The Song for a Hard Year Maxi-Single Is Now Available! 

Good morning... 

Hope this message finds you and yours doing well. I'm happy to announce a couple new songs are ready to be shared with you. When you're ready The Song for a Hard Year Maxi-Single is now live and waiting for you to give it a listen. I'm a firm believer in the greatest possible first experience with a song, so please listen when you're ready via some good headphones or in your car, or some proper speakers. A good song can survive an iPhone speaker, but apparently most bass guitars can't.  

Before I go on too long here, I want to thank my dear friend Doug Lancio for his absolutely beautiful and otherworldly slide resonator guitar playing on these songs. That fella has got a wild and true talent. Proud to call him a friend and longtime collaborator. 

The Song for a Hard Year Maxi-Single has 3 songs. 2 new ones, Song for a Hard Year and Swim Like You're on Fire. And a surprise recording of an earlier song that's been walking with me quite a bit lately. 

Below is the cover art for the single. A keen eye in the morning will immediately notice The Pines at Night. That is the "name" I'll be releasing music under for the near future, possibly longer. I explained in my previous email my thoughts on this but the short of it is that I wanted a change that welcomed the collaborative nature of my work with all my friends that give so much of themselves. And obviously, The Pines at Night means something to me, it pretty much describes where I've been... I love that it's conceptual. 

Purchases of The Song for a Hard Year Maxi-Single will go towards the budget for a new album that I'm hoping to make soon. The songs on this maxi-single will NOT be on the forthcoming collection. So if you're moved and compelled to buy the music please let me thank you in advance. 

I hope these songs become good companions for you. 

Always, 

M. Ryan 

PS the 320 sized MP3s sound wonderful (Just a suggestion when Bandcamp  asks you what type of music file you want to download). And for Bandcamp instructions as to how to get your downloaded music into iTunes or Windows Media Player go HERE.

Life Is Beautiful Is Now Available To Listen & Purchase! 

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

 

 

Life Is Beautiful Is Now Available For PRE-ORDER! 

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

Coming very soon! A new collection called "Life Is Beautiful". Cover art & some details below... 

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.