Ryan Couron

Ryan’s Life…

Authentic.

In a word, that’s how Ryan Couron lives, it’s how he writes, and it’s how he sings.

Maybe the reason the 23-year-old Arkansas native serves up such an authentic, southern-rocked fusion of new and traditional country is the balance he strikes between city and country living. When he’s in the city—Little Rock–he lives and loves the urban life, hanging out with friends and playing gigs at popular venues like Juanita’s and The Electric Cowboy.

And when he’s in the country—at his home near Heber Springs, the place where he’d tell you his heart really is–he retreats to his roots: Many of those mornings, Ryan gets up while the night bugs are still singing to hit the deer woods in the silence of the dawn. Evenings find him heading for the riverbank to do the quiet and patient work of fishing. And in the afternoons, he might be riding horses, taking a siesta under a shade tree, or studying sheets of music, guitar in hand, working out rhythms, riffs, and lyrics.

In any setting, the Ryan you see is always going to be the Ryan you get. He’s just a down-to-earth country boy who loves using his talent and passion for music to show friends and fans a good time.

Ryan’s Start…

Ryan got a most unusual induction into the world of singing: When he was 16, he spent a month at a Catholic seminary in Pennsylvania taking Gregorian chant classes. The intensive voice training not only prepared the young man to return to serve as a cantor for his church, it also helped rein in his raw vocal talent and refine it to a level of skill that has “promising music career” written all over it.

Not long after that, while working as a teenage ranch hand, Ryan met and befriended rock guitarist JC McInnis, who had written a “drinkin’ song” he aptly called “The Drinking Song” just for kicks. When JC heard Ryan belt out the lyrics with his rich vocals, he immediately saw the potential. “He just had a great voice,” JC says.

The two began singing and playing that song for friends who would request it at parties, and soon the pair got busy composing other songs as well. The more they wrote and sang, the more quickly the invitations began pouring in for live performances.

So they brought in Craig Pilkington and Ryan’s brother, Eric Couron, to round out the band, and began playing regular gigs–first at local night clubs and bars in northern Arkansas, and now on stages in packed venues across the entire state.

Ryan’s Music…

…His Influences Ryan says his music is greatly influenced by his favorite performers: Chris LeDoux, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson and Hank Williams, Jr. But he hopes his songs find their own place in country music. “I know it’s a long road ahead, but I’m determined to stay on it,” he says.

…His Current Projects “Play What I Feel Like” is the name of Ryan Couron’s debut cd, which was released in January. Track titles such as “Huntin’ or Fishin’” and “Saddle Up” reflect his love for country life while his beautiful ballad, “Heaven,” showcases his trademark soothing vocals.

Oddly enough, getting “Play What I Feel Like” off the ground took Ryan to a studio less than five minutes away from his driveway in Heber Springs by way of Arlington, Texas, more than five hours away! During an audition at Johnny High’s Country Music Revue at the famed venue where Leann Rimes, LeeAnn Womack and others got their start, Ryan was chatting with a resident keyboard player who asked where he was from. When Ryan said he lived in Heber Springs, the keyboardist said, “Don’t you know you have a first-class recording studio right there where you live?” Sure enough, Ryan went home and introduced himself to his neighbor, the owner of Raney Recording Studio. “I was in shock,” Ryan says. “I had to go all the way to Texas to find a recording studio next door.”

The band first recorded a five-song pre-release in 2007 and finished up an additional eight songs to complete the full-length, 13-track cd this past December. A highlight during the recording process, Ryan says, was bringing in the talents of Mike Kennedy, drummer for George Strait.

Launching the cd’s release called for nothing short of a great big ole’ party, and that’s exactly what Ryan and boys threw. They hosted a rowdy, fun celebration for a sold-out crowd at Juanita’s in Little Rock in January. The guys couldn’t have been happier about the fans’ response. “They’ve made us the number one unsigned band on MySpace in Arkansas,” Ryan says.

…His Stage Presence Ryan brings fresh, unpretentious personality to the stage and captivates audiences with his natural humor, infectious smile, clear and commanding voice, and that distinctive Southern drawl. The first thing people at his shows notice is that he doesn’t just sing to his audience; he serenades each person as if no one else were there. That’s what has helped him capture an impressively loyal fan base within a relatively short period of time. “It’s definitely a party when w