Behind The Band: Lift The Curse
Five albums. Hundreds of thousands of streams. A growing fanbase. And it all comes from two best friends writing and recording from separate home studios.
Meet Lift The Curse, the Austin, Texas rock duo of Ryan Hegefeld and Jon Yadon Jr. Formed in 2022, Lift The Curse combines heavy riffs, huge alt-rock choruses, melodic harmonies and guitar solos into a sound that comfortably moves between hard rock and metal.
From TrineATX to Lift The Curse
Lift The Curse didn't exactly start from scratch. Ryan and Jon had already spent roughly a decade collaborating before launching the project. Even the band's name connects back to their past, “Lift The Curse” was originally the title of a song they wrote for their previous band, TrineATX.
When the new project officially launched in April 2022, that history gave them a strong foundation. Their first song, “Rise With The Flames,” captured the excitement of starting something new and eventually became the title track of their debut album. They've been moving quickly ever since.
Two Musicians, A Lot of Music
Ryan handles lead vocals, guitar, drums and synth, while Jon covers guitar, bass, backup vocals and, as he puts it, “sub drops :-)”. For live shows, they're joined by drummer Kyle Vanderhoof, who the band credits with bringing the recorded material to life onstage.
Their influences are just as varied as their roles. Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Breaking Benjamin, Killswitch Engage, My Chemical Romance, Arch Enemy, Fuel and Ghost all make the list, alongside country artist Clay Walker and pretty much “anything Zakk Wylde touches.” That mixture helps explain why Lift The Curse doesn't fit neatly into one box. Heavy-music fans might call them hard rock. Others hear metal. The band is perfectly happy somewhere in between.
Built Remotely
One of the most interesting parts of Lift The Curse is how much music they've created without Ryan and Jon even being in the same room. Living about 90 minutes apart, they write and record remotely using Logic Pro, passing sessions back and forth and developing riffs, melodies and arrangements from their home studios.
They'll often have two songs moving at once, allowing each member to constantly have something to work on. The results speak for themselves. Since April 2022, Lift The Curse has released four full-length albums, with music videos accompanying much of their catalog.
Then came “Tidal Wave.”
The track became their first to cross 500,000 Spotify streams, and the band believes it captures everything they love about making music.
Taking It to the Stage
Lift The Curse played their first show at Austin's Come And Take It Live near the end of 2022. Since then, they've shared bills with The Funeral Portrait, From Ashes To New, Drowning Pool, The Word Alive, Melrose Avenue, The Browning, A Skylit Drive, Mae, 12 Stones and more.
One show stands above the rest: opening for The Funeral Portrait, Melrose Avenue and The Word Alive in Austin. Beyond the killer crowd, Ryan and Jon remember how welcoming all three touring bands were to the only local act on the bill.
What's Next?
Lift The Curse isn't slowing down. Their fifth album, Into Existence, is now out. They're also entering new territory by working with Grant McFarland of Atrium Audio on upcoming material, marking the first time they've brought in an outside producer.
The bigger goal is simple: more touring, bigger shows, festivals and continuing to build Lift The Curse into a nationally recognized rock/metal act.
And when they're not making heavy music?
Ryan and Jon have a country side project called Black Star Sunset. Because apparently four Lift The Curse albums since 2022 wasn't enough to keep them busy. With a fifth album now out, new collaborations and an audience that continues to grow, Lift The Curse is a band worth keeping an eye on.
