Biography
From the dense pines of Louisiana emerged a boy who spent hours in deeply imaginative environments, engaged in battles and adventures that often raged on through the humid days. Out of that developed imagination comes songwriting that is so descriptive and introspective and refreshingly original we’re relieved to find a band not limited and bound by a damp and provincial song template.
Rounkles admits he may somewhat intentionally place himself in situations that manifest interesting songs. Apparent is this in a song written while exploring Europe with a backpack and guitar slung over his shoulders, appropriately titled “Guitar and a Bag.” At one in the morning, stranded in the capital city of an Eastern European country, Ryan found himself searching for a place--he was later to find--that no longer existed, in the company of angry stray dogs and small groups of people that “had a lot of interest in the bags I had on my back.” Forced to sleep on the sidewalk, arms tightly wound around his bags--pocket knife in his hand, Rounkles couldn’t help smiling at the situation. This is why he travels; these situations create great stories. The following morning on the back of a train ticket, Rounkles wrote, “The sidewalk was comfortable last night--at least the times you crossed my mind. And I’ve noticed something lately that I can’t stand: the vacancy in my palm that used to have your hand.”
Ryan’s songs are synopses of great novels and he strives to take his stories of 100 chapters and reduce them to one page--a painting so descriptive we see the sun’s reflection off the grains off sand on the beach. “The greatest part of writing a song is finding a way to tell you exactly how I feel in the fewest amount of words. Early spring several years ago I found myself forced to walk away from a great relationship. The night before I left I wrote ‘Playing Card Soldiers and Furious Queens’ while she slept next to me--‘I’ve got cuffs so heavy on my feet that they tear the asphalt through the snow in the street.’ I think that’s pretty powerful.”
Complimenting Ryan’s music with a talented percussive range is Josh Deutsch. Deutsch feels that percussion should be a reward for the listener; when it’s performed without respecting the song it becomes exhaustive. Together the friends have played shows for several years and take the emphasis off practicing; they feel to keep the emotion in their songs they shouldn’t be over thought, over produced. Rounkles and Deutsch prefer to play smaller venues for their ability to concentrate all the energy of the room on what the song means, thereby creating that emotion throughout the room. This approach to exposure may limit their climb up the industry mountain, but in Rounkles’ calm manner, he jokes, “We‘re not in any hurry. Money and fame aren’t the driving forces--I just want everyone in the world to hear our music.” They have reason to relax-- this music quite possibly has the endurance to do all the climbing for them.
Instrumentation
Ryan Rounkles- acoustic guitar/vocals/piano
Josh Deutsch- percussion/piano
Guests on a wide range of instruments
Discography
Links
| http://myspace.com/ryanrounkles |