Indiana-based solo act Former Ruins (Levi Dylan Sikes) has gained a local reputation for hear-a-pin-drop live performances, drawing comparisons to Julien Baker, The National, and Big Thief. He writes, in his telling, "post-cynical folk rock." With arrangements punctured by atmospheric guitar work and a lyrical directness by way of an unvarnished baritone, Levi carves deep angles into the familiar singer-songwriter genre and blurs the lines between 80s post-punk and salt-of-the-earth balladry, inviting listeners into a world of difficulty, mercy, and wonder.
Building momentum off of a 137% funded Kickstarter campaign, Former Ruins produced an 8-song debut titled "Large Startling," with mixing assistance from Jon Class (Josh Garrels, Strahan, Silicone Boone). Shared first with backers in February 2020, it released widely on March 13, 2020. As an East Coast transplant finding roots in the Midwest, Former Ruins has been kindly received by listeners who are eager to see the next move from an artist who leaves little withheld. How else does any healing happen, but by withholding nothing? / Merch: www.formerruins.com