Musician Peter Lawrie Winfield, known by his stage name Until the Ribbon Breaks, draws his name from his childhood fascination with his father’s collection of VHS and music cassettes. “I played them and played them until the ribbon broke,” he recalls. This name has since come to symbolize resilience for him.
Until the Ribbon Breaks has recently released his third album, “Visitor,” following a tumultuous period in his personal life. “I had to get sober. Addiction had been a huge issue for me for decades,” Winfield admits, noting how this struggle frayed his metaphorical ribbon.
The journey to sobriety saw him pause his music career, but an inspiring visit to a planetarium reignited his passion. “I love space, and the exhibition I saw was amazing,” Winfield says. The themes of our role and responsibility on Earth deeply influenced his album, aptly named “Visitor.”
This time, Winfield embraced collaboration, which brought a sense of adventure to the album’s creation. “Nature Mother,” featuring Nashville singer Emoni Wilkins, is one such product of this collaborative spirit. He also recorded “Red Skies” in Bogata, incorporating a spoken word element from a Guatemalan studio visitor who was dealing with a rattlesnake at the time.
His love for animals is evident in his Los Angeles home, which he describes as a tree house surrounded by wildlife. “Nature and animals keep me grounded,” Winfield says, mentioning his current guests, a swarm of bees.
In his song “Carousel,” he encapsulates his discoveries from creating “Visitor.” “You can go to the ends of the earth seeking answers, but the lesson is to stop searching for meaning and be grateful for the miracle of existence,” he reflects.
“Visitor” by Until the Ribbon Breaks is now available, offering listeners an introspective and adventurous musical experience.