Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan

Patrick Ryan is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist associated with an upbeat sound that blends reggae, rock and Afro-Caribbean influences. He is based in New York and is described as having a Midwestern upbringing.

Style and instrumentation

Ryan performs guitar and vocals, and also plays bass, keyboards and programming. His music is described as drawing on reggae, rock power chords, 1980s pop synthesizer sounds and DJ scratching. He also uses his voice to imitate the ocean and sea breezes, and his songs often carry messages of harmony with the self and the wider world.

Recordings and recognition

His track “Paradise” appears on a RELIX magazine CD sampler alongside artists including Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Frank Zappa, the Disco Biscuits and Keller Williams. He is also associated with the release Knowledge on 8Earth.

Themes

Ryan’s lyrics address social conscience and include criticism of marijuana laws and the criminalisation of medicine. His work is generally described as smooth, hook-driven and not easily confined to a single genre label.