Ryan Kinder Archives

Ryan Kinder: ‘Room to Dream’ – Album Review

July 30, 2021/in Blog, First Impression, New Music, News /by Nicole Piering

Ryan Kinder’s first independent release Room to Dream is out today, July 30, on all streaming platforms. Featuring ten new tracks, nine of which he co-wrote, check out the full project here.

With a beautifully weathered voice that drips of a life well-lived, Ryan Kinder lends his soulful sound to Room to Dream, his new album out today, July 30. Featuring ten new tracks, the independent release reveals Kinder at his most authentic to date. “I had a lot of time to figure out what I wanted to do after a certain time in my life, and all these songs came together with different aspects of who I was when I wrote them,” he reveals in a statement. “It was a beautiful realization that some of the bad things and not-so-fun situations led to the opportunity for me to have the room to dream, and to really be myself.”

The album opens with “Something,” the only new track not co-written by Kinder. Written by Jon Green, Dave Barnes, and Laura Veltz, the song is a slow burn of a midtempo reflecting a similar slow-burning friendship that just might be something more. The couple finds themselves at a pivotal point in their relationship between staying just friends or exploring more than that, as Kinder asks “How long can we go on saying it’s nothing? // Maybe it’s something.”

Kinder explores similar themes on “Friends” and “Nothing But Time.” On the latter, co-written by Luke Sheets and Paul DiGiovanni, he sings of a relationship that has already crossed the line, while the pair claims to be just friends. “Friends don’t look at their friends the way you’re looking at me right now,” he sings. “Friends don’t do with their friends things I wanna do right now.”

Meanwhile, on “Nothing But Time,” the album’s sparsely gorgeous final track, his voice aches with the longing to be with someone, accompanied beautifully by background vocals from Brittany Kennel. In a stirring twist, the song ends purely a capella, closing the album with nothing but Kinder’s beautifully haunting voice as he sings “We’ve got nothing but time.”

On “Hell Is,” Kinder explores the darker side of a relationship that he admits was inspired by a locker room conversation. The singer-songwriter said he began taking notes in that very YMCA, bringing them to a writing session with Clare Dunn and Kevin Bard that evolved into this track. Here, they explore the end of a relationship, admitting that “hell is anywhere without you.”

He explores a similar subject on “Blame,” one of the album’s heaviest tracks, on which Kinder channels his inner Eric Church. Full of driving guitars and a hand-clapping, stomping beat, the song is an immediate standout on the album. “Southbound” also has a similar sound, preventing the album from slumping in the middle as he sings of the joy of returning home after being gone for too long.

“Jane” was co-written by Kinder and Nashville heavyweights Ross Copperman and Josh Osborne, and might be the most country-leaning song on the album with its twangy guitar picking. The song puts a clever spin on the idea of a “plain Jane,” as he sings, “there’s nothing plain about Jane,” musing that he can’t believe her parents even named her that.

While the majority of songs here are about relationships, Kinder also sings about his career on “Want” and the album’s title track. With “Want,” he reveals that it was written during a dark time, where he’d be signed and then record labels would try to change him. “I was feeling disillusioned about being a signed artist. I’d been through multiple record deals. Every time I’d get signed and they’d say ‘we love what you’re doing,’” he reveals. “Then, as soon as I’d sign the papers, they begin this slow process of trying to make me into something different. It was unbelievably frustrating.”

Meanwhile, “Room to Dream” was inspired by a Bruce Springsteen documentary that both he and co-writer Jonathan Singleton watched. Inspired by Springsteen’s one-line tidbits of knowledge, the pair explored the idea of hitting the open road and finding space to just dream. “My favorite line I had was ‘Every wish has got a star to hang on,’” Kinder says. “It embodied the new chapter of my career. It said really simply…keep chasing. There’s room for you out there. There’s room to be you. There’s room to dream.”

There is definitely room for Kinder to be himself, evidenced beautifully on “Room to Dream.” While he may no longer be a signed artist, the singer-songwriter is chasing his dream in a way that’s authentic and true, and the proof is in the music.

