TAKE IT TO THE RIDGE. Poor Man’s Ridge is Lucas Fischer (guitar/vocals), Brian Trullinger (bass), Sarah Spindler (vocals), Jim Hermann (drums), and Billy Angell (keys).

A group of experienced local musicians are banding together to release a unique musical offering primed to enthrall the Chippewa Valley.

Poor Man’s Ridge is a rock band hailing from Eau Claire with its eyes set on releasing unique original music and incorporating it into their high-energy live shows. The group released their debut self-titled EP earlier this year and are ready to take their career to the next level.

The group consists of Lucas Fischer on guitar/vocals, Brian Trullinger on bass, Sarah Spindler on vocals, Jim Hermann on drums, and Billy Angell on keys.

“Some of the songs are upbeat about partying and some are a bit deeper.  We are all really proud of this record and can’t wait for people to hear it.” – Lucas Fischer, Poor Man’s Ridge

Musically, Fischer said the funk-laden rock on the band’s new EP is quite diverse in what it has to offer in terms of tempos, moods, and feel.

“The songs are interesting because it is a collection of tunes I wrote with different people over a long period of time,” Fischer said. “Some of the songs are upbeat about partying and some are a bit deeper. We are all really proud of this record and can’t wait for people to hear it.”

Splindler, a longtime Eau Claire music scene mainstay, said this is the first time she’s been involved in an original project and is glad she could finally spread her original music wings on the new Poor Man’s Ridge EP.

“This is the first original album I’ve ever been a part of,” Spindler said. “I’ve always played in cover bands, which is great, but writing music for the first time was a great learning experience.”

The album’s funk and R&B style shines brightly on tracks like “Breathe In,” and the project is indicitative of what the band offers at its live shows. In addition to original music, the band plays covers from the likes of Santana, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and dozens more to give the audience their money’s worth.

Angell, the keyboardist, said rather than playing the stereotypical cover songs many bands play, Poor Man’s Ridge instead takes a different approach and plays lesser-known songs from popular artists to provide a unique offering many Chippewa Valley concertgoers may not be accustomed to.

“There’s a lot of B-side classic rock songs, the songs which were never really big hits, but are still great,” Angell said. “Our original music is a mixture of funk, rock, and soul. It’s a fun mix of music which we think people really enjoy.”

The debut EP from Poor Man’s Ridge is available digitally on Spotify and Apple Music and in physical form at Revival Records and The Local Store.