Ryan Whyte Maloney

Bob Downes 10/10/02

Ryan Whyte Maloney has a modest goal: "I want to sell more music than Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album," he says with a broad, confident smile.
And though outgunning the world's top-selling CD with 100 million in sales may seem a bit of a stretch, it's also true that Whyte seems to have that mystical blend of charisma, romantic lyrics, intense vocals and wrenching songs that have marked great artists from the get-go. Think of the unknown Bob Dylan in Greenwich Village, 1961, or the unsigned Nirvana in 1990; raw newcomers who had a stunning, siren-song quality, with their tunes haunting listeners long after the show.
Whyte, with his enigmatic innocent face, dyed hair, leather pants, multiple piercings and tattoos has that same kind of mojo behind his alt-rock and goth-flavored songs. His vocals have a smokey soul edge, and when his band Indulge plays an acoustic set at Border's Books, you can hear the audience hold its breath as it hangs on every word. The same is true when the band rocks out on electric guitars at clubs such as the Loading Dock. Just below the cohesion of melody and verse in his songs, you get the feeling that there's a primal wail building to a shattering climax.
"When we do originals, people really watch us close and focus because it's really serious music we're playing, and you don't hear those kinds of songs on the radio," he says.

THE NEXT GENERATION
Whyte, 21, is part of a new generation of songwriters shaking Northern Michigan's aging music scene to its arthritic roots. His first band, Bachanalia, featured Brian Schram on guitar, who is now playing with Uncle Kracker. Other young musicians challenging their older Gen-X counterparts include Jupiter Avenue from Cheboygan, Fourth House In from Traverse City, and Leif Kolt from Petoskey.
Most share one thing in common: they're virtual unknowns, playing on "off" nights at clubs around the region or at summer street fairs. Like Whyte, they may work at get-by jobs at Subway or Hot Topic during the day. Yet they also share a determination to overthrow the established order with dynamic new songwriting directions in Whyte's case, or the use of rap idioms and turntable technology from Leif Kolt.
Whyte even manages to be controversial in his own age group (a feat that's unachieved by the vast majority of musicians in the region) because he's chosen to write intensely personal love songs along the lines of such influences as The Cure, Depeche Mode, Hours, and Tori Amos.
"They all write music from their situations and their souls," he notes. "It takes a lot of guts to put yourself and your emotions on the line. You never know how people are going to react to that.
"Some people laugh at me," Whyte continues. "A lot of males my age are all testosteroned up and say my music is wussy and not 'metal' enough. And I just say that's why we have metal, for those who need that macho music. My music is more serious than that."

EMOTIVE POWER
Whyte takes his inspiration from a deeper source than what's popular with his peers. His songs come from his heart in a literal sort of way.
"When I write a song, it's not my intention to write a song," he says. "Every song is a timeline in my life. In every song I'm crying about something in my past. Every song means a lot to me; it is me, it's part of my soul, it's honesty."
Whyte describes his songs as being "sad," but they don't come across that way. They're sad in the way that the blues are sad, or the music of Jeff Buckley.
But a sadness inspires Whyte's music because he had a rough ride as a teenager that was often self-inflicted, leading to a state of homelessness that prompted a great deal of soul searching.
Growing up, he was an "MTV kid" in the '80s, enthralled by Billy Idol, The Cure and Ratt. His mother, Robyn, was a singer in a band called White Heaven, and had performed at CBGB's in the East Village and at the Whiskey on Sunset Strip.
As a child, Whyte taught himself how to play guitar by observing where the guitarist in his mother's band placed his fingers on the fretboard. His mother bought him a guitar at Meijer's and a Guns 'N Roses tape. "I just stayed in my room for months, playing the Guns 'N Roses and Michael Jackson albums. I could play anything by the age of 12 and got my first electric guitar when I was 13. after that, all I wanted to do was music."

TROUBLED TIMES
But life wasn't all music. "My parents and I really never got along from age 13 to 19," he recalls. "I had some really hard times."
Whyte has had three different fathers in his life, including his natural dad for whom he wrote the song, "Self Written Letter," which deals with feelings of loss.
"It's a song to my real father, telling him I know what he's done to me, and that I'm going to carry on," he says. "Basically, I'm talking to myself in the song about how the world works and trying to prepare the kids that will listen. I wasn't prepared for the real world when I turned 17. So the song says to prepare yourself, because you're going to face the world alone."
The song also warns kids about the hazards of drugs and the need to stay strong and self-reliant. When Whyte was 16, his family moved to Washington state, where Whyte was kicked out of school and the 10th grade on a drug-related incident. He moved to Las Vegas to live with an uncle for awhile, and then back to Michigan to live with friends, sleeping on sofas and living in his car while working at Bob Evans. Whyte got down as far as you can go on Northern Michigan's homeless rung, coping with winter nights and freezing temperatures while living in his car. He suffered from depression at the time, and realized he had to start "building myself back from zero."
"My bassist (Jason Sannis) saved my life," he says. "I was living in my car and he snuck me into the college dorms. I stayed there for months, sleeping on a bunk bed. He really boosted my confidence a lot and things got better gradually."
Friends noticed Whyte's musical talent and a band began to take shape. Extremely shy, he was encouraged to sing, summoning up insistent, compelling vocals. It's impossible to draw comparisons with his voice, which ranges from a masculine husk to a pleading James Brown keen. His competent alt-rock band Indulge includes Sannis, Shawn McGhee on guitar and Sean Divincent on drums.

