The secret to Ryan Tedder’s extraordinary success -- as an in-demand hit songwriter, as a gifted record producer and, first and foremost, as the charismatic front man of the Grammy-nominated group OneRepublic-- is really no secret at all.
Rather, Tedder’s impressive recent track record of triumph on multiple fronts during an extremely tough time in the industry is the direct and result of one young man’s longstanding, unapologetic passion for spending his life making music, by any means necessary.
“From the beginning when I was in college, people would ask me what I wanted to do,” recalls Tedder during a rare break from the studio. “I would tell everybody who’d listen that all I wanted was to go into the music industry and become an artist, a writer and a producer, all these different things. Most people in life feel that they have to pick just one thing, and I’ve never been any good at that. I could never pick just one thing in anything. Seriously, I couldn’t pick one thing to order for dinner at a restaurant, so how on earth could I ever pick just one way to make music for my whole life?”
“Since I was three, music was more than the soundtrack to my life -- it was everything to me,” says Tedder who grew up in Oklahoma and later Colorado in a family of missionaries and musicians. “Music was like the brother I didn’t have. I’d walk around with a headset and earphones on at all times because I thought music added so much to life, like in a great movie where the perfect song meant so much at the right moment. For me, music always has -- and always will -- make everything else in life so much more interesting.”
Fortunately, for Tedder and for music fans everywhere, he has never had to choose simply one path. And while still in his twenties, Tedder’s dream is already coming true in a very big way. Beyond the tremendous and heartening success of his beloved OneRepublic, Tedder has simultaneously established himself as a musical force with which to reckoned in his own right. Already outside of his work with the group, Tedder has co-written one of the biggest hits in recent memory, “Bleeding Love,” (nominated for a Grammy as Record of the Year) became an international smash for Leona Lewis reaching 1 in over 30 countries. “Bleeding Love” broke the all time record as The Most Played Song in the history of the Top-40 radio format. Tedder now holds the 1 and 2 (OneRepublic’s “Apologize”) spots for the most played songs ever at Top-40 radio. “Bleeding Love” broke a record in the U.S. and the U.K. when the single entered the charts at 1 simultaneously in each country, a feat that was the first time ever for a female British artist. The song held the 1 position in the U.K. for 7 straight weeks and set the all time record for the fastest selling song in U.K. history reaching over 9 million copies worldwide.
Ryan also wrote and co-produced the 1 international hit “Halo” for Beyonce and the smash “Love Like This” for Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston. Tedder’s wrote and/or producing numerous other tracks for the likes of Jennifer Lopez (“Do It Well”), Kelly Clarkson (five collaborations on her 1 All I Ever Wanted album), and tracks for everyone from Chris Cornell to Ashley Tisdale to t.A.T.u to Paul Oakenfold (for which Tedder received a Grammy nomination) and James Morrison. Indeed, as the Sunday Times of London noted, “Tedder has become the go-to writer/producer for that elusive but essential radio hit.”
Tedder simultaneously had three 1 hits worldwide, with “Bleeding Love” (Leona Lewis) in the UK, “Apologize” (OneRepublic/Timbaland) in the U.S. and “Do It Well (featuring Ludacris)” (Jennifer Lopez) in Japan.
Ryan’s considerable musical range is a reflection of his many musical interests, and the inspiration of his early musical heroes that range from the Beatles to Peter Gabriel and U2, to hit tunesmith Diane Warren and the best songwriters of Nashville, where he made one important step in his early career. “I wouldn’t be here without all the greats who inspired me,” says Tedder. “They all taught me by example about the art of making music and the craft too. To me, writing for other people is more the craft of songwriting, and the songwriters in Nashville are among the most impressive in the world because they write so well for other voices. All I’m doing is applying some of that sense of real craft I learned in Nashville to the non-country world -- of really understanding what a hit song and why is it a hit song?” As Tedder explains, “I’m always trying to write a great song, and I’m obsessed with that marriage of a great song with a great artist. When that marriage happens, it is fantastic. And if I can help a great artist have another great moment in their career, what an amazing thrill and honor.”
Yet Tedder confesses he takes even greater pride --and even more chances -- as the lead singer, multi-instrumentalist and main writer with his own group One Republic, and he is currently happily recording the band’s second album along with bandmates Zack Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle and Eddie Fisher, and once again exploring the group’s approach of constantly switching instruments and exploring their own impressive musicality.
“My work with OneRepublic is more meaningful to me than anything, and I’m dedicated to doing whatever it takes to making us one of the biggest or most relevant bands in the world,” says Tedder. “We’re not there yet, but make no mistake that is my goal. I’m a competitive guy by nature, and my M.O. for anything I do is ..Go big or go home.’ Growing up, my dad always said that good is the enemy of great. I believe that. I have said it so many times to my band that they are now sick of it. But the truth is that deep down, I have no interest in good. I only have interest in great.”
