Chris Cunningham (Ravenna Woods)

In 2007, Chris Cunningham was hired as a private contract teacher in the Marshall Islands. Bringing only an acoustic guitar and 4-track, he traveled to his assignment at a small boarding school in the outer island community of Jabor, Jaluit. It was here on this isolated atoll, nestled within the simplistic elements of acoustic guitar, ukulele and choral music, where the seeds of Ravenna Woods were planted. Chris returned to Seattle in 2008 and met Brantley Duke, a local record engineer and musician. Within two months of their introduction, the pair began writing and playing music together. They shared a common interest in dark melodies combined with intricate vocal harmonies. In the spring of 2009, a talented Seattle drummer by the name of Matt Badger was introduced to Chris at a show. Matt had heard demos of Chris and Brantley’s musical exploits, and was interested in establishing contact. After a 5 minute conversation, Matt was invited to join the project. The trio spent the summer of ‘09 practicing and writing together, then began recording a full length album (Demons and Lakes) at the recording studio conveniently located at Cunningham’s house (Little Room Studio). Since the album’s release, Ravenna Woods has been enjoying a large amount of local hype, consistent airplay on Seattle’s KEXP 90.3, and very favorable press from local and international sources. The sound can best be described as innovative acoustic indie music that weaves together haunting vocal harmonies, complex finger picking, and unconventional percussion into unique song structures.