As the bands founder and songwriter, Zindle is like a bright excited tour guide through a beautiful foreign world of sights and sounds. Her earthy-sweet voice is the center of the storm of energy around her - the whirlwind of guitarist T.J. Zindle and dynamic bassist Dan Hildebrandt spinning over the ethnic grooves of drummer Randall Moore and percussionist Tim Dziekan. Amidst this blissful, restless energy Zindle skillfully switches between violin, mandolin, banjo, accordion, and percussion in addition to singing lead vocals (all while dancing!)
The musical roots of The Ragbirds sound are complex - with Gypsy, Middle-Eastern, Americana, Rock, and Latin influences, all stirred with a Celtic fiddlers bow. In live performances the band incorporates variations on traditional African drum pieces, each member trading their instrument for a hand drum. The Ragbirds craft their songs carefully weaving joy and hope into honest lyrics, while keeping an ear always open to improvisation. The songs carry a positive message that appeals to listeners of all ages. For all the intensity of their live show, this is a band that is not afraid to show their softer side with acoustic tunes that are anything but typical folk.
The Ragbirds began in 2005 with the release of their debut CD, Yes Nearby, an independently produced and released full-length album. After receiving overwhelming local praise for Yes Nearby, the band began touring the country. In June 2007 The Ragbirds released their second studio release, Wanderlove, which has a world-travel theme with a pop appeal and was the number one selling album on Homegrown Music Network by the Fall of 2008. In February of 2009 Wanderlove was released on Buffalo Records in Japan.
