Ric Cabot Podmore is a Songwriter, Recording Artist and Record Producer. As an artist, he is best known as the creative force behind the 80’s AOR band ARRIVAL. Podmore’s credits as a Songwriter and Producer include work with multi-Grammy Award winning drummer John ‘JR’ Robinson, multi-Grammy Award winning engineer Jeff Woodruff, multi-Grammy Award winning engineer Kevin Clock, multi-platinum producer Beau Hill, multi-platinum producer/engineer Steve Sykes, artists Rosemary Butler (Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Kimberley Dahme (Boston, Tom Hambrick Band) Robbie Wyckoff (Celine Dion, Michael McDonald, Barbra Streisand, Roger Waters), Terry Ilous (XYZ, Great White), Kelly Moneymaker (Expose), Amy Keys (Phil Collins, Herbie Hancock), Ken Stacey (Elton John, Michael Jackson, Ambrosia) Gary Pihl (Sammy Hagar, Boston) Cactus Moser (Highway 101, Wynonna), Mark Free (King Kobra, Unruly Child), Nate, Paul, and Kip Winger (Winger), Larry Thompson (Stevie Wonder) and Dennis Holt (Kerry Livgren, Deniece Williams).
Podmore’s professional career began in 1980 at age 19 when he was introduced to up and coming producer Beau Hill while recording at Applewood Studios in Denver, CO. Recognizing the talent of the young Podmore, Hill tutored him with insights ranging from songwriting arrangement and studio production to artist management and music publishing. During this time, Podmore received his first taste of national prominence, collaborating with Hill and guitarist David Zychek on the Airborne album, “The Dig”.
From 1982-1985, Ric produced, recorded and toured with the rock band Saint Germaine, eventually capturing a victory in ‘The Stroh’s Superstar Talent Search’ before disbanding in 1985.
In 1986, Ric formed ARRIVAL with Charlie McCormick and Norm Peterson. ARRIVAL featured 80’s icon Mark Free as lead vocalist in the bands early years. The band’s first album, “Out Of Nowhere”, was never released and eventually Free moved on to record with the bands Signal and Unruly Child. Throughout the next several years, Podmore and McCormick were able to keep their collaborative partnership intact and ARRIVAL continued to record, amassing a large library of master recordings. In 1998, ARRIVAL released their critically acclaimed cd, “Delayed,” Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Podmore and Kevin Clock. “Delayed” and another ARRIVAL release, “Point Of Origin”, are now considered AOR classic collectables, often selling privately for hundreds of dollars.
As 2012 brought a series of nationally newsworthy tragedies to his beloved home state, Podmore embarked on his largest ensemble production to date, “Share The Magic”, a Christmas song featuring sixty of Colorado’s most notable artists to benefit Colorado Disaster Relief. Over the next few years, “Share The Magic” would become widely recognized as “Colorado’s Christmas Anthem”, culminating in its licensing as the theme song for The 9News Parade Of Lights and KOSI 101.1 FM’s holiday campaign in 2018 and 2019. The Parade Of Lights is an annual downtown Denver Christmas tradition attracting over 500,000 spectators along the parade route as well as an estimated television audience of over a quarter million viewers. For both years, Ric produced the intro sequence for the 9News televised broadcast and led the parade riding atop the “KOSI – Share The Magic” float.
Share the Magic
“Share The Magic” was also featured by KOSI 101.1, Denver’s top rated Hot AC/FM station which ‘switches over’ its programming to 24/7 Christmas music every year. Programmed in Heavy Rotation, the station’s M-Score ratings for the song were reported as the highest possible.
In 2016, Podmore surprised the industry with his eclectic and powerful production of the single “Simple Love” by Pop Artist Emiko, which garnered him further international acclaim as a highly respected record producer. During the same year, he was also privileged with the task to restore the 30-year old original recordings by famed Texas blues/rock artists The Groove Kings, which was packaged and released in 2017.
The year 2017 also brought Ric an enormous challenge as he was commissioned by ‘Whitney Houston Tribute Artist’ Ashlie-Amber Harris to produce “I Will Always Love You”, a full-length album featuring a complete re-creation of Whitney’s iconic hits performed by Miss Harris. Released in 2018, the album has been regarded as an overwhelming success.In 2019, Podmore wrote and produced another Christmas gem, “Christmas Is Here” for KOSI 101.1’s holiday fund-raising campaign. The ‘crown jewel’ for the year came when Ric produced emerging Country Music artist Levi Blom’s debut album release, “Shiftin’ Gears”.
Share the magic choir
Throughout the years, Podmore has also been writing and recording an impressive catalog of his own material, specifically designed for licensing and placement in film and television. This large compilation of media ready masters features brilliant vocal performances by widely respected artists
Robbie Wyckoff, Christine Starkey, Ken Stacey, Amy Keys, Terry Ilous, Pam Savage, Kimberley Dahme, Ashlie-Amber Harris, Callaway & Ian Loveless.
Ric Cabot Podmore is proud to be endorsed by Hammond Organ USA, Pearlman Microphones and Cordial Cables.
KB: When did you start in the music industry and how?
RCP: My professional career began when I was 19. I had become fascinated with recording music right out of high school. Back then, there weren’t any kind of schools, so I just started writing songs and recording them any way possible. Then, I got the opportunity to record at Applewood Studios where I met Beau Hill. Beau kinda liked me and let me hang out with his band, Airborne, as they were making their second album. One thing led to another and Beau and I wrote a couple of songs together and voila, career path started.
KB: Who were your influences growing up?
RCP: I think everyone my age remembers every time The Beatles performed on Ed Sullivan, but I was really too young at that time to call them truly influential. My earliest influences were songs and artists that feature a lot of vocal melody and harmony. A lot of Motown artists like The Temptations and The Four Tops. Beach Boys, Carpenters, Three Dog Night were big for me and, always the one that gets ‘looks’ when I mention it, but I really loved the way The Osmond Brothers. Then as I got older (high school), other artists started to interest me, bands like Deep Purple, The Doobie Brothers, REO, The Eagles. The real big one at that point was Boston. The first time I heard “More Than A Feeling”, I was totally hooked.
KB: What’s your background, other bands you played with, etc.
RCP: After my time working with the guys in Airborne (I was never in the band…more like the mascot), I started the band Saint Germaine. We recorded and toured for about four years. After that, I formed the band ARRIVAL and we recorded and performed for about 20 years.
KB: When you sit down to do an album, do you have a guideline, theme or anything you do to write the songs?
RCP: During the ARRIVAL years, I was very conceptual…mostly I wanted to have the title track be a play on words off of our band name, so our albums had titles like “Out Of Nowhere”, “Delayed”, “Imminent” and “Into The Outer Side”. Now, I’m just writing and recording songs more as singles with really no album type of consideration.
KB: Any experiences you’d like to tell us about regarding your journey as a musician?
RCP: It’s just been magical…the whole thing. I have been so blessed to have worked with extraordinarily talented people, some of whom are my greatest friends. There’s a whole lot of love in this business I’m so thankful I got to do this with my life.
KB: How are you doing with the recent current events we are all experiencing?
RCP: Kinda scary, huh? I’d say I’m just taking it all day by day and hoping and praying that the world can recover from this in a peaceful and loving way.
KB: What’s next for you?
RCP: Just keep on ‘keepin’ on’. I have a couple of projects on the horizon and I’m always chipping away on new songs and tracks.
Kelly Bennett,
Bennett UnlimitedPR
Photos courtesy of RCP
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH RIC AT THE NAMM SHOW 2020: