sonic Youth), and Hanif Abdurraqib, a Columbus-based poet and music writer who has been the recipient of numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2021.
War Poems, We Rested is available for vinyl, CD, or digital pre-order on Bandcamp. A digital listening party for the album will be held on January 25, two days before its release. Two singles, “Still Life” and “Def Sup,” are out now on digital streaming platforms, as is a music video for “Still Life.”