Episode #263 – The Aces

In anticipation of the release of their new EP, I Don’t Like Being Honest—coming in early June on Red Bull Records—Provo native Cristal Ramirez opens up about her band, The Aces. She shares stories on the band’s origins, shares inspiration behind their lyrics and dives into what it means to be a band of women in the music industry.

It all started when Cristal was 11 years old and Alisa Ramirez (sister and drummer) was 9. They started their band with longtime friends McKenna Petty and Katie Henderson. After writing songs on pianos and guitars and asking for a bass guitar for Christmas, the girls got their wheels turning. “It gives you time to figure out what you want,” says Ramirez. “Now, we’re 21 and we’re really confident in what we want and the direction we’re going.”

Ramirez discusses how their lyrics come from personal experiences and how important it is to them that they’re short and to-the-point. While elaborating on the lyrics from “Stuck,” Ramirez mentions that they try to describe “desperation” by lyrically and melodically (portraying feelings together as a band.)

As an all-female band, there are definitely little things that stand out to them. Ramirez touches down on the skepticism people have toward all-women bands, and by being conscious of the people they choose to have on their team, The Aces have managed to create a supportive atmosphere where everyone believes in them encourages them to grow. “There’s this expectation that women can’t organically play music,” Ramirez says. “We feel strongly about being representatives for women.”

Multiple songs are featured throughout this episode, however, the emphasis falls on The Aces’ new single “Baby Who.” It’s a little taste of what’s to come for their release in June and is the first song they recorded after signing on to Red Bull Records. “Baby Who” is available to stream on Spotify as well as Apple Music. Keep up to date with The Aces on their Facebook: facebook.com/acesmusic.

Thanks for listening to SLUG Mag Soundwaves.

• This podcast was created by SLUG Magazine and produced by Angela H. Brown and Secily Saunders
• Associate Producers: Alexander Ortega, Joshua Joye, John Ford, Kathy Zhou
• Executive Producer: Angela H. Brown
• Background music by The Aces
• Soundwaves logo and art design by Nicholas Dowd
• Technical design by Kate Colgan
• Photo: Carlos Baez

SLUG Magazine’s mission is to provide an honest journalistic alternative to mainstream coverage of arts, music, events and lifestyle. SLUG adds value to lifestyle through community engagement. Available in print and digitally on SLUGmag.com.