For musicians Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez,
also known as Johnnyswim, the road has always felt like home. The husband and wife duo, who met in Nashville in 2005 by way of a mutual friend, built their wide-reaching fanbase via near-constant touring, enchanting audiences with their soulful anthems and deeply personal love songs. After having their first two children, Joaquin (now six) and Luna (three), the show went on, and the family carved out an adventurous life on tour. The pandemic brought quite a few changes to the Johnnyswim clan: a halt to live music, a chicken coop in the backyard, a camera crew in their home, and the birth of their third child, Paloma.
As entertainment comes back to life, the Ramirez's are gearing up for an exciting year: The second season of their television series, The Johnnyswim Show, premieres on the Magnolia Network this winter, their highly anticipated fifth record is due out in February, and a run of tour dates is scheduled for the spring. Before things ramp up, though, the family is preparing for a cozy holiday at home, filled with the things they love most: family, friends, and plenty of food. In partnership with the World of Ralph Lauren, we recently caught up with the couple.
by RACHEL HAHN
video by MIKA ALTSKAN AND MATVEY FIKS
Decking the halls with Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez—and a little help from the World of Ralph Lauren
Home for the Holidays
with Johnnyswim
After a decade-plus on the road, what was it like to press pause during the pandemic?
Abner: Being touring musicians was the only thing we ever wanted to do—there was no back up plan. So when all of it stopped, it felt like a bit of our identity had been stripped away.
Amanda: Performing together has always been important to our marriage, too—we call it our own personal therapy, because we have to give each other our full attention. So it was definitely a shock to our systems not to have that. We’ve learned not to carry our blessings as burdens, though. The truth is, there was a time when we hoped for a season at home, when our kids could sleep in their own beds and participate in life in a different way. So we’ve gotten to do a lot of things that we always said we’d get to “someday.”
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Shop Sarah's Picks
On Amanda: Cable Knit Long Sleeve V-Neck Sweater On Joaquin: Little Boys 2T-7 Long-Sleeve Chambray Shirt, Little Boys 2T-7 Long-Sleeve Striped Waffle-Knit Henley Tee. On Abner: Custom Slim-Fit Polo Tartan Mesh Short-Sleeve Polo Shirt.
Left: On Paloma: Little Girls 2T-6X Belted Denim Shirt Dress. Right: On Amanda: Ocelot Print Pleated Fully Lined Georgette Midi Skirt On Abner (right): Cable-Knit Cotton Quarter-Zip Sweater, Men's Oslo High Leather Boot.
Left: On Abner: Men's Oslo High Leather Boot. On Amanda: Stretch Denim High Rise Ankle Length Jeans, Marleigh High Heeled Leather Bootie. Right: On Amanda: Everly Logo Detail Burnished Leather Lug Sole Boots. On Joaquin: Little Boys 2T-7 Interlock Quarter-Zip Pullover, Little Boys 2T-7 Suffield Chino Pants.
On Abner: Classic-Fit Plaid Oxford Long-Sleeve Woven Shirt, Varick Slim Straight Stretch Jeans. On Luna: Little Girls 2T-6X Puff Sleeve Plaid Sash Tiered A-Line Dress.
You started filming The Johnnyswim Show early in the quarantine. What was that experience like?
Abner: TV has always been something we wanted to do—it
was a kind of secret dream between the two of us. Chip and Joanna Gaines, who are good friends of ours, called us up one day and said they wanted to produce a show with us, so when the Magnolia Network came about, we were the first show
in production.
Originally, it was supposed to be a travel show, capturing us on tour, raising these wild kids on the road. When the pandemic hit, we had to pivot. The first season shows us coping with the loss of the life we’ve known for so long, and figuring out how to come closer together.
Amanda: It’s kind of cool to have a bird’s-eye view of your own life. I didn’t want to watch it at first, but it’s really helped me notice what a beautiful life we have.
What can you tell us about the new album?
Abner: For us, making albums is such a passion project. We literally make them in our house—we write the songs in our living room and record them in our office, between cleaning and feeding the kids. More than any album before, though, this one shares so much of our heart, but not always in a beautiful, easy way. We’ve had to work on our relationship and parenting and existence like never before. The album is extremely honest, which is a little intimidating.
What are the holidays like at your house?
Amanda: As soon as Thanksgiving is over, the movie Elf
goes on, and we dive into Christmas mode. We’re making
White Russians, and if the TV is on, only Christmas movies
are allowed.
Abner and I grew up with some different traditions. He grew up in a Cuban household, and they celebrated Noche Buena on Christmas Eve, with a huge feast of amazing Cuban food. In my family, we’d have breakfast together on Christmas morning, open presents, then get together for a big meal that night. When we got married, we decided we needed to do both.
Abner: If my mother isn’t in town to cook, we’ll order in from a local Cuban restaurant. My favorite meal is called ropa vieja—braised beef brisket with tomatoes, onions, olives, and spices that you serve over rice and beans. I could eat it every day of my life and not get sick of it.
Amanda: That’s the beauty of Noche Buena. We make or order a ton of ropa vieja so we still have plenty for the next day. At some point between the cute Christmas breakfast and the big dinner that night, we whip out the ropa vieja again. You can have it with scrambled eggs as a sandwich, or throw a fried egg on top. It always tastes better the second day.
While Christmas Eve is more for our friends, Christmas day is all about family. I’m half Italian, so for dinner there’s usually lasagna, as well as whatever else feels “feasty.” Food is a huge part of our holidays—it’s kind of all anyone cares about. Well, that and the cocktails!
Left: On Paloma: Little Girls 2T-6X Sleeveless Plaid Taffeta Fit-And-Flare Dress, Little Girls 2T-6X Long-Sleeve Button-Front Cable Knit Cardigan. On Joaquin: Little Boys 2T-7 Long-Sleeve Button Front Plaid Poplin Shirt, Boys' Wyse Sneaker Boots (Youth). Right: On Amanda: Reversible Crocodile-Embossed Belt. Bottom: On Luna: Little Girls 2T-6X Long-Sleeve Buffalo-Check Printed Twill Shirt Dress.
What do the kids love most about the holidays?
Amanda: They love the baking aspect—there tends to be a lot of that around here. They love making gingerbread houses, and my family has a few pie recipes that we’ve been making since I was a kid. It’s always sweet potato, pumpkin, and apple pies that came from some cookbook that my mom had in the eighties. Luna is definitely our little chef. On Saturdays when Paloma is napping, she and I will bake together, and I’ve noticed she’s getting really good at it. She can practically make tortillas from scratch all on her own!
I think the kids can also sense the happiness in the air this time of year. They love the parties. Even if it’s just us, if we put on some music and change the lighting in the kitchen, our littlest will say “Party!” and start dancing. So yeah, I think we’ve raised them right (laughs).
Left: On Abner: Varick Slim-Straight Morris Dark Stretch Denim Jeans. Right: On Amanda: Sateen Point Collar Bib Long Sleeve Button Front.
Left: On Paloma: Little Girls 2T-6X Belted Denim Shirt Dress. Right: On Amanda: Ocelot Print Pleated Fully Lined Georgette Midi Skirt On Abner (right): Cable-Knit Cotton Quarter-Zip Sweater, Men's Oslo High Leather Boot.