LOOKING AHEAD
Today, he's patched things up with his parents and two brothers. "I love my parents now; I just had to find myself. I did a lot of soul searching."
His band has recorded a 17-song CD entitled "Indulge," and is looking for funding to get it produced. They've developed a local following, have a song, "I Am Only Me" on WKLT and KHQ, and are cracking the creative gridlock on the music scene.
"I'm not impressed with what's on the radio," Whyte says. "It's all the same, with the same chord structures. Music is so predictable now; everyone's trying to make a buck with these one-hit-wonder songs. Even people like Alanis Morissette change one little thing in their music and put out the same song over and over again."
Not so with Whyte, however, who can summon songs by the score from inner reserves of experience and feelings of loss and abandonment.
"Artists aren't letting their songs come naturally; they're just writing bad songs that don't mean anything so the labels don't hassle them. When I do get a record deal, I want to make sure they give me artistic freedom. I let the song come to me and I do it the natural way." - The Northern Express

By Rick Coates 11/2/09

Ryan Whyte Maloney packed his bags and headed to Boston in October of 2006. The singer/songwriter from Traverse City, best known as the tattooed frontman of the progressive rock band, Indulge, knew if he wanted to make it in the music business he would have to venture elsewhere.
Traverse City remains in Maloney’s heart and for that matter tattooed on his body, so after a three-year hiatus from the Northern Michigan music scene he returns for one night. He will perform an acoustic set with another Traverse City resident, Holly Bonino, at the Loading Dock, Sunday November 8. His second set will include several musical guests from his days in Traverse City.
“Basically, people who know me know that I am a crazy driven person,” said Maloney. “I had exhausted my opportunities here in Traverse City and Northern Michigan. So I picked Boston, drove out there, and just started booking myself acoustically as my band Indulge stayed back in Traverse City.”
After a few weeks of securing solo gigs Maloney was told if he wanted to make a name quickly for himself in Boston he should enter his band into the Bodog Music Battle of the Bands, the city’s preeminent music competition. He had one slight problem, he didn’t have a band.
“I called the guys from Indulge and said you have to get a plane and fly out here,” said Maloney. “They agreed, but I was still without a drummer and I ended up picking up this drummer from a Christian band. Without any rehearsals to speak of we went into the competition.”
Indulge sent shock waves into the Boston music scene, winning the competition and beating out several more popular and favored bands.

SOAP OPERA LIFE
Just as Maloney thought he was going to rule the Boston music scene, he found himself again living the musical soap opera life he had come to know since open mic days as a teenager in Traverse City. Just after winning the biggest completion of his life, Maloney’s new drummer quit, saying “this music isn’t for me,” and the other guys in Indulge decided to move to Las Vegas.
“I was getting ready to sign a one-year lease and again I was without a band,” said Maloney. “I pulled my van in front of the place I was going to rent. I prayed about it, decided not to sign the lease, slept in my van and headed back to Traverse City the next day.”
That was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Maloney’s visit home was short-lived. He stayed for a week and eventually headed to Vegas to catch up with Indulge.
“I love Traverse City and I knew if I stayed I would never leave,” said Maloney. “So I said goodbye to my parents. I headed to live with my aunt in Vegas and get Indulge going out there.”
As his van came over the mountains Maloney had a musical vision.
“I was above Vegas and looking down on the city and I said to myself ‘I have to figure out a way to get two million people in this town to notice me.’ I really had no idea how, but I knew I was going to do it,” said Maloney. “Though it started out tough, as I didn’t realize that my aunt lived in the ghetto and it was scary. I moved out after one night. I headed down to the Strip with $30 in my pocket and no insurance on my van in search of gigs.”
He landed a day job at the Tropicana taking pictures. It was here that Maloney set a goal for himself and Indulge.
“I looked out at the window every day and saw the marquee at the House of Blues down below. It said ‘Now Playing Rascal Flatts.’ I hated country music and said to myself ‘someday my name is going on that marquee,’” said Maloney.

