Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A) Definitely. I was always fascinated with music as a child sitting down at every piano in someone’s living room as a child and plunking out what sounded like music to me. But what was the real catalyst for getting involved in music was at 5 years old we moved in a few houses down from a boy around my age named Quentin. His dad Jeff was in bands his whole life and had every instrument and microphones set up in the basement. My older sibling would play bass and Quentin would play drums while his dad played Guitar or Keys but I didn’t know how to play an instrument but Jeff encouraged me to sing cuz anyone can sing just have fun. And that is where it all started and Quentin is still my drummer to this day.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Steven Ryan”?
A) After touring Canada last year my goal is to start securing shows over the border and abroad. To anyone that’s about to discover Steven Ryan I would say give a few songs a listen. I’m a little bit all over the map sometimes when it comes to genre or vibe and I fully understand not every song is for everyone but I think out of the 50 or so songs Ihave out there at the moment there is something in there for everyone.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A) As far as large artists go Lewis Capaldi, James Arthur and The Script to name a few but some of the artists really inspiring me are local artists and label mates like Joh Muirhead and Daniel James McFadyen. Both artists who I see just putting in the hard hours of building a fan base the right way while at the same time staying true to themselves and their roots. As far as the inspiration for my music almost comes exclusively from my life and the things happening in the lives of the people around me.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the extended album, Life, Love & Everything After?
A) The concept of Life, Love & Everything After (Extended Edition) is somewhat in the title itself. All of the songs on the album deal with either the subject of Love, the subject of Life which includes songs about struggle and mental health, and the subject Everything After which takes the place of loss and the thought of losing someone or something whether that’s someone else or yourself and exploring the unknown that follows those losses. The reason for extending the album was that I just didn’t feel I said all there is to say in these concepts. I don’t think one ever can. But I also hate the idea of songs just rotting away on a hard drive when they could be out there connecting with someone.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A) you’re making it hard with one word but if I can only choose one it would have to be Emotional.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording Life, Love & Everything After?
A) I think my biggest challenge was allowing myself to be honest lyrically sometimes. I pride myself in just that, But the deeper you get into letting people into your life through music the scarier it can become to be fully transparent with those lyrics. I’m very happy I kept certain lyrics and vocal moments in songs as I think it will help to further connect to people who need to hear those messages or are going through the same thing.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A) The main message to my music is you are not alone in whatever it is you are going through. My goal is to connect with people and have them understand it’s ok, someone else has been here before and they made it through and you can too.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A) Would have to be Ryan Tedder. He in my opinion is the best popular music writer of my generation and I just love the way he writes to the point that I have been giving a first listen to an album and gone. This must be a Ryan Tedder co-write and then I look it up and there’s his name.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A) Just do things. Don’t wait for someone to do it for you or bring you along. I spent a lot of years being told you just have to meet the right person. But if you’re putting in the work the right person can be a lot of people because they now just need to amplify what you’re doing, not build it from scratch. And at the end of the day making music is better than not making music so just do it anyway regardless of the outcome.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A) Tour as much as possible when you’re young and you and your friends don’t mind sleeping in vans and eating gas station food lol. As you get older you may still be able to do that but the responsibilities of life can feel like they’re stopping you. So just go after what you want wildly as soon as possible.
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