The scene was this — the hot sun beat upon attendees of Kilby’s Court 20th anniversary festival while Ritt Momney (yes, you read that correctly) opened the main stage. Old fans gathered to watch and passersby stopped to take in the soothing indie pop and alternative sounds. Ritt Momney did what they always do best. They turned heads and drew a crowd. And although their unique name might be part of the reason for this, it certainly isn’t the only reason.
The band began in 2017 and has had a rotating lineup. It was first an indie rock band between friends but became more of a solo project for writer and producer Jack Rutter as most of his friends went in different directions. As of now, Rutter is currently making plans to take the music to L.A.
When friends left on missions and his girlfriend went off to college, the band became more of a personal outlet and musical project for Rutter. The current members that join in for live shows are guitarist Noah Hamula, bassist Jonas Torgersen, keyboardist Auden Winchester and drummer Max Metos.
Rutter wasn’t sure what would come of the early Ritt Momney, until his tracks “Young Adult” and “Something, In General” gained traction on Spotify.
“‘Young Adult’ got us on Spotify’s radar, so right after ‘Something, in General’ came out, it got put on a high-radar playlist on Spotify,” Rutter said. “That’s a huge reason why we have most of the following that we have. That did well, so I wanted to keep going with it.”
Ritt’s been busy since the Kilby Court performance last month. They recently released the single, “On Love (An Alternative Response to Almitra’s Request)”, a clever breakup song that blends a steady acoustic guitar with electronic embellishments. And there’s even more in store.
Ritt’s first full-length album, Her and All of My Friends, is set for a July 19 release, appropriately commemorated with a show at Kilby, a venue Rutter attributes much of their success to. The album is a collection of six previously released singles as well as seven new songs. The themes are heavy — sadness, religion and existentialism. Rutter said the songs go in order from small-world problems to much larger ideas.
The next preview of the album is a single called “If the Book Doesn’t Sell”, which they played for fans at the Kilby anniversary show as they finished their set.
“[‘If The Book Doesn’t Sell’] is sort of about God and religion and existentialism…I used to be Mormon and am not anymore. A lot of the religion-based songs are me questioning all of that stuff. I think that song is the most meaningful to me,” Rutter said.
Ahead of the album release, the band will play a rape recovery benefit show at Kilby Court June 24. Then, they have two nights booked for their album release/farewell shows July 19 & 20 at Kilby. Since Rutter is moving to LA, these will be their last Utah shows for a while. They will also tour the midwest in July, the west coast in August and the east coast in September.
The future of the band is still being figured out, but whatever happens, Rutter intends to continue releasing work under the name Ritt Momney.
Check out Ritt Momney on Spotify:
Listen to Jack Rutter on Soundcloud:
Cover photo credit: James Kowalski