FIRST GIG
Maloney’s life to this point seemed like lyrics out of country song.
“Yeah, it seemed like I was living a country song,” said Maloney. “Our first gig in Vegas was at this club downtown called the Dive Bar. As we were walking in I heard this voice ‘hey Ryan.’ I turned and couldn’t believe it but it was Holly Bonino from Traverse City. I thought it was wild to meet someone else from Traverse City, someone I knew from the music scene back home.”
Indulge hit the pavement hard and soon the band became a fixture on the Las Vegas club scene. They played major clubs and received praise from regional publications. But after two years Maloney’s band mates became anxious and returned to Traverse City.
“Well, I was really upset, but I wasn’t willing to give up the music of Induge,” said Maloney. “Being homesick, I just started signing country songs one night for fun to remind of Traverse City. I even wrote and sang a country song for my wife as a joke. Well I recorded it and played it for my manager.”
That musical moment forever changed Maloney’s path.
“My manager, who doesn’t even like my Indulge music, said ‘Holy shit Ryan, this is a major hit.’ I thought he was just joking,” said Maloney. “He said he knew some big names in Nashville and asked if I would make a YouTube video of the song. I agreed. I called Holly who played violin and asked if she would record this with me. We did it and I posted it.”
Maloney figured that would be the end of it and his country music days would be short-lived; he would be back concentrating on his Indulge project.
“My manager called and this person flew in from Nashville and came to my Indulge rehearsal and walks in and says ‘so I hear you have a country song.’ I was so embarrassed that I told the band to leave the room,” said Maloney. “This Nashville person loved it and asked me to come out to Nashville. I agreed and they have lined up some musicians and they want me to fly out and perform this and other songs in front of some A&R people.”

OLD, COUNTRY PEOPLE
When Maloney walked into the studio in Nashville he was nervous.
“I looked out and saw all these old people, country people and I was thinking they are not going to like some guy with all of these tattoos. The guy who discovered Garth Brooks was staring me down and I am thinking ‘they are going to hate me,’” said Maloney. “After my first song they all started clapping. I couldn’t believe it. After I was finished they started asking questions. This guy responsible for Garth Brooks’ career asked me why ‘I wanted to sing country.’ I told them I didn’t; that I felt my music could be inspired by country but I didn’t see myself as the typically country singer. This guy responds ‘exactly.’ He told me not to change anything about me. ‘Keep the tattoos, the look, your lyrics, your music, don’t try to be country; instead let country music come to you. I have this feeling you might be responsible for a change in direction in country music.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
That was two months ago and now Maloney finds himself front and center of the Nashville scene, still an unknown but on the verge of something big.
“I was told to go into the studio, lay down tracks for an album and to come back to Nashville the weekend of December 12 to perform a private showcase in front of a who’s who of industry people,” said Maloney. “My manager and these A&R guys, including that guy connected to Garth Brooks, have lined up some major country stars and label people to come out to watch me. They are already booking an international tour for me that will start next spring.”

ON TRACK
Life seems finally on track for Ryan Maloney, musically and personally. A runaway and high school dropout, he is happliy married (“to the woman I left Traverse City with”) and has a two-year-old child. He chuckles at the thought of becoming a country superstar.
“I told people I was going to come back to Traverse City someday after I made it in the music business,” said Maloney. “I never said that it would be in country music, but I never said that it wouldn’t. I am making music. it is what I was born to do and loving every minute of it. Holly is a classcially-trained musician, who plays in a string quartet out here, she never imagined her big break would be touring with me playing country music either.”
Maloney is quick to add:
“I looked at that House of Blues sign every day for two years and said I was going to play it, and I did. Sure, it took two-and-a-half years, but I did it. I played it twice. So now I am on the Nashville scene and people might laugh and say it isn’t me, but you never know what the future will hold for you until you sacrifice everything to find out.”

Ryan Whyte Maloney will return home to Traverse City making his first musical performance in the area in more than three years. He will perform an acoustic set with Holly Bonino at the Loading Dock on Sunday November 8. The set will include songs from their forthcoming CD “Living With No Directions,” due out next spring, (currently Sunny 101.9 is playing tracks from the CD). Ryan and Holly (a Traverse City native, Interlochen Academy graduate and former violist with the Traverse Symphony Orchestra) will be joined by several are musicians led by bassist Dave Webber for a jam session during the second set. To hear Maloney’s country demo “Here With Me,” search YouTube. To learn more and to listen to samples of his music check him out at myspace.com/ryanmaloneymusic.
- The Northern Express