Ryan Oyer Band

There is a buzz about Ryan Oyer. People point when they see him, whispering, “He’s the guy that wrote that song.” The song, called “Rabbit Hole,” as good songs do, has outgrown its creator and taken on a life of its own.
It started when he first began playing at the open mic shows run by Mike McDade at The Tremont Tavern on Hixson Pike on Tuesday evenings. Musicians use the open mic shows as a low-pressure way of trying out their songs in front of an audience that is by all accounts supportive and not judg- mental. Within weeks, other musicians wanted to play with Oyer, or play the song themselves. These days, according to Mike McDade, the song is a regular feature at the open mic sessions. Every week somebody plays the song, and people in the audience all sing along.
A local duo called Off/11 have taken the song and combined it with the Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rab- bit.” Christian Collier heard the song and added beats and a rap; his version is included, along with the original, on Oyer’s debut CD, Come Together, which has just been released.

Ryan Oyer is a classicist. He loves The Beatles—one of the songs on his CD is a lament for the closing of the Liverpool children’s home, “Strawberry Fields,” immortalized by John Lennon. He is equally enamored of their 90s doppelganger, Oasis. “Rabbit Hole” combines the two with its languorous, Lennon-ish melody, and a vocal that echoes Liam Gallagher’s achingly insis- tent “Wonderwall” wail.
JonLyn Linville’s violin part adds a lovely melodic counterpoint to Oyer’s percussive strum as he bemoans his fate: “Holy cow what have I/ Got myself into now.... /She’s breaking my heart.” It’s easy to imagine a roomful of people shouting out that lyric. A hit is a universal sentiment with a playitagain, playitagain melody.
But before you conclude this is a one-song CD, take the time to listen to the rest of it. The song that follows “Rabbit Hole,” is a soft ballad called “Breadcrumbs.” It may not have the instant appeal of the previous song, but it will clue you that this guy is no one- hit wonder. It begins with Oyer’s guitar strumming the melody as a sax blows softly in the distance, echoing his me- lodic phrases. When he sings, his voice is quietly tentative. “How to say it, please don’t go...don’t leave me alone.” As the song reaches its climax, it’s clear she’s gonna do it, and as Oyer’s voice rises, pleading, the sax begins to soar while Megan Howard, singing a step above, adds another layer of fevered frustration.
Oyer worked on the album with Mike McDade in McDade’s home studio off and on for almost a year. They began by making a simple voice and acoustic guitar demo of four songs. But within a few months, Oyer was back at The Tremont Tavern with a new batch of songs. They recorded them the same way, with Oyer singing and playing an acoustic guitar. McDade liked it, but Oyer had other ideas.
Ryan Oyer isn’t a solo artist; he wants to be part of a band. His ap- proach to writing and recording is very democratic. Listen to the CD, and you’ll see what I mean. He invited a number of his friends to listen to the demos and add to them; the result is much more than the sum of its parts. Yeah, the solo performances sounded good, but they were just sketches, only hinting at the promise now so fully realized.
You can hear the songs on myspace.com/ryanoyer. Dr. Richard Winham hosts and produces a daily music and interview program for 88.1 WUTC-FM in Chat- tanooga weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. - TN Natural Awakenings Mar 2010

There are plenty of artists who claim to be inspired by British Invasion bands, but their impact on Ryan Oyer doesn't end at the buttonhole on his Beatles guitar strap.

Mr. Oyer recently released "Come Together," his debut album, and the influence of the Fab Four and Oasis, themselves disciples of The Beatles, permeates all 11 tracks. - Chattanooga Times Free Press