With such drive, it’s perhaps little surprise that OneRepublic has become a unique success story in its own right -- a young band that had a massive global smash before they even had an album, thanks in part to the power of a great song, My Space and Timbaland too. “Apologize” – written, produced and performed by Tedder with OneRepublic -- first became a left-field hit when a remix of the song appeared on Timbaland Presents: Shock Value, a popular collection by the group’s slightly unlikely mentor who signed the group up after they were dropped by Sony before ever releasing a track.
Soon, “Apologize” would appear in its original version on Dreaming Out Loud, OneRepublic’s 2007 debut album released on Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group imprint that became a major hit and yielded another substantial hit in “Stop And Stare.” . Nominated for a Grammy Award, Best Pop Performance by a Duo of Group with Vocals, the 1 hit “Apologize” has also become the most downloaded track for the digital age selling over 10 million copies.
But when it comes to exploring his freedom to make music however he sees fit, Tedder is hardly one to apologize or stop and stare. “I couldn’t be more excited about what we’re doing in OneRepublic,” he says. “At the same time, it never even occurred to me that artists didn’t always write their own songs growing up. Then at 15, I found out that sometimes other people wrote for singers, and I immediately thought, what a great job that would be and I started exploring that too. I immediately started studying who were the greatest songwriters alive and what songs did they write. That opened a whole other world up to me. So now I’m the luckiest guy in the world, because I get to spend all my time doing the two best jobs in the entire world.”
Make no mistake, for Tedder, these are jobs he’s now doing not for money, but for the love of music. “At the risk of sounding ridiculous, money has never been the point for me, “ he explains. “It’s not meaningless, but it’s so low on the totem poll that it doesn’t really motivate what I do in terms of writing and producing. That allows me to write from a true place where it’s really all about the song. Other people like to play video games, or skydive; I love to write songs. On a Friday night, other than hanging out with my wife or maybe skiing, I’d rather be in the studio with a bunch of keyboards and a guitar writing a new song.”
With that, Ryan Tedder get right back to work to the studio, and back to where he belongs -- making music.
CURRENT WRITING/PRODUCTION PROJECTS: Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, Estelle, Tamar, Nikki Flores, OneRepublic, Westlife, Patriot Records.
hey ryan vous ete en ligne!!!je veut juste vous redire toute mon admiration!!!votre talent est immense .je souhaite une tres longue carriere a ONEREPUBLIC .je vous embrasse , prener soin de vous .big bisous
Hi Ryan, I love you so much! I see that you are online now. Please send me an e-mail or comment. It would make me the happiest woman alive! You are the greatest singer/songwriter/producer ever! Can't wait until Waking Up comes out of 11/17! I adore All the Right Moves. Can't wait to see you on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown this week-end. Please note that is what I mentioned on my mood and status. Hopefully you will be debuting your new song onto the countdown. I have been voting it my #1 choice ever since it's been on the countdown to vote for. A Big Fan, Mary
bonjour ryan .je vous souhaite une excelente semaine .prener soin de vous .j ai pre commander 'waking up' j ai hate de l avoir .prener soin de vous ,je vous embrasse .big bisous
Hey Ryan! Owh! I'm lucky!!! You're online! As every Monday, I wanna wish you a great week! On OneRepublic's MySpace it looks like it'll be your last busy week before the break! But I'm not sure about it, cuz you're always busy! hehe
I still can't believe, but yesterday Polish radio played "Secrets"! Unfortunately, I didn't hear it, but I think it's awesome that they play now both OneRepublic's new songs! I'll continue to harass them in order to play it more often.
Don't worry, I didn't get my cats from a pet store or an animal shelter. Mom found Prissy when she was taking out the trash, & we got Meanie from a neighbor.
aaah ryan we met once so long ago. i keep trying to come to your shows but it seems to always be when i can't go. plus these shows with rob thomas sold out so fast. oh well i won't give up! i still love you guys and i'm working in a music store agains (best buy this time) can't wait till the new CD drops. love ya stay well.
hey ryan i saw you on wed in toronto. I WAS BLOWN AWAY, there is NO DOUBT you are an amazing song writer & MAN DO YOU HAVE SOME WICKED PIPES!!!!!!!!!!!! you said it was your first show since losing your voice and im tellign you every note went through me!!!!!! you were amazing thanks for an awsome show. Cant wait to see you when your headlining. I AM HOOKED -A FAN FOR LIFE!!!
Dropping by to say that I hope everything is great ur way. I was wondering if the other songs that u wrote with Blake Lewis will ever be released. I am so wanting to hear She's Gonna Give In. The song title sounds really EXCELLENT! I know it was written in 2007 but I still would love to hear it. I can't wait 'til Nov. 17th. Keep up the great work, Ryan. Lots of Love, Melissa
Happy to know your voice got back to normal :) I loved the performances on MOD!! Just amazing! :) Thinking of seeing you live, maybe one day in my country?? :) Poland's waiting all the time, hope you'll visit us here :)
Online Now!
bonjour ryan .i wish a wonderful day.take care of you .i'm' always here for you and 1republic .big bisous
