Rick Rutherford (a/k/a Lightnin’ Stik) has been making music across the decades and across the continent. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist got his start in South Florida. Growing up he listened to and admired the greats of Classic Rock, Metal and the Blues. Eventually life and music took Rick across the country, first to Seattle and now to Colorado. All along the way, he played his guitar.
On January 20, 2021 Rick Rutherford (as Lightnin’ Stik) released the double single “Words” and “I Love.” The two songs feature the artist’s unique combination of lo-fi Pop, Classic Rock guitar riffs and personal/confessional lyrics. In a conversational style he delivers personal tales of love and longing.
We had the chance to sit down with Rick Rutherford (virtually) to talk about the past, the future and his new music. Check out the conversation below. Listen to the songs here. You can also hear “I Love” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links at the bottom of this article to connect with Rick Rutherford.
8 Questions With Rick Rutherford
The Static Dive: Where are you from?
Rick Rutherford: Originally, South Florida where I grew up and performed in a metal cover band during the 90s, but I have lived in the beautiful Seattle area and recently moved to Denver, Colorado.
SD: How long have you been making music?
RR: Since I was old enough to understand how. I was playing piano at eight and guitar by fifteen, but did not start producing my own original material until I was about thirty.
SD: Who are the musicians involved in your project?
RR: Currently, there are no other musicians, every instrument track, lyric and vocal are all me. I have been really just trying to get the music out and that has resulted in some pretty great talent contacting me to be a part of bringing this music to summer festivals.
SD: Who are your biggest musical influences?
RR: The Beatles, hands down. I grew up in a very ehtinic and culturally diverse part of the country, so I was exposed to a lot of different vibes, but as a guitarist, I followed Jimmy Page, Robert Johnson, Slash and a lot of Angus.
SD: What is your greatest non-musical influence?
RR: Adversity and pain would sum it up.
SD: What inspired you to create this project?
RR: My daughter wrote the lyrics to “I Love” at eight and I put it to music and we always enjoyed performing it, so I always told her I would release it one day. When I was in Seattle beginning work on the upcoming album, I ran across her song and some coloring pages I kept from those years and I felt compelled to release it. On the same cassette, I found “Words,” a song I had completely forgotten about that I wrote about the same time, so it felt proper to release both.
SD: What are your plans for the future (musically)?
RR: I have a full length album for release in August 2021 and I will be working on another for release in 2022, right before our tour, that is, if the world opens up by then. In the meantime, I will be focusing on production and forming a band for performing in the hopefully near future.
SD: Is there anything else you would like to say?
RR: Like me, and share me everywhere.
Connect:
Rick Rutherford on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
