According to the biography on the website of Andrew Ryan he is noteably a St. Louis-based producer turned musician after being in the industry for 13 years. He has worked on albums for Oh Caledonia, Casey Reeves, and Drug the Kids. " I feel very accomplished for finding the courage to come out from behind the glass," says Ryan. "Recording and mixing records for bands has always been a passion, but I've found my voice writing songs."
On September 29, Andrew Ryan & The Travelers will release their freshman album "Across Currents." The album is meant to be a shadow of Ryan's life over the previous years touching subjects like his relationship with his daughter, the loss of one of his best friends, the general pressures of life, and the restlessness leading up to this point. It has a middle-of-the-road tone that mixes alt-country with elements of indie rock. Songs like "Take Aim" combine quiet, guitar picking with soothing cello, toy-like glockenspiel, and melodic piano to create sounds you'd hear in "Perks of a Wallflower" or "13 Reasons Why." Other songs such as "Fire" stay true to the indie rock feel with feedback and reverse guitars driving a steady, almost anthem-like melody. The 12-song album was written and mixed by Ryan and later cut to vinyl by six-time, Grammy award winning producer, Jeff Powell.
Ryan is a graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) and shortly afterward landed an internship with indie rock recording legend Steve Albini at his Chicago studio, Electrical Audio. "I think I've always had a producing ear," he states. "I can step away and hear the other instruments to picture how it all fits together. I think anyone who is serious in any art form needs to know as much as possible in all areas of their craft, and that is something that has slowly unfolded for me."
After 13 years of producing, Ryan created the band in September of 2016. The group consists of three other members: Patrick McCann (bass guitar/backing vocals), Marie Marotti (guitar/backing vocals), and Oren Hawkins (drums). They have primarily played in St. Louis at venues like The Blue Pearl, The Heavy Anchor, Foam, Off Broadway, and The Sinkhole. Notably, the band has opened for acts like Vesperteen, Zach Vinson, Prairie Rehab, Emily Wallace, and The Homewreckers.
With talk of a second album already, the band shows no plans to slow down. OnTheBackEdgeOfTheBeat.com says, "These are songs that are very certain in their direction, and show a stylistic range that’s indicative of Ryan’s great skill as both a producer and musician."
Listen to Caladiums by Andrew Ryan & The Travelers #np on #SoundCloud
