Rich Fyhr

It's one thing to be introspective as a songwriter, it's another to uniquely craft your thoughts into great songs. Rich Fyhr is that kind of songwriter. His most recent release, "Some of Us," is an acoustic vocal EP that has a lot to offer the listener, especially if thinking a little deeper about things while singing an irresistible melody is your kind of thing.

To know Rich's background, it makes perfect sense why he writes the kinds of songs he does. Orphaned at the age of 3 and spending most of his early life moving from home to home around New York, his heart has quite a story to tell. "I feel like I've experienced more than one lifetime already, growing up the way I did. Looking back, most of the environments were pretty rough, but there were also some bright moments in that darkness too." The brightest of them, Rich says, was being adopted at the age of 14, when most kids are seen as having "too much baggage." As anyone who has experienced hardship can attest, no one emerges from it unscathed and that's why Rich's song-writing has played such an integral role in his life.

From an early age, Rich can remember writing songs to help him make sense of the world around him, and he's still doing that today. Take for instance the title track off his new album, "Some of Us," which deals with getting out from underneath the pressure of needing to have life figured out at the same pace as everyone else. "Many of us have had paths that have made it more difficult for us to know who we are and where we're going in life. I think an important part of moving forward in that process is to know you're not alone in it. I wrote this song to encourage all of us out there dealing with this to embrace our own itinerary instead of taking on a timetable that someone else created for us." Throughout the rest of the album Rich delves into other diverse themes such as healing inner wounds, recovery, being your "true" self, and even throwing a jab at greed in politics in the song, "Love Instead of Money." The album closes with "My Mrs.," a love song Rich wrote for his wife and planned to sing at their wedding. "I really wanted to sing it on our wedding day, but I knew I wanted to focus all of my attention on our wedding instead of worrying about whether or not I'd mess up the song. Since I've been asked for quite some time about it, I knew I needed to include it so people could finally hear it."

There is something that stands out when listening to Rich Fyhr's music. He knows the kind of message people need to hear and he knows how to deliver it in a song. If you go to one of his shows or listen to his album, expect to connect with an honest and engaging artist who you're going to want to hear more from. "I want you to enjoy the songs, but I'm hoping you're also going to think a little bit deeper about yourself and your life. If I can do that, I feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do."

Rich Fyhr lives in Nashville with his wife Sarah and their daughters, Elliana and Cora and their other dawg-ter, Molly, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He loves real New York pizza, playing basketball, and studying where philosophy, theology, and socio-political affairs meet. Rich's favorite pastime is teaching his girls how to sing and play guitar.

His recent release, "Some of Us," can be purchased on Bandcamp and itunes.