The Ries Brothers on Family, Reggae and Rock & Roll

Samira Barnett

The Ries Brothers rocked the crowd with their first ever Shaky Knees performance. After traveling around the country, these brothers have finally made their way to the top and show the city of Atlanta what they’re made of.

Brothers Charlie and Kevin Jordan first began their band with some fellow classmates in middle school. As young adolescents, they felt no one was taking them seriously, including the other kids in the band. The brothers dropped their fellow bandmates and became a duo. The two began by playing in local bars while one was a freshman in highschool and the other in seventh grade. As time went on, the brothers learned each day to improve their craft and by junior year, they were playing four nights a week. They realized music was their passion and it was time to turn on grind mode. 

Originally from St. Petersburg, Fl. the Ries Brothers got a glimpse of the big variety of music styles Georgia and different artists had to offer. The Ries Brothers in particular take pride in drawing inspiration from different music styles such as reggae, rock and metal. 

“We play multiple festivals,” said The Ries Brothers. “We can play a rock festival and even on a regular basis we play a couple of reggae festivals.”

The brothers’ goal for this year was to broaden their festival attendance and show a new audience what they’re made of. The brothers provided a variety of beats and tunes within their songs while performing on the Ponce De Leon stage. Their upbeat spunk definitely stood out with fans during their set. The Ries brothers provided Shaky Knees with a taste of Florida talent, from the instruments to the singing.

“We have different personal influences we combined,” said The Ries Brothers. “After 2020 we were like let’s just use our time to focus and define our sounds and our senecas.”

The different mix and flow from personal influences and their message within music is what makes The Ries Brothers unique. Their goal is to travel and embrace their music with the world. 

Upon return to Florida, The Ries brothers intend to get into writing mode before embarking on their tour. They hope to release the EP by the end of the summer. The brothers finally get a chance to truly play and entertain their audience with Shaky Knees, their second headline tour after spending the previous four years as opening acts. 

The Shaky Knees Festival did not disappoint, with an atmosphere full of positive and lively spirits. Many bands were able to see other bands they had long admired. The festival provided customers with a weekend to remember, from the fans to the bands. The Ries Brothers will begin their summer tour on July 1. You can catch them back in Atlanta on July 7 at Smith’s Olde Bar.

“We always try to be in the moment as much as we can,” said The Ries Brothers. “We would never be here without music.”