Room To Dream Tracklist:

Something – Jon Green, Dave Barnes, Laura Veltz
Hell Is – Ryan Kinder, Kevin Bard, Clare Dunn
Room To Dream – Ryan Kinder, Jonathan Singleton
Tangled Up – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Fred Wilhelm
Blame – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Fred Wilhelm
Southbound – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Fred Wilhelm
Want – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Fred Wilhelm,
Friends – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Paul DiGiovanni
Jane – Ryan Kinder, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne
Nothing But Time – Ryan Kinder, Luke Sheets, Renee Meyers

Our Picks:

“Blame”
“Nothing But Time”
“Jane”

Ryan Kinder’s new album ‘Room To Dream’ is available now.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Ryan Kinder announcements and releases.

To keep up with Ryan Kinder, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Room to Dream is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Ryan Kinder Collaborates with Brandy Clark & Jerry Douglas on “Tired of Flying”

January 29, 2021/in Blog, New Music, News /by Caleigh DeCaprio

Ryan Kinder’s new song “Tired of Flying” is available now, January 29th everywhere you listen to music. The track features eight-time GRAMMY Nominee Brandy Clark and fourteen-time GRAMMY Winner Jerry Douglas and is the second song released off of his upcoming duets album, Ontology. Take a look below as we dig a litter deeper into the new music.

“Tired of Flying” follows the forthcoming album’s first release, “Doing Fine” featuring Sykamore. Upon the track’s release, Kinder says Brandy Clark was the second person he met after coming to music city over ten years ago, and this is their first collaboration together. They’ve written together, toured together, and now will have this song together.

Kinder penned the track seven years ago and says that it has always been special to him. After hearing an old demo, it was the excitement of Clark and Douglas that made him decide it was time to put it out into the world. He shares that “Brandy’s voice, much like Jerry’s playing, makes you believe every note that is being sung and played. Their honesty within their craft made this song exceed every expectation I had for it.”

“Tired of Flying” uses a metaphor of a sparrow flying and someone trying to just make it through a day. It opens on them pouring the rest of the wine down the sink because it’s just not helping, as they can’t stop thinking and their wheels spinning. The sadness portrayed is palpable, a true country song with lyrics that pull you through from note to note. You can’t help but wonder if you’ll ever know how to escape it all, or will it just be one of those things that never goes away.

“As I look out the window / I wonder where the sparrow goes to find shelter from the storm / does that blue-gray sky get tired of crying (does the sun wish it could just start shining) / does that lonely bird get tired of flying”

Kinder’s rugged vocals coupled with Clark’s beautiful pitch on top of Douglas’ playing let us know that this was the perfect combo to bring this song to life.

Ryan Kinder’s New Song “Tired Of Flying” is Available Everywhere Now, January 29th

Kinder has toured with John Fogerty/ZZ Top, Zac Brown Band, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Nettles, and more. He was also named one of our “Artists to Watch back in 2018”.

Brandy Clark has released three studio albums and her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Jennifer Nettles, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, and many others.

Douglas has worked as both a writer and recording artist with Garth Brooks, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Phish, Paul Simon, Mumford & Sons, James Taylor, Keb’ Mo’, Elvis Costello, and many others. He is a three-time recipient of the CMA’s “Musician of the Year award”.

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Ryan Kinder releases.

To keep up with Ryan Kinder, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Tired of Flying” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Exploring Ryan Kinder’s “Stay” With The Opry’s ‘The Write Stuff’

May 9, 2019/in Blog /by Erica Zisman

Last month we introduced you to the new Opry video series, ‘The Write Stuff,’ where Opry Entertainment dives deeper into the stories behind the songwriting. Just last week, singer-songwriter, Ryan Kinder’s song “Stay” was the topic of discussion for a new episode of the mini-series.

The song was was co-written by Kinder, a NYCountry Swag 2018 Artist to Watch, with fellow songwriters, Fred Wilhelm, and Luke Sheets. Originally inspired by the power of Paul McCartney’s vocals, the trio created the epic song to match the delivery of a McCartney song. Wilhelm and Sheets shared that they knew that wanted to mimic that delivery with an artist in Nashville that could convey the same feelings, which led them to Kinder, who eventually went on to not only co-wrote the track, but later release it as his single back in 2018.

