Ryann has no fear when it comes to writing about the darker side of the human condition
Norfolk, Virginia-based, multi-instrumentalist, indie rock musician Ivy Ryann is set to release her new album, A Nonaggressive Extreme Violation of Boundaries, on March 4, 2022. Ryann is poised to blow the doors open on what is deemed acceptable or taboo material through her new, highly anticipated debut album, which was recorded in Nashville and produced by Rich Mossman. The first single, the gorgeously contemplative “The Best I Can,” was released on February 18, 2022 and premiered earlier that week at Independent Clauses, who wrote that the song is “…a bold, fearless indie rock track that explores unique sonic spaces, a la Phoebe Bridgers or Soccer Mommy… like someone trying to soundtrack heartache and pain… It’s a powerful, unusual, remarkable track that struck me and then stuck with me. If you experience mental health concerns or love someone who does, this one will resonate.”
Heavily influenced by artists such as Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Brandi Carlile, Ryann’s music invokes powerful emotion, taking listeners on a journey to their inner depths. Her stories are reinforced with haunting melodies, sweet sounds of piano, and sultry wails of electric guitar. Ryann has no fear when it comes to writing about religion, family, the heaviness of mental illness and survival, and the darker side of the human condition. She is passionate about the vulnerability that comes from living an honest life, and her music reflects those values.
“I’ve always felt like writing music left me exposed and vulnerable, but I’ve learned to embrace those feelings as something to be proud of and something I can gift to others,” says Ryann. “We are all struggling or have felt the things I am writing about at one time or another. I’m just saying it out loud. I used to hold back on lines like, ‘It’s every time I didn’t wear a seatbelt and secretly hoped for the worst,’” says Ryann. “But I’d venture to say there are a lot of people that have had similar experiences within themselves and could use some honesty.”
Joining Ryann and Mossman (who also played drums and bass on many of the tracks) in the studio for the album were a number of people in Ryann’s musical circle or former tourmates. Matthew Clickenbeard played electric guitar on most of the songs, Nicole Tester contributed backing vocals, Jonathan Hunts of the band The Hunts played accordion for one of the tracks on the record, and Jake Clayton (strings director for Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker) played violin, cello, and viola on a song.
Having grown up in back-country Virginia, Ryann’s exposure to music was limited to popular tastes of the day – from Def Leppard and Van Halen to Reba McEntire and Martina McBride. But when Ryann discovered Brandi Carlile at the age of 11, her entire world changed as she was introduced to a much broader scope of music and encouraged to develop the art on her own. And it came in the nick of time. Battling severe depression starting in her teens, her musical reconnaissance became the springboard from which Ryann was handed her lifeline, her means of escape. She picked up a guitar and started expressing herself through her own experiences. “It wasn’t a hobby anymore,” Ryann says. “It was my lifeline. My safest place was in the lyrics of people like Brandi Carlile or alone in my room at my keyboard or with my guitar. Music became a way of life rather than an interest, and a coping skill rather than a hobby.”
Ryann’s performing career began as a teenager in coffee shops and small venues. Covers of her favorite artists were her repertoire of choice, but with growing confidence she began playing her own tunes to rave reviews. She felt a deep connection to the community she was engaging with, and a newly empowered Ryann took her passion on the road, touring and connecting with listeners through small house shows and organizations like Sofar sounds.
Coming from fundamental Christian roots, Ryann longed for a connection she now takes charge of through her art. “I want my music to be what I felt the church should have been for me – a sanctuary with no judgment,” she says. With that mentality, she is a radical advocate of solidarity and community through song. For Ryann, music is her safe space, and she welcomes all to experience it with no holds barred. “I want this project to be the experience that I was looking for for the majority of my life,” she says. “I had to create it for myself, but if I could just hand that gift to someone else in the form of music, I will consider it a mission complete.”
Ryann has no shows scheduled yet, but she is planning to tour and is in the midst of determining tour routing for 2022. Please check her website and social media for updates.
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Source: Press Release