Early one morning, late in 1994, in a tiny studio apartment on the corner of 6th & Kittitas St., in Ellensburg, Wa, the lilting song of Anne & Nancy Wilson’s “Dog & Butterfly” gently echoed through the air as one overworked and underpaid lead guitarist tried to get his beauty sleep after a hard night’s work. Rolling out of bed and staggering into the kitchen to slap the off button on the radio, he was taken back by the image of his new found friend sitting by an open window at the kitchen table strumming on an old acoustic Gibson 12-string sunburst guitar, singing her heart out. There was no radio in sight.

A dream come to life, the duo Rävinwolf was formed instantaneously and their first gig was performed 3 months later in the beer garden at the world famous “The Tav” in Ellensburg, Wa., where Kris Kristofferson was rumored to have written his heart wrenching version of Bobby Magee.

Shortly thereafter, the duo relocated to the mountains of Roslyn, Wa, and moved into a little railroad house across the street from Bing Crosby’s old summer mountain getaway, where they teamed up with a dynamic rhythm section. They set to replace the standard snare drum with a set of bongos and added a large acoustic bass to the mix. Set up in the living room of their railroad house, door swung open wide, Rävinwolf let loose those first searing vocal harmonies into the neighborhood, for which they are known for to this day.

Inspired by the lost stories of the tiny coal mining community of Roslyn, nestled in the trees, Rävinwolf began their songwriting journey together. Flirting with the tales of mischief and scandal among the town’s legend of Tony Bailey and old buried discoveries of a surplus of brothels…that is a brothel for every one of the 25 bars in town at the turn of the century. Rävinwolf’s songwriting took on an air of sheer time travel, the telling of ghost stories drifting back in time.

The 1990’s brought local fame to the duo and they developed a close following throughout the Northwest. At times you could experience a wealth of musical timbre on stage when you went to a RW show, double drummers, stand-up harp, mandolins, violins, washtub bass, unplugged versions, plugged in versions…you name it…they pulled it off.

In the Winter of 1997, Rävinwolf finally made it into the studio and recorded their debut album “How Are You?” which sold over 5000 copies. Winter weather and limited funds for the starving artists, forced them into a live snapshot studio recording of their most worked songs of their first five years together and features local celebrity Travis Yost on percussion. Recorded in Eugene, Oregon, at Gung Ho Studios under the engineering expertise of Billy Barnett, “How Are You?” was released in the Summer of 1998, a great success, and sent them on a shotgun tour of the Northwest promoting their new album on their touring bus, a 37 foot International school bus called “Rosinante”, (after the horse of Don Quixote in Cervantes’ “Man of La Mancha”), which they had converted into sleeping quarters for the band. During this tour, RW teamed up with Southside Johnny Productions out of Seattle and opened for 'the Romantics' and 'Elvin Bishop' before setting their sights on destinations outside the Northwest.

With the momentum of album sales in the lower 48 behind them, in November of 1998, Rävinwolf gathered speed and headed for the far North where they spent the next 2 years intensely promoting and touring Alaska…from Fairbanks to Homer. Stages shared, friends made, guitars borrowed between radio interviews, Rävinwolf left their mark on the “Inside” LOUD and PROUD!
Local press described Ravinwolf as “…seamless…in their performance at the Alaska State Fair…” and “vocals so tight as if they were fetched out of the same gene pool…” (Homer Press). Living without running water, learning the meaning of survive, testing the faith they had gathered thus far and meeting the elements of soul that would shape their future endeavors together, Alaska offered them the chance of a lifetime.

As the Summer of 2003 rolled around, the duo found themselves settling into a work-a-day rut. The great return to the “Outside” meant a hiatus from Rävinwolf, the songwriting duo, as they teamed up with their brother to perform as the ‘Bilyeu Family Band’ for a couple years to pay the bills and return to college while also keeping the chops up. With the magic of the caribou filled hillsides of Alaska, the haunting silence of the grizzly bear filled bush, the never ending light of the summer Sun and the dimly lit crystal winters still ringing in their ears, re-entry into the civilized music world seemed somehow insurmountable… until “The Dead” arrived on their summer tour to the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wa., coupled with virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Herring and blues vocalist Joan Osborne. Speechless and wrung, after the show, standing on the deck back stage, overlooking the ancient rock that holds the mouths of the nameless ones, visiting the backstage yert where Weir and Hart sipped their pre-game vegan tea….it all became perfectly clear. Rävinwolf had a mission and a purpose and it was time to get it done.

Teaming up with the percussionist from “How Are You?” and a creative newcomer to the music scene, T.C., on bass guitar, Rävinwolf declared themselves a ‘Dead Cover Band’ and proceeded to learn the entire show they had just witnessed at the Gorge Amphitheater and perform it live. To this line-up of songs, they added newly inspired lyrics and music of their own to the writings they had compiled in Alaska and set to working on detailed musicality and performing live only at showcase venues. Out of this venture came a live tribute recording to “the Dead” that is currently being mixed and mastered for release.

Recording, was fastly becoming a priority in the duo’s life. The next 4 years found them hard at work collaborating on Jamey’s archived early work and new material that was welling up and pouring out from this place of new purpose. Rävinwolf, determined to overcome the starving artist life, began cheffing as a team for private events throughout Washington State, and in February of 2007, was able to begin a new studio recording project.
A year in the making, with their brand new, 13-song album, “Rävinwolf II: Buttons and Freedom”, they have set forth to define their signature sound. At once lyrical & punchy, it is a musical, if not mystical, journey that surrounds the listener with walls of soaring vocals. Nestled in the lush layerings of acoustic guitars and creative rhythms lie the thought provoking lyrics within the quality song crafting for which they’re known. Recorded at Cascade Productions in CleElum, WA, under the engineering expertise of Allen Larsen, “Ravinwolf II: Buttons and Freedom” features some of the Northwest’s finest gifted musicians…Drums & Percussion: Stu Anderson, Garey Williams, Allen Larsen, Bass Guitar: Chris Cernick, Cello: Bret Smith.

With an acoustic heart, "Rävinwolf II: Buttons and Freedom" is a very personal snapshot of Rävinwolf’s musical lives as they transition back into the tumbledown sageland they've grown to know and love. With flair, the listener can enjoy the front porch blues, the homespun jams, the folk art... as sweet as honey, the spicy stories of well seasoned musicians, shakened and stirred, held high in the Sun, distilled with peace, love, hope, faith and strained through the eyes of the World.