Kepi Ghoulie

Ramones in Love (album)

With Ramones in Love, Kepi Ghoulie delivers far more than a standard tribute record; he offers a sincere, meticulously crafted love letter to the romantic soul of the Ramones. While the Forest Hills legends are globally revered for their leather jackets and non-stop, bombastic live delivery, Kepi shines a spotlight on the poignancy, melody, and heart that beat beneath the distortion.

The concept for the album was born decades ago, originating with a young, romantic Kepi Ghoulie and a cassette deck. Because the Ramones rarely played their slower, softer ballads during their high-speed live sets, Kepi curated his own "legendary" compilation tape, sequencing all the band’s love songs in chronological order. This tape became the essential soundtrack to his life—the music played “when the show was over.” It was proof that even punks need ballads.

The transition from a personal mixtape to a studio album began as a holiday tradition. For over a dozen years, Kepi has released a love song every Valentine’s Day. When his cover of "I Want You Around" struck a chord, the dream of recreating that youthful mixtape became a passionate vision. Kepi enlisted the production talents of his lifelong "Ghoulie buddy" Eric Bianchi to bring the project to life. Together, they called upon a roster of talented friends to flesh out the arrangements, adding keyboards, horns, and other textures needed to complement these timeless melodies.

To many fans, the Ramones are their Beatles, possessing a depth of emotion that rivals the greatest pop songwriters in history. Ramones In Love validates this sentiment. By focusing on tracks like "Baby, I Love You," "Questioningly," and "7-11," the album showcases the sweetness and vulnerability of the band’s catalog. It is a collection that honors a legacy that launched thousands of punk bands, but more importantly, has warmed a million hearts.