West End Junction is a folk rock duo from St. Louis, MO, comprised of Cara Ristau (vocals, keyboard) and Dan Ristau (guitar). The pair met in 2014 in a south St. Louis apartment jam session through mutual friends. Unable to stay away from the music that brought them together, they created the name West End Junction in 2019. Their music, heavily influenced by folk, Americana, and indie country, has been described as "haunting" by Gesso Magazine and "ethereal" by Grateful Web. Lyricist Cara Ristau's words often reflect themes around social justice and spiritualism with a particular focus on climate change.
Their first full length album, Out Here in the Plains, was released on March 23, 2023. A year in the making, the album tells the story of Dan and Cara’s journey’s throughout the midwest and the political turmoil of current middle America. Dan and Cara, aided by producer Don Bailey, gathered a cast of the greatest musical talents in the St. Louis area to provide a colorful array of song styles and genres. The band has since released two more albums, most recently in April 2024.
Photo by Matt Klose