Kinder shared the real story about how the melody was created, while he was going to the bathroom, laughing, sharing, “I remember going to the bathroom, where all good idea comes from. And I started singing this melody…”

The gritty, romantic, and bluesy love song was created to convey the simple message of longing and aching for love or a lover. The men achieved that message through the heartfelt vocals, long- dragging notes, and the epic guitar solo. “The line that is the centerpiece of the song to me is “I know that I just can’t be alone right now,” that was kind of the idea and the sentiment we were trying to get across,” explained Wilhelm.

Sheets went on to share that Kinder playing guitar on the track added to it, “You speak more through the guitar than a lot of artists do. We played the solo over 120 times.” Each agreed that the song was an easy one to write and that the pieces came together pretty effortlessly.

Check out the video below to see the men further explain the songwriting process and clips of Kinder performing the song in the famed circle of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

To keep up with Kinder, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

NYCS 2018 Artist to Watch Where Are They Now: Ryan Kinder

November 6, 2018/in Blog /by Molly Holmberg

Here at New York Country Swag, we pride ourselves on being tastemakers, finding and championing new and up-and-coming artists and introducing our followers to the best of the best of the rising acts. Back in January of this year we named the 10 artists below in our “Artists to Watch in 2018” and we are proud to say, we know rising talent before they make it big. Someone to add to your watchlist is Ryan Kinder.

Ryan grew up the youngest of three in Birmingham, Alabama. By age 15, he was playing everywhere he could — at church, school, or even bars, where his father had to chaperone. In 2011, Ryan made his way to Nashville after an EF4 tornado ripped across Tuscaloosa, AL and the University of Alabama neighborhood where he lived. The traumatizing event convinced him that “life’s too short” and that he needed to go all in to chase his dream. Not long after arriving in Music City that Kinder was signed to his first publishing and major record deal. As a seasoned performer, Kinder has toured with country superstars like Zac Brown Band, Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker, Brett Eldredge, Ashley McBryde, and more getting massive exposure to fans and attention to his music. Because of this, his fan base is racking up new followers like crazy. Although it was not until this past year that Kinder has been seen by all country music fans as he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

Ryan’s musical style is uniquely his own, mixed with elements of southern-roots, rock, and blues, which he describes as “riff-roaring rock, with a side of sweet Southern soul.” His songs “Close,” “Tonight,” “Alabama” and “Still Believe In Crazy Love” have become fan favorites and accumulated more than 50 million on-demand streams across the globe. Kinder just finished his tour, alongside Drake White, in the UK that proved to be highly successful. He travels across the pond quite often and never ceases to be amazed at the fan base he has grown there. From sold out shows to screaming fans, Kinder’s success is reaching far beyond the United States. He has performed in 2018 for the UK’s Country Music Week and C2C Road Show Tour. If you think that is impressive, he has also performed all across Europe, including a sold-out performance in July at London’s Hyde Park featuring Eric Clapton, Santana, and Gary Clark Jr.

The singer-songwriter wrapped up his own headlining tour across the country stopping at 14 different cities. He has been praised for leaving his heart and soul out on the stage, hoping that fans appreciate his dedication. “It’s incredible how the fans know all the songs so well now,” says Kinder in a recent press release. “I end each set with ‘Still Believe In Crazy Love’ and I don’t even have to sing the last chorus as everyone just sings it back to me. That’s the biggest form of appreciation an artist can get.”

Kinder’s new EP “The Road” is set to release in 2019 although fans have gotten a look into three songs that will be featured on the album. One of the most anticipated songs “Stay” already has over a million streams and a brand new lyric video for it as well. The song delivers an emotional message with Kinder’s skilled vocals and high-impact guitar solos.

