A multi-instrumentalist based in Austin, Texas, and a songwriter at heart, Ryan Young creates music that is heavily rooted in blues-inspired melodies with a familiar, vibrant diversity -- much like Austin itself. His sound, a unique blend of rock, country, and funk, has been described as "tastefully diverse". Imagine Led Zeppelin and the Meters hanging out at Willie Nelson's barbecue and you'll have a good sense of Ryan's direction.
White Citrus, the second studio LP from Ryan Young, is an eclectic collection of ten songs ranging from greasy Southern rock to front porch Americana. The album is Ryan's follow-up to 2006's well-received debut LP, Seven Suburban Spirituals. Recorded in Ryan's own Suite 2E studio, the album swings, twangs, grooves, and rocks. Sometimes all in the same song.
"I wanted to make a guitar album. Something that wasn't over the top in terms of technique or showmanship, but more of a return to just really good playing. I'm a guitarist by trade and I feel like there's quite a void in popular music for guitar-oriented songs. Plus, I got to work with two of my absolute favorite players in Scott Clark and Daniel Sproul!" - Ryan Young, on the driving force behind White Citrus.
However focused Ryan was on the guitar, he never lost sight of the most important thing - the song. "I firmly believe that a good song always wins. I always try to start with a song on just an acoustic guitar. Can it stand alone completely naked - just guitar and vocal? If it can't, then something's wrong." White Citrus is ten individual songs, each with their own style and identity, that somehow form a whole which is truly representative of Ryan's sound. It's unique, just like him. From the coming-of-age tale in "By The Neon Lights" to the strained populism of "Dollar Bills", nothing is off-limits to Ryan. "My musical tastes are all over the place, so it only seems right that my music would be as well. I love mixing styles, and especially ones that may not be familiar together. That's usually when the interesting things start happening."
Before moving to Austin, Ryan gained experience playing in the Dallas, Louisiana, and Colorado music scenes. He has shared the stage with such national acts as Galactic, Vernon Reid (Living Colour) and Rose Hill Drive. A true DIY artist in practice and spirit, Ryan booked himself on a midwest/Colorado tour in 2006 culminating in an appearance at Diversafest in Tulsa, OK, where he was selected as a showcasing artist and chosen to lend a track to the festival compilation cd. A versatile artist, Ryan can perform in just about any setting - solo, duo, or full band - and has performed at such venerable Austin venues as Antone's, Stubb's, Threadgill's, and the Saxon Pub.
For the latter part of 2008, Ryan was performing solo in many of the hippest coffeshops around Austin. The majority of 2009 was spent in the studio, with Ryan seeing White Citrus through to completion, as well as producing sessions for a broad range of Texas artists, playing many private events, and even performing weekly at an evening church service. It's not uncommon for Ryan to record some screaming lead guitar, croon a few Willie Nelson tunes, and perform a Bach piece all in the same weekend!
"Crickets In The Soap", a track from Ryan Young's debut full-length Seven Suburban Spirituals, appears in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Pocket PC Edition). Distributed by Aspyr Media, the game lets players take on the role of legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and other professional skateboarders.
Currently, Ryan is preparing to hit the road to promote White Citrus, with a tour set for Spring 2010 as well as shows in Austin and throughout Texas.
Please visit www.ryanyoungmusic.com for more information
White Citrus, the second studio LP from Ryan Young, is an eclectic collection of ten songs ranging from greasy Southern rock to front porch Americana. The album is Ryan's follow-up to 2006's well-received debut LP, Seven Suburban Spirituals. Recorded in Ryan's own Suite 2E studio, the album swings, twangs, grooves, and rocks. Sometimes all in the same song.
"I wanted to make a guitar album. Something that wasn't over the top in terms of technique or showmanship, but more of a return to just really good playing. I'm a guitarist by trade and I feel like there's quite a void in popular music for guitar-oriented songs. Plus, I got to work with two of my absolute favorite players in Scott Clark and Daniel Sproul!" - Ryan Young, on the driving force behind White Citrus.
However focused Ryan was on the guitar, he never lost sight of the most important thing - the song. "I firmly believe that a good song always wins. I always try to start with a song on just an acoustic guitar. Can it stand alone completely naked - just guitar and vocal? If it can't, then something's wrong." White Citrus is ten individual songs, each with their own style and identity, that somehow form a whole which is truly representative of Ryan's sound. It's unique, just like him. From the coming-of-age tale in "By The Neon Lights" to the strained populism of "Dollar Bills", nothing is off-limits to Ryan. "My musical tastes are all over the place, so it only seems right that my music would be as well. I love mixing styles, and especially ones that may not be familiar together. That's usually when the interesting things start happening."
Before moving to Austin, Ryan gained experience playing in the Dallas, Louisiana, and Colorado music scenes. He has shared the stage with such national acts as Galactic, Vernon Reid (Living Colour) and Rose Hill Drive. A true DIY artist in practice and spirit, Ryan booked himself on a midwest/Colorado tour in 2006 culminating in an appearance at Diversafest in Tulsa, OK, where he was selected as a showcasing artist and chosen to lend a track to the festival compilation cd. A versatile artist, Ryan can perform in just about any setting - solo, duo, or full band - and has performed at such venerable Austin venues as Antone's, Stubb's, Threadgill's, and the Saxon Pub.
For the latter part of 2008, Ryan was performing solo in many of the hippest coffeshops around Austin. The majority of 2009 was spent in the studio, with Ryan seeing White Citrus through to completion, as well as producing sessions for a broad range of Texas artists, playing many private events, and even performing weekly at an evening church service. It's not uncommon for Ryan to record some screaming lead guitar, croon a few Willie Nelson tunes, and perform a Bach piece all in the same weekend!
"Crickets In The Soap", a track from Ryan Young's debut full-length Seven Suburban Spirituals, appears in the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Pocket PC Edition). Distributed by Aspyr Media, the game lets players take on the role of legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and other professional skateboarders.
Currently, Ryan is preparing to hit the road to promote White Citrus, with a tour set for Spring 2010 as well as shows in Austin and throughout Texas.
Please visit www.ryanyoungmusic.com for more information