Wolf Ram Heart

Ohio’s dark psychedelic pop band Wolf Ram Heart feature singer/songwriter/producer David James, his wife Jessica Barnes on bass, guitarist Sawyer Shepard, and drummer Eric Buford. James turned to music as a child, when a hip condition called slipped capital femoral epiphysis left him unable to walk and isolated with years of hospitalization and treatments. During that time, he became fascinated with the Monkees and in particular the band’s album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. He made that psych-pop sound his own as a teenager, writing and performing in local bands, and after he graduated from high school, he converted a loft in his parents’ home into a studio. During that time, James recorded demos that caught the ears of Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo. The pair wanted to release James' music on a label they planned to launch, but nothing came of it. James, who was already working with Buford, persevered, and after bringing Barnes and Shepard into the fold, they became Wolf Ram Heart. The band recorded for a year on a farm in Ohio’s Amish country; the result was Betrayal of Hearts, which was released by Sovereign States Records in April 2011.