His newest song, “Leap of Faith”, features his signature guitar licks and characterized lyrics. Realizing that nothing is for certain, you just have to take the leap of faith. If you have not listened to his music yet, you need to because Ryan Kinder is a name you will not forget after hearing to his captivating vocals and insightful lyrics.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

NYCountry Swag’s 2018 Artists to Watch

January 2, 2018/in Blog, New Music /by Stephanie Wagner and Christina Bosch

The New York Country Swag team loves to discover new artists that are releasing great music and share our favorite songs with New York country fans. Here is a list of 10 rising country artists we think you should look our for in the new year. —

Ryan Griffin – Releasing his debut EP, Sake of the Summer back in March, the first single “Back Seats & Burnt CDs” hits you with just the right amount of nostalgia. Fans of Thomas Rhett and Dan & Shay will love this newcomer. P.S. he also co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s number 1 hit, “Dibs”.

Listen: Back Seats & Burnt CDs
Stay Connected: @RyanGriffinLive

Brandon Lay – Brandon Lay’s debut single packs a punch of small-town living and growing up. Fans can look forward to a full-length EP in the new year and can catch him as an opening act for Kenny Chesney’s, “Trip Around the Sun” Tour in 2018.

Listen: Speakers, Bleachers & Preachers
Stay Connected: @BrandonLayMusic

Jordan Davis – Fans of Thomas Rhett and for more of a contemporary country sound will love Jordan Davis. Just wrapping up his opening slot on Kip Moore’s, “Plead the Fifth” Tour, Davis is currently working on his debut full-length album for Universal Music Group Nashville.

Listen: Singles You Up
Stay Connected: @JordanDavisOfficial

Jillian Jacqueline – Continuing to change the game for women in the country genre, Jacqueline released her debut EP, Side A, featuring six new tracks along with three acoustic versions of her singles. Fans of Maren Morris and Cam will relate to the singer’s honest approach to songwriting and compelling storytelling.

Listen: God Bless This Mess
Stay Connected: @JillianJacqueline

Adam Doleac – With a grit-filled, blues-inspired vocal, Doleac’s debut EP released earlier this year features all kinds of love songs. The first single on the project “Whiskey’s Fine” earned him a spot on Sirius XM’s Highway Finds Tour and since then the nationwide stations have played “Some Girls” and “Everybody Needs Somebody”. Doleac even stopped by Refinery Rooftop for Swag Sessions with us back in October.

Listen: Whiskey’s Fine
Stay Connected: @AdamDoleac

Ryan Kinder – Blending R&B and country to make his own unique sound, Ryan Kinder released the powerful “Still Believe In Crazy Love” earlier this year which has racked up over 2 million streams on Spotify. Read more about the artist in our review of his first NYC show here.

Listen: Still Believe In Crazy Love
Stay Connected: @RyanKinder

Jimmie Allen – With a larger than life personality and catchy songs, Broken Bow recording artist, Jimmie Allen is sure to have a big 2018. During a recent trip to NYC, Allen joined New York Country Swag for a Swag Session to tell us about the trials and tribulations he overcame to follow his dreams.

Listen: Blue Jean Baby
Stay Connected: @JimmieAllen

Danielle Bradbery – Reinviting herself in 2017, Danielle Bradbery released her sophomore album, I Don’t Believe We’ve Met which showcases the young singer’s beautiful vocals and songwriting skills. Check out her next single, “Worth It” which features a powerful message for women of all ages.

Listen: Worth It
Stay Connected: @DanielleBradbery

Cale Dodds – Rising artist, Cale Dodds has racked up over 8 million streams with his break out single, “People Watching”. Fans of Dustin Lynch and Ryan Hurd will definitely dig Dodds’ vibes.

Listen: People Watching
Stay Connected: @CaleDodds

Morgan Evans – Our final ‘Artist to Watch’ in 2018, Morgan Evans hails from Austraila, just married country superstar Kelsea Ballerini and has his first single on country radio. “Kiss Somebody” is infectious and watching Evans’ live show will mesmerize fans, he uses a peddle loop to play each of the instruments and acts as his own backup band.

Listen: Kiss Somebody
Stay Connected: @MorganEvansMusic

Like what you hear? Give a follow to our 2018 Artists to Watch List here.

