When an artist has three full-length albums under their belt, it might feel like permission to settle into a comfort zone.

For singer/songwriter Cat Ridgeway, however, it meant that it was time to take risks. She did just that on "Sprinter," her third record that came out this past March. She's currently on the road, taking the record from city to city along with a healthy dose of personal lyrics and raw stories to tell with the album's content. Ahead of her tour stop next week in Cudahy at X-Ray Arcade, we sat down with Ridgeway to talk about "Sprinter," touring in general, and her work with mental health organization Find Your Anchor:

OMC: "Sprinter" came out this past March. How does it feel for you as a singer-songwriter to craft an album and go through that whole process? Is there pressure when you release a record or do you feel like that, like the weight is off your shoulders now that it's out in the world?

Ridgeway: I feel more relief. I'm completely independent. I do have a team that I've been working alongside on this album release and all of the rollout. But because I don't have a label that's handling all of the different aspects, the financial responsibility, a lot of the graphic design. Literally physically shipping stuff out, all of that has been in my hands. It's nice to have the focus just on the shows and getting my band in the right headspace and just vibe it on the road now. So it's good.

OMC: How long did it take you to put this record together in terms of like writing and recording?

Ridgeway: From the time we started recording, it was about a two and a half year process to get this from start to release. A substantial chunk of time, you know? A long, long time to work on one thing. I honestly don't know if I've ever worked on any one thing harder than this in my life.

OMC: You're a decade removed from your debut, and I’m sure it doesn’t feel like it. In what aspects of being a performer do you feel like you've grown most?

Ridgeway: Man. This whole album was a total journey in terms of the craft for me. So when I first started recording, I mean, I was still in high school and I didn't know anything. I especially didn't know what I sounded like or what I wanted to incorporate into my work. So over the last ten years, I have really honed in on my influences and the sound that I think is more singular to me.

This album, though, for me, it felt like coming back home because when I was in high school, all I would do when I'd come home from class was plug straight into this little eight-track recorder my brother and I shared. I would just start recording without having a plan. So all of these demos had this vibe and a through line sonically.

Fast forward and I worked on a couple of records and I had the opportunity to work with massively talented people, and it was so much fun and they taught me so much. But I do feel like because I was in a more collaborative space and I was so young and just learning, I was in a place of learning that I ended up with records I was very proud of, songs I loved, but I didn’t fully sound like myself yet.

This is the record that brought me full circle back to the sound of some of those demos. One of the demos is actually on the record, and we ended up recording over it, so I am singing with myself from ten years ago.

OMC: That is actually really cool that you could future set up a duet with yourself and not even know at the time.

Ridgeway: It's so funny because when I wrote it, I remember being in high school and thinking to myself, I have no idea what this lyric is about. Then ten years removed, I'm like, I know exactly what that lyric is about now. All I had to do was contextualize it, and that was very cool. The song is “Posture,” if you're curious.

OMC: I think that it’s just a natural thing that when you get a little older, you kind of care less about what people think about you. Especially going from high school Cat to now. You're doing something that is so public, and you're out there in front of people, and you have to just put yourself out there. What does shedding that skin look like when that translates into songwriting? Are you able to get more personal with that?

Ridgeway: Yeah, definitely. It was scary making this record. I had some pretty intensely emotional moments when we were making this album because I felt like I was in a position sometimes where I had to defend my artistic instincts—not to my co-producer. My co-producer Mike, I adore him and I appreciate how much he pushed me forward in the process of making this record.

But even down to my family and stuff, you know? They were like, “well, this is very different. Are you sure this is going to go over well?” and “Now might not be the time to take a risk when you're still building a career.” You get all these things that are getting thrown at you. I just got to a point where I was like, I just don't care anymore. It's the best feeling ever to not care. Optimistic nihilism has been my M.O. for the past year and a half.

OMC: Save that. The next record name is definitely “Optimistic Nihilism.”

Ridgeway: Absolutely.

OMC: If it is, II want credit now. I want my 10%. Just kidding.

Ridgeway: Say a word, get a third, brother.

OMC: You're also doing something really cool on this tour with Find Your Anchor as well, making these supplies available at the merch stand for Find Your Anchor. How did that kind of come about, working with that organization and what does that mean for you?

Ridgeway: So the title track of “Sprinter” was written about a dear friend of mine from college who ended up taking her own life for mental health reasons. Previously I had been kind of uncomfortable touching on subjects that deep and personal to myself, but I recognized the power in storytelling and songwriting and sharing that. So I started telling the story on stage.

The reception at shows was incredible and I was connecting with people on such a deeper level. Eventually when I was working with my team and they knew the story, my publicist Julie was like, “Hey, there’s an organization that actually reached out that is a suicide prevention organization, and this song would be perfect.”

So she sent the song to them, and then they got in touch back with me and they were like, “This is perfect. This is exactly in line with our mission and trying to help people.” So what they do is they make these little boxes. Come to the merch table. We'll have these for free. People can grab them. They're these little boxes full of different resources and support notes and reminders of all the awesome things in the world to stick around for.

What's neat about them, if you remember geocaching at all, where you find the little thing and then add something into it, that's how these boxes are too. So if you find an anchor—something to hold you grounded here—and you want to share it with somebody else, you can add it to the box and then leave it for somebody else to find later on. It's a really cool, more organic type of way to help people out and share.

OMC: So very cool. I love that. This is going to be the end of the tour that you'll come to Milwaukee at X-Ray Arcade. I have to know, what does touring look like for you? And to follow-up immediately on that, what is the one thing you have to have on tour with you—like your blanket or pillow or whatever—that has to come on tour every time?

Ridgeway: So touring, what does that look like for us as an indie band? We are all piling into my tiny little Mercedes Metris and we built this big box in the back of it that we lock all of the gear inside of before we lock the van so it’s more secure. Then the three of us just take turns driving each other to the next place.

A lot of crashing on couches, a lot of catching up with friends from college, a lot of meeting new friends. It's the best. It is literally the best thing you can spend time doing. You get to see so much of the country and share your art and meet cool people and see cool places. It’s amazing.

As far as the thing that I always have to bring; Anyone who knows me is going to expect this answer. They're correct. But I bring a portable coffee set up with me everywhere I go. I’m a total coffee nerd and I have an Aeropress.

So I have a pretty sweet little hand grinder, and then I’ll bring my Aeropress and I will make everyone coffee on the road. I'm known to also make other acts that are on a bill with us coffee in the green room and stuff. So it's just become a thing.

You can catch Cat Ridgeway & the Tourists with Friend of a Friend and 5 PM to Nowhere on Thursday, May 15th at X-Ray Arcade. Tickets are on sale now via the X-Ray Arcade website.