We’ve seen a tidal wave of do-it-yourself artists taking over the indie and pop music scene in the past year. Some of the most impressive DIY artists aren’t even of legal drinking age. 20-year-old Ryan Woods write, produces, shoots and directs all of his own content and it’s all immaculate. The Tennessee-native recently started releasing his music last year but his stylish, confident bedroom-pop anthems would trick you into believing he’s a seasoned veteran. Each song is packed with sentiment and nostalgia, each embracing a proven recipe for success in the Gen Z dominated space. His debut single ‘Bad Texter’ sets the precedent for Wood’s as an upbeat, dreamy alt-pop singer and has accumulated nearly three million streams on Spotify since it’s June release.
As the project continues to unfold, Woods enlightens and opens himself up more as he releases each single. While his first single electrifies, its successors invite listeners on an emotional rollercoaster through the agony of adulting and heartbreak that comes with it. Songs like ‘Pillow’ and ‘There’s No Insurance For a Broken Heart’ reveal a more apprehensive and sensitive Woods. Each cooked with catchy, subtle hooks that will engrain and replay in your mind until the next listen. The new single ‘how I’m feeling’ finds Woods at his most vulnerable and experimental. The stripped-down guitar-assisted ballad feels like your reading a diary as raw emotions and pain are splattered across the course it’s nearly three-minute length. The song earned him a placement on Spotify’s coveted New Music Friday playlist and prepares us for his debut EP on the horizon. We are hearing that the EP will feature collaborations from songwriters who have worked with the likes of Doja Cat, Lizzo, and 5 Seconds of Summer.
We got a chance to get to know Woods better and unpack the song’s meaning. We are excited to watch the world fall in love with Ryan Woods just as we have over these past few months.
Growing up in Tennessee, how did your environment inspire your vision of becoming an indie-pop artist? In one phrase, how would you describe your sound?
Tennessee is very rich in indie music. Growing up there, a lot of my initial musical influences fell in that indie-folk/rock lane. Bon Iver, Caamp, Keaton Henson, Father John Misty, even John Mayer to name a few. I think their songwriting abilities are what captivated me most about that world of music. I was also being influenced by huge pop artists like Bruno Mars or Bieber. As I began to really focus on music, specifically making it, I really wanted to meet the two in the middle; the beautiful poems sung in indie music, but with the drive, catchiness, and fun-ness of a pop song. In one phrase to describe my sound— and I am quoting a Tiktok someone made of me— they called it “psychedelic bedroom pop”, which I think has a nice ring to it.
With all of your early accomplishments (playlisting, Zane Lowe, editorial features), which one was the most surprising and meaningful?
It’s sooo hard to choose, but I think I’d have to choose Zane Lowe premiering my song “Pillow” on his Apple Music show. He’s been a figure I’ve been watching for years now, interviewing all of my favorite artists. I truly love his interviews and I’m such a big fan of the way he treats them, they just feel so natural and easy, on top of just asking all the best questions that artists actually want and care to talk about. it was truly a dream come true to hear my name and song come out of his mouth. just the fact that he’s even aware of me is so cool and motivating.
The new single 'how I'm feeling' invites listeners to see a glimpse of your more vulnerable side. Why did you feel it was so important to know this side of Ryan Woods?
I think after the last year we’ve had on Earth, you could literally just feel the increase in mental illness in the air. personally, on top of the pandemic, I lost a very close friend to suicide which absolutely wrecked me. depression makes you feel so alone, nobody else could possibly understand how you feel. I thought it important to be so open and vulnerable to let anyone who could relate know, that somebody in the world knows and has experienced the same feelings, and it’s valid to simply just feel the way you do. it’s so beautiful that music can really comfort people in that way. even writing the song did so much to help me process and overcome these feelings.
There are some impressive collaborations with acclaimed songwriters on your future projects. Which one are you most excited for the world to hear, and what did the writing process look like?
Honestly, my personal favorite is a track coming out on my first EP, called “sorry / happysad”. other than “how i’m feeling” it’s the only other song on the project I fully wrote and produced myself. this song is my quarantine baby I guess... I started the writing process about mid-April and finished it finally back in October, working on it about 3-4 days a week and revising it again and again. I think in total, I put about 3 weeks of time into that song alone. I’m super proud of it and am so excited for it to be out as well as the rest of the project!!
Looking one year into the future, where do you see this project, and what is a goal you want to achieve?
As an optimist, I pray touring will be back and safe again sometime in the next year; but that being an enormous question mark I hope by then this first project was a success and I’ll be unraveling the second or third one, as well as some very cool features and collaborations throughout!!
Comentarios