—————————-

Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Ryan Kinder Grooves at His First NYC Show at Mercury Lounge

December 13, 2017/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

Ryan Kinder, Warner Music Nashville recording artist played his first official full band show in New York City Tuesday night. Kinder took the stage at Mercury Lounge in lower Manhattan to perform his music for a full room of fans.

His 60-minute set included a rockin’ song called “Alabama”, a heavenly cover of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” and of course his latest single “Still Believe in Crazy Love” which Kinder then led the crowd in a full-blown sing-a-long of the last chorus. For fans who have been following his career, he played his debut single from 2014, “Kiss Me When I’m Down” which quotes New York in the lyrics. (“And now I’m flying high / Just crossed over the New York lights / Where are you tonight? / Am I too late to make this right? / Will you hold me, touch me / Say that you forgive me / Save me when I hit the ground / Will you kiss me when I’m down?”)

His smooth vocals along with his undeniable guitar playing make Kinder a definite one to watch for the new year. His sound is unique, taking the best parts of country music songwriting and sonically mashing that with John Mayer, rootsy vibes. Kinder was also joined on stage by two incredible background vocalists, Kristen Rogers and Stephcynie who enhanced each song with sass and powerful harmonies.

When we sat down with Kinder in September, he told us that his debut full-length album is definitely in the works. “We don’t have a date. I’m taking my time on it because I want to get it right,” he explained. Looking forward to the new year and new music, be sure to follow Kinder on social media, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

—————————————–

Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Ryan Kinder Chats After Circle in the City Set in Bryant Park

September 19, 2017/in Blog, Interviews /by Christina Bosch

As the summer comes to a close, Circle in the City presented by NASH FM 94.7 in partnership with Southwest Airlines held its final event of the season, Friday night featuring Ryan Kinder. He took to the mini Opry circle to sing a few new songs and his latest single “Still Believe in Crazy Love”. As the sun set, Kinder attracted a crowd around the Southwest Porch in the corner of Bryant Park with his powerful voice. Kinder had two backup singers join him for the evening and the beauty of the three voices harmonizing made for an extremely special night.

Sitting down with the Alabama native, he recalled the first moment he heard “Still Believe in Crazy Love”. “I had one night home and we flew in to play for XM in Nashville, I was so tired and Nick my manager asked me to come to this writing round. I was exhausted, but he said ‘just come with me,’ so I did,” he explains. “The first song that Jerry Flowers came out to play was “Still Believe In Crazy Love” and I just woke up….I was so delirious I didn’t care, I walked up to the stage and said: “Don’t you let a single person hear this song, you send it to me, I’m cutting it.”

Kinder was once told, “Never ever cut an outside song unless you are really pissed off you didn’t write it.” With “Still Believe In Crazy Love,” he felt such a passion for this song that he knew he had to cut it himself. Written by Jerry Flowers and the late great, Andrew Dorff, the lyrics are universal while still remain unique to each listener. Dorff’s father makes an appearance in the emotional video for the song, which Billboard.com premiered today, along with the most important people in Kinder’s life.

‘Crazy Love’ is the first off his forthcoming debut album, which Kinder says is definitely in the works. “We don’t have a date. I’m taking my time on it, because I want to get it right,” he explains. He tells us the new project will be more southern and rootsy than his past endeavors.

When we asked about his opportunity to play as a part of the Circle in the City series, Kinder could not hide his smile. “It was unbelievable, The Opry is so cool because they are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, they are so kind and the Opry doesn’t really chain themselves to country even though it is the bedrock of everything that is country…” he tells us “The Opry understands the true meaning of a music lover and they don’t care if the radio plays them or not, they care about the genuine nature of music and that’s really all they care about.”

For reviews of other Circle in the City events check out Opry Circle in the City with Michael Ray and Morgan Evans.

—————————-

Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!
+ Shop the Store for your favorite Country Swag & Tag us to be featured. #nycountryswag

Join the Weekly Round-Up for upcoming event reminders, ticket giveaways and more!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Tag Archive for: Ryan Kinder