We caught up with musician RYAN LOVE following the superb release of ‘Here I Go Again’. Enjoy now!
Tell us about yourself?
My name is Ryan Love. It is, indeed, my real name as that often tends to be most peoples’ first question after an introduction. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, and I still live there to this day. I’m the youngest of three sons and am very close to my family.
What is your songwriting process?
I find that my process is a bit different than most songwriters, but it just works for me. I start with nailing down a solid (but flexible) instrumental. From there, I spend time with it… a LOT of time! I listen to the instrumental at home, in the gym, and everywhere in between. During this process, melodies begin to come to me. As they come, I make certain to record them on my phone or to play them out on the keys. At this point, they’re still just lyric-less “oohs” and “aahs”. Once I’ve worked out all of the sections of the song (verses, chorus, bridge, etc.), I start thinking lyrics (i.e: poetry).
I consider what I’m trying to say and the message I want to convey. As it turns out, most of my songs have double (or more) meanings, so I try to find one way to convey the many different messages that I have to express through a single song. From this point, the songs tend to write themselves. Each one is truly a small miracle… a little gift from God.
Tell us about your latest release, ‘Here I Go Again’?
The message behind ‘Here I Go Again’ is an experience that I truly believe most people can relate to… it’s about finding ourselves caught up in cycles of behaviour that we don’t want to be in, maybe unintentionally hurting ourselves or someone that we love over and over again. Sometimes our basal nature and shameful impulses can end up getting the best of us. However, the hardest part of it all is often simply accepting forgiveness from the ones we’ve wronged.
What draws you to the indie-pop genre?
As a teenager, I loved going out to dance clubs. I’ll always remember the feeling of being entirely enraptured in the moment when my favourite pop dance songs would come on. It was truly a transcendent experience for me. And while I grew up singing soul, gospel, and R&B music, I knew then, in my teenage dance club days, that I had to one day create that same unparalleled experience for others through my own music. It was in those moments that I knew the type of music that I wanted to create.
What’s the music scene like in Brooklyn?
The great thing about living in Brooklyn is that it’s still New York City. That said, the centre of the universe is truly a 20-minute subway ride away for me. I’m in the heart of it all, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. At any normal time, things are amazing. Currently, however, with the pandemic, things have slowed down considerably. To be entirely honest, NYC has become somewhat unrecognizable to me. Still, I know that the splendour of my hometown has not died, and I very much look forward to things going back to some semblance of normalcy as soon as possible.
Who are your musical influences?
I definitely have way too many musical influences to name, but I’m very much influenced by male and female singers alike. While Donny Hathaway is one of my main musical influences, many others include Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Peabo Bryson, and many others.
Who are your non-musical influences?
In addition to being a recording artist, I’m also an actor. That said, I do have many acting influences, such as Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Chadwick Boseman. Also, as a man of faith, I’m very much inspired by the many well known biblical influences like King David, Joseph, and Jesus.
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
I once performed in the middle of NYC’s Rockefeller Center. It was a full concert, opened to the public, located right where the ice skating ring usually is during Christmas time. It was truly an amazing experience.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
I think in today’s world, aside from Covid, it’s very challenging for artists to not get lost in the vast sea of other artists. There are so many independent artists these days, and it’s sometimes a challenge to be sure that you stay true to yourself and not get lost in the “mainstream” sounding shuffle of the industry.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Keep making music, and stick with it…even when you feel like you’re not reaping many rewards from your sacrifice. Often times, your reward is simply making a valuable contribution to the world culture.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
Looking forward, I’d really like to have the opportunity to put together an outstanding live show and tour it around the world.
FV Music Blog February 2021
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