Ryan Young
Austin, Texas, United States
Music
Press
"Currently hailing from Austin, TX, Young uniquely blurs the boundaries of rock, country, and folk and isn't afraid to throw in a little hip-hop influence as well. His single, "Crickets in the Soap", lays a greasy delta-blues guitar line over a funky rhythm riff. Even if his other songs aren't as insanely catchy, his imaginative blend of styles and knack for catchy hooks still make him a must-see in my book."
-on selecting Ryan Young as a Best Bet for Diversafest 2006 - Gary K. Hizer, music editor
"On Ryan Young's www.myspace.com site -- God bless, myspace -- I heard the Austin singer-songwriter's bouncy, Sublime-like ditty, "Crickets in the Soap.'" The horn-laden ditty, complete with hot slide guitar work, sold me on catching him live at Sax."
-on selecting Ryan Young as a Top Pick for Diversafest 2006 - Matt Gleason, music scene writer
"The thing that stands out the most about Ryan Young's album, White Citrus, is the high quality of musicianship throughout. No matter which style he decides to take on from track to track, his adroitness at the guitar is never compromised. But it's not just great guitar playing that sets this album apart; wurlitzer, trumpet, and saxophone pepper the album and add a new dimension of polish and funk to Young's work. Young flawlessly pulls off blues, rock, folk, country, jazz, and even Latin. If you live in or plan on visiting the Austin area I would recommend checking out local-talent Ryan Young."
- Cory Graves, head writer, Subservient Experiment music blog
"I got to hear Ryan for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and have the highest praise for his folky, bluesy, rock and roll acoustic guitar music. Really impressive!"
- Steve Allen, proprietor
Ryan Young is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Austin, but before moving here, he cut his chops playing the music scenes in Dallas, Louisiana and Colorado. He embarked upon a Midwest tour in 2006 that landed him a spot at Diversafest in Tulsa, OK, where he was selected as a showcase artist and featured on a festival compilation CD.
Young spent most of last year working on his second full-length release, White Citrus, the follow-up to his 2006 self-produced debut, Seven Suburban Spirituals. Like the latter, there’s a great versatility throughout the album. The songs reflect a strong blues influence mixed with a diverse range of styles like southern rock and roots music.
Young is part of the show bill tonight at the Hole In the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe, that includes the fantastic Leo Rondeau and the very groovy Woodsboss. Things start around 9-ish in the p.m. Very cool, kids. Monday nights made much better. - Laurie Gallardo, KUT 90.5
Discography
White Citrus - 2010
Spend, Spend, Spend EP - 2009
Whiplash Ballroom (Taylor Vieger) - 2008
Loose Leaves EP (2007)
Seven Suburban Spirituals - 2006
Fancy Trash EP - 2002
Photos
Bio
***New album 'White Citrus' is available on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody and most digital retail outlets. ***
White Citrus, the second studio LP from Ryan Young, is an eclectic collection of ten songs ranging from greasy Southern rock to front porch Americana. The album is Ryan's follow-up to 2006's well-received debut LP, Seven Suburban Spirituals. A multi-instrumentalist based in Austin, Texas, and a songwriter at heart, Ryan Young creates music that is heavily rooted in blues-inspired melodies with a familiar, vibrant diversity. That diversity is on display with his new album, White Citrus. Recorded in Ryan's own Suite 2E studio, the album swings, twangs, grooves, and rocks. Sometimes all in the same song.
"I wanted to make a guitar album. Something that wasn't over the top in terms of technique or showmanship, but more of a return to just really good playing. I'm a guitarist by trade and I feel like there's quite a void in popular music for guitar-oriented songs. Plus, I got to work with two of my absolute favorite players in Scott Clark and Daniel Sproul!" - Ryan Young, on the driving force behind White Citrus.
However focused Ryan was on the guitar, he never lost sight of the most important thing - the song. "I firmly believe that a good song always wins. I always try to start with a song on just an acoustic guitar. Can it stand alone completely naked - just guitar and vocal? If it can't, then something's wrong." White Citrus is ten individual songs, each with their own style and identity, that somehow form a whole which is truly representative of Ryan's sound. It's unique, just like him. From the coming-of-age tale in "By The Neon Lights" to the strained populism of "Dollar Bills", nothing is off-limits to Ryan. "My musical tastes are all over the place, so it only seems right that my music would be as well. I love mixing styles, and especially ones that may not be familiar together. That's usually when the interesting things start happening."
Before moving to Austin, Ryan gained experience playing in the Dallas, Louisiana, and Colorado music scenes. He has shared the stage with such national acts as Galactic, Vernon Reid (Living Colour) and Rose Hill Drive. A true DIY artist in practice and spirit, Ryan booked himself on a midwest/Colorado tour in 2006 culminating in an appearance at Diversafest in Tulsa, OK, where he was selected as a showcasing artist and chosen to lend a track to the festival compilation cd. A versatile artist, Ryan can perform in just about any setting - solo, duo, or full band - and has performed at such venerable Austin venues as Antone's, Stubb's, Momo's, and the Saxon Pub.
The majority of 2009 was spent in the studio, with Ryan seeing White Citrus through to completion, as well as producing sessions for a broad range of Texas artists, playing many private events, and even performing weekly at an evening church service. It's not uncommon for Ryan to record some screaming lead guitar, croon a few Willie Nelson tunes, and perform a Bach piece all in the same weekend!
Currently, Ryan is playing shows in and around Austin. He and his band, the Five Fifths, just returned from a successful Southern tour and are preparing to hit the road again in the summer.
Please visit www.ryanyoungmusic.com for more information.
Links
