Over the past few years The Housewives have become a staple within the St. John music scene, Religiously playing multiple gigs a week when their front man, Travis Riddle is in town. Whether it be Lovango Rum Bar or Beach Bar they are commonly joined by any number of the countless musicians they have met along the way. Aside from inviting friends and fellow musicians to the stage, they have also been known to join more established stateside acts such as Al Schneir (Moe.), Joel Cummins (Umphrees McGee), Collective Soul, Treehouse, and Hayley Jane, to name a few.
With Riddle at the helm, the rest of the official roster is made up of the self-proclaimed “St. John Wrecking Crew”, a tight-knit trio comprised of Aaron Strickland (Lead Guitar), Jalil Jahantab (Bass), and Taylor Lissandrello (drums). These three are the backing band of many traveling stateside musicians as well as a handful other St John based acts such as, Moss Henry, Mother Goat, and Darin Keech.
After three years of countless shows The Housewives are finally releasing their debut single, “Molly Jones“, a Rock-n-Roll love song that is easy to dance to, and impossible not to sing along. They take the stage at one of their regular haunts, Lovango Rum Bar, on April 3rd at 8 p.m. Although they claim that this special night they will remain a quartet, most find it hard to imagine a Housewives show without a guest gracing the stage at any given moment.
Before it’s inception, Travis would travel from his home in the high desert of Eastern Oregon to come visit St. John, playing solo shows at various venues and revel in the mystery and magic of the island. He and Taylor met at some point, though neither one can quite pinpoint the exact moment or location. They quickly found many a common ground and before long Taylor joined Travis on stage, playing various percussion instruments. On his next visit, Travis reached out to Taylor to gather some other musicians to join the pair. And so, The Housewives were born. They began to gig incessantly on island and have taken their music and their antics stateside the last two summers. Last year they began the process of recording their debut album, which includes Molly Jones, the first single on the album.
Molly Jones was recorded at the home of Good Duck Records, Coral Star Studios; St. Johns newest blessing to the music community. The Godfather of Coral Star and Good Duck is Allen Clapp, a San Francisco Bay Area native who moved to St. John a few years ago and has since been responsible for recording and producing countless records by St. Johnian musicians. Clapp is the engineer and producer of Molly Jones, which was co-produced by drummer Taylor Lissandrello and made possible by the mystical musical genius of Aaron Strickland and the rock solid back bone of Jalil Jahantab. Molly Jones also features Hayley Jane, who when visiting St. John on a short Virgin Island tour, joined the Housewives in the studio and brought the song to life, giving a voice to the protagonist of Riddles’ love story.
Although the song itself doesn’t officially release until the 4th of April, The Housewives will take the stage at Lovango Rum Bar on the night of the 3rd at 8pm, bringing their baby into the world the only way they know how, Rock-n-Roll magic, mischief and mayhem. The following day they will present their softer side at The Saint, playing a poolside acoustic set at 1pm.
Molly Jones will be available on all streaming platforms 4/4/25. Be sure give it a listen, and don’t miss the release show of one of St. Johns most infamously delightful and always entertaining musical entities.
T.G. Nadler
The Housewives are amazing! Love their live shows and wish them great success with their new album!