We remember the first time we hear Ryan Macgrath's music. At an industry showcase like Canada Music Week, serenading newfound fans on a train bound westward, even surrounded by the background hum of a cafe crowd, his songs reach out and draw us in to places and moments of love and loss and change and travel and triumph. His words paint not only pictures, but textures and moods.
Ryan Macgrath is an unconventional study in contrasts. His rural roots anchor a musical and personal style that is opulent, but never ostentatious. He possesses an authentic, old-school glamour that is as rare as it is refreshing. His music reminds us that, though life is seldom simple, there is beauty in the complexity, in the journey, in the telling. Through his songs, he is himself and everyone. He is a lover - both scorned and adored. He is sometimes a diva, occasionally a desperado. He is that friend whose words help us wade through the tough times ... and frolic in moments of fun.
Whether sharing the stage with stellar musical colleagues like Buck 65, Matt Mays and Gentleman Reg, amazing an audience in front of a full band complete with barbershop quartet or quietly captivating the room with a haunting solo set, Ryan never demands but rather powerfully elicits admiration. After receiving national press, praise and two 2009 Nova Scotia Music Award nominations for his ep In My Own Company, Ryan is currently collaborating with prolific producer Jason Michael MacIsaac (Jenn Grant, Brent Randall, The Heavy Blinkers) on his debut full-length album slated for release in early 2010.
As his voice soars and crescendos and we are transported to landscapes of truth and tragedy, melancholy and mirth, we may not know what to expect, but having heard him, we know enough to listen for songs that are both larger than life portraits, and exquisitely melodic miniatures.
Ryan MacGrath: memorable magic.
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Oh soo happy to see how great your doing. It's been 7 years since I was in Canada. I'm looking forward to spending alot of time there some year in the future. I lost contact with Claudia last year when she and Andrew moved. I reallly haven't heard your music just seen your art. Many blessings. Mahan Kirn xoxo
Hey Ryan! - really liking your sound - you've got an amazing voice - and i love the tunes! hopin to catch your show at the tribeca on the 29th! all the best- cheers!
Thanks for the comment Ryan. I was actually speaking to Don yesterday and he mentioned your upcoming tour, so the wheels are already in motion! Let me know as soon as you have a desired Toronto date and we can use that as a start point.
