Matthew Ryan

Friends & Listeners, 

Last Friday John Scalzi asked if I’d finish a song he’d started after his bout with Covid. 

I like John as a human, and he’s a hell of writer and novelist. The words were good and pure, almost desperate in their optimism for our lives, distances and intimacies beyond this year... So I tightened some bolts, found a melody & recorded a demo for him. 

I love it. It’s hot off the press as they say. So John and I are letting this feel of collaboration, warmth and friendship guide us. I believe the song is durable. Time will tell... So... 

In the spirit of this hopeful song in a hard year, we wanted to gift it to you. It’s FREE. No strings attached. A simple offering. 

It’s FREE right here until New Year’s Day 2021. Go listen and grab a copy: 

I can't wait to be in rooms with you and music again. In the meantime, love to you and yours. Have as beautiful a holiday season as possible.

Always, 

M. Ryan

Friends & Listeners, 

My new EP, Life Is Beautiful, is now available for you to hear as intended exclusively via my Bandcamp page. It was released exactly at sunset today here in the central US time zone, 4:33 pm. 

Just a bit before releasing I took a drive to listen for the last time while these songs were just mine. Mine and the beautiful gang that shared their talents to it. It’s always such a beautiful experience as music starts its own life with others. 

Thank you for welcoming this music. 

I wrote these songs over the summer, they’re the first I’ve written on piano from fleck and spark to the final syllable. I don’t how you’ll receive them, I can only hope they become good companions for you. I hope they do. 

This process... Learning piano in a little more detail, going into the room every morning and playing... Sometimes at night.... Not judging the technical aspects or the demands of public music... Just writing what felt natural and important to me, that filled a need. 

Tone poems. In music and words and feel. 

It made my summer a little more beautiful during such a hard time. Always trying to understand. Always hoping a melody can communicate the hope and resilience underneath. 

It’s humble but beautiful to get to share this with you. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you here in the states. And here’s to all the beauty ahead for all of us everywhere if we take more seriously and sacred the value of each of us going forward. We’re capable of so much... 

Beauty. 

Here’s where you can find the music if you’d like to listen (it releases everywhere else online on December 4th) : 

Matthew Ryan - Life Is Beautiful

Always, 
M. Ryan

Friends & Listeners, 

I hope this message finds you and yours doing well, staying well, and insisting on the rituals and work of hopefulness. Over the summer I spent much of my time exploring and trying to understand the piano better. I played and practiced every day. And while I won't suggest anything near virtuoso, I found a certain tone and feel available to me. So I leaned into it and honed my sense of feel. It felt like I found switches that lit certain constellations at night. I'm grateful some songs arrived. We all have so much on our minds and hearts lately. I found a place to converse with this hard time in these songs. As always, my intent was to find sense, feel and hope. In early October I safely went into the studio to record them. Some friends helped me widen their beauty and minimalism. I'm so grateful to be able to share them with you. 

Life Is Beautiful is the name of this collection. It's 3 songs, it runs 17 minutes total. 

It's available for Pre-Order right now, click the cover art below or go right here: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

Upon pre-ordering Life Is Beautiful you immediately get "Untitled Verses for Distances".

The EP will release exclusively via Bandcamp on Wednesday, November 25th. Everywhere else online on December 4th. 

Always,

M. Ryan

Friend's,

We recently performed live on Jesse Malin's livestream, The Fine Art of Self Distancing. You can now enjoy our performance via Youtube or just below. Don't forget our new EP, A Short Film for a Long Story, is now available for purchase on BANDCAMP (we appreciate when you purchase directly form us), and here's a LINK to all the other places online where you can find the collection.

Friends & Listeners,

I spent the last handful of months at the piano. As always, it was songs I was hoping for. I found 3 of them. They’re trying to understand this moment we’re all in (maybe this moment we’re always in). This is my way of being there with you. We just finished them. I will release this music very soon. I hope you’ll keep your eyes and ears open. The collection is called “Life Is Beautiful.” It’s 17 minutes long. They’re essentially poems and stories set to minimalist tone poems of piano and some friends that contributed their wild and beautiful talents. The photo was generously allowed for use and taken by my friend Jack Spencer. More very soon. But I wanted to let you know. 

Always.