Everyone has a different way to deal with stress and release his or her emotions.
For Moorestown resident Mike Ransom, his release was writing music. From all his hardship came a number of songs he has put into a new album that will be released within the next week.
Under his own label, Unable Records, Ransom has set April 7 as the release date for “My Kidnap Money,” the new full-length album from his punk band Ransom Price. The 10-song album will be offered in both CD and digital formats, and will be marketed worldwide by Unable Records.
“When I needed to vent, I would turn to writing music and lyrics. It was cathartic to me, sort of a self therapy. Putting my feelings down on paper and being able to get some perspective by writing the album helped me to move on,” Ransom said.
Pre-sales of the CD have already begun through Unable Records, and a deluxe version of the album, complete with an eight-page iTunes booklet and “instant gratification” track, are available for pre-order on iTunes now.
Ransom Price was founded in December 2012 by Ransom, formerly a member of the ’90s punk band Point Blank, and by former Endless Sacrifice drummer Chris Mazure. Ransom’s songwriting draws heavy stylistic influence from bands such as Green Day, Screeching Weasel, The Bouncing Souls and other similar acts. Ransom Price plays punk rock that is simple, without pretense and effective, he said.
Ransom played in bands for about 15 years and has run Unable Records for eight years; he felt it was about time he started getting out his own music.
“I wasn’t making my own music, and I wanted to change that. So I formed Ransom Price. It was just an outlet for me to get back into making my own music. I had a lot of pent-up energy that I needed to get out,” Ransom said.
The name “My Kidnap Money” came about for a number of different reasons. First, he wanted the album title to go with the band’s name, named fittingly for Ransom’s last name and his wife’s maiden name, Price. Also, when he was younger, people would always spell his last name wrong. His father would tell people on the phone, “Ransom, you know, like the kidnap money?” So he drew inspiration from that.
Other than choosing the name just to stick with the theme, Ransom felt like a hostage to himself at the time he wrote these songs. A few years ago, Ransom went through a two-year period where he was struggling with depression, work and family issues, and the loss of some friends. He decided to write down his feelings to help himself through the struggle.
“To be honest, it was a difficult album to write because of the subject matter, being so personal. It was two years of really struggling and realizing my life has changed. At the time, it was very hard for me; that is why the album is very, very good. The best I have ever written, and I think it is the fact that it is very personal and means so much to me,” Ransom said.
It took a few years after that struggle for Ransom to take his writing and turn it into an album, but when he did, he was able to do it within two years and felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders.
“It was a relief when it was all done. I can move on and appreciate it for the music and song itself rather than what I went through,” Ransom said.
Although the “My Kidnap Money” album confronts some significant topics such as depression, stress, marriage and the passing of friends, Ransom hopes listeners create their own meanings out of the songs. He honestly wants people to relate to the music in their own way and take their own perspective. However, he also would love for people to just listen to the music and like it just for the fun.
“If you want to just bob your head to the music or gain some sort of perspective, I’ll be fine with it either way,” Ransom said.
Ransom Price is a studio project for now. However, in addition to preparing for the release of “My Kidnap Money,” Ransom Price is also in pre-production on two separate music videos, both scheduled to be released later this spring. According to Ransom, it could turn into more.
“We’ll see what happens,” Ransom said.
Prior to “My Kidnap Money,” Ransom Price released two successful singles — one in January 2013 (“West from El Paso”) and one in July 2014 (“Drink”). The former was the cornerstone of a benefit project that raised more than $1,000 for the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. Both singles, as well as the new album, were recorded at 0x1 Sound Studio in Cherry Hill, by award-winning engineer/producer Jason Ruch.
“My Kidnap Money” will be available through all major online retailers Tuesday, April 7. For more information about Ransom Price and its new album, visit UnableRecords.com/RansomPrice.
