As a small-town Wisconsin native from the Mississippi River Valley, Shaun draws on his Midwest roots to fuel his songs which make them remnants of the adventures that life has taken him on. “Songwriting is the only way I can truly express myself,” states Ryan. “When I’m writing, I’m taken to the one place where I can react and reflect to what’s going on in the world around me.” A songwriter of six years, Shaun Ryan’s first self-taught instrument was the harmonica when he was 11; his second was the guitar at the age of 14. Not long after picking up a guitar, he was writing songs and evolving what has been described by many as a “smooth and honest” sound. With captivating rhythm guitar, warm harmonies, simple yet compelling melodies, his “tell-it-like-it-is” lyrical styling, and harmonica reminiscent of Dylan, Shaun has created a sound he can call his own. And, people are starting to listen in! Following a stint as co-frontman for Westwood Rain and the release of their first album, No Turning Back, in April 2004, Ryan moved to Minneapolis. After a period of self-realization, Shaun headed to Nashville to immerse himself in his craft; this move echoes his writing philosophy: “The key to maturing as a singer-songwriter is stepping outside the world as you know it to try new things.” The past couple years have proven unpredictable for the young twenty-something. “If you were to have told me two years ago that I’d be living in Nashville and recording an album, I would have said you were insane. I always thought I’d lead the ‘normal’ college life, get a job as an architect, get married, raise a family, and grow old; but, my life has literally taken a 180,” states Ryan. Whether he is getting physically and emotionally assaulted by a 1970s rock icon on the Grammy Red Carpet or starting his own record label, Shaun isn’t leading the “normal” life he once envisioned. With the release of his debut solo album, Shaun Ryan captures the album’s essence when he sings “Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned/and you’d like to go back to where it began/change the past with what you now know/but even when you press rewind/you’re still running out of time.” Says Ryan, “I’m very pleased with how this album turned out. It’s a lyrical reflection of the journey I’ve been on the last couple years.” |
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