Rory Ryan- New Music

Rory Ryan reveals details of Debut Album When You’re Alone, How Does It Feel? to be  released 22nd March 2024 New Single ‘Contently Miserable’ released 24th January 2024 

Galway, Ireland-based musician and producer Rory Ryan is delighted to announce that his debut album When You’re Alone, How Does It Feel? will be released on 22nd March 2024.

Sonically inspired by the neo-psychedelia and shoegaze movement of the ‘90s, drawing largely from Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, commenting on the track Ryan says: “Contently Miserable is a tune I wrote at a time when I was maybe not so happy with how things were, and felt quite alone. At the same time I was very aware that I had pretty much everything I needed in my life.” 

“The concept of the tune, as well as the melody for the verse and chorus, came to me when I was cycling home one day and the whole song was written and recorded as a demo in an evening. I generally find that my best writing happens in a very short space of time so I was really excited about this tune.” 

“Ultimately it’s about realising that you can have whatever material possessions you need to be content with how you’re living, but without real human connection things can still feel a bit miserable.”

Recorded and produced by Ryan in his small studio in Galway across 2022 and early 2023, his forthcoming debut album is an accomplished, polished collection of songs that have loneliness as their core theme. The record was mixed by Sean Cook (Weyes Blood, Matt Maltese, Hozier, St.Vincent) in LA, and mastered by Philip Shaw Bova (Andy Shauf, Angel Olsen, Devendra Banhart, Father John Misty) in Ottawa.

“The album was written at a time when I felt very alone and quite introspective about my life,” explains the songwriter. “Each of the songs are a different feeling one might have while being alone. Some are ruminations and some are celebrations. Creating this album was a deeply personal experience and I hope listeners can find connection within the songs.”

Taking influence from neo-psychedelia bands such as MGMT, Sunbeam Sound Machine, Beach House, Cigarettes After Sex and The Flaming Lips, as well as classic ‘70s songwriting from the likes of Carole King, Labi Siffre, Todd Rundgren, and McCartney, Ryan’s music oozes tones of nostalgia and melancholy that stand in front of a backdrop of hope and optimism, blurring the lines between synth-pop, dream-pop, and neo-psychedelia.

Working around the busy demands of his day job as a chef, and having spent the guts of the past five years immersing himself in all things music, Ryan finally released his debut self-produced EP 1 in 2021. The record included his debut single ‘For You’—a synth-pop ballad which pays homage to the sounds of the ‘80s, whilst keeping its eyes fixed firmly on the future. The song premiered on the YouTube channel I’m Cyborg But That’s Okay and currently has more than 450,000 views, resulting in over 160,000 plays on Spotify.

Ryan followed up his early success with the 2022 stand alone single ‘Keeping My Mind Quiet’, which was mixed by Sean Cook (Weyes Blood, Matt Maltese, Hozier, St.Vincent) in LA and mastered by Jason Mitchell (Aldous Harding, Self Esteem, Palace).