Natural Lite is a psychedelic High Country band from Taos County, NM
Ry Warner: vox, gtr, cap’n
CJ Burnett: keys, vox
Chloe Grace: vox, fx
Tom Pryor: pedal steel
Kyle Ruggles: bass
Luke Ayers: drumkit
Ry Warner is an experimental country musician from the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio, currently based in northern New Mexico.
He has collaborated with artists such as legendary pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, trance-punk painter Arrington de Dionyso, Tara Jane O’Neil, Karl Blau, Karima Walker, Jef Brown (Jackie-O Motherfucker), Bob Jones (Eaters), Jonathan Sielaff (Golden Retriever), Dimitri Manos (Dr. Dog), Mark Hosler (Negativland), Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie), Sig Wilson (Dommengang), Ray Raposa (Castanets) and many others.
For over 10 years he led a fluid group called OHIOAN, where he developed a style called High Country that drew on free jazz, country, noise, drone, north African assouf, and Appalachian folk. The bands final recording, EMPTY/EVERY MT, was a concept album based on destructive mining in America, and brought together the influences of Tuareg blues and American banjo music to create a Desert Appalachia sound in order to represent the eventual barren wasteland of coal country.
Since dissolving the band, Warner has formed a new group named Natural Lite and shifted the focus of his High Country to classic honkytonk and rockabilly. The new sound explores subtle ways to twist, distort, and subvert the those traditions that hopefully confuse and unsettle the listener – especially in a live setting – while still presenting the patina of a regular-ass country songwriter.
CJ Burnett is a pianist & multi-instrumentalist originally from London UK and now based in Taos NM. His training and influences range from classical, blues, gospel, kraut rock, and r&b.
Chloe Grace is a globe-trotting singer/songwriter known for her languid falsetto and lyrical style. Find her solo work at dandelionessmusic.com.
Tom Pryor is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, now living in Taos, New Mexico. Tom’s styles of playing pedal steel guitar, banjo, Dobro, electric and acoustic guitars reflect influences of bluegrass, jazz, improvisational psychedelic rock, and cosmic country.
Kyle Ruggles is a multi-instrumentalist based out of Santa Fe, NM. When he’s not behind an instrument, he can be found sneaking up tributaries fly-fishing with his dog Django.
Luke Ayers began playing on shoe shine tins at age 3 and learned drums by playing along with records. He’s had stints in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Austin; touring internationally with many different rock, country, and Americana acts.