Discover the captivating musical journey of Ryan Wright, based just outside Washington D.C. in northern VA, whose upbringing immersed her in a world of music from an early age. From her father's studio sessions to her grandmother's nostalgic lullabies, Ryan's passion for music blossomed into a unique blend of indie rock and synth-pop influences. Ryan Wright’s musical journey is not just about creating captivating melodies; it's also about making a meaningful impact through her work with charitable causes, particularly in the realm of pediatric cancer research. Read on to learn more about Ryan Wright’s insights, artistic challenges, and charitable endeavors, and join her on an inspiring journey through melody, emotion, and resilience.

Where are you based?
I am currently based right outside of Washington D.C. in northern VA.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry?
I grew up surrounded by it in every aspect of my life. My dad is a very talented musician and whenever I would be spending time at his house, I would be in the studio, around other musicians, going on gear runs, or going to shows. I think I had a natural gravitation towards it since birth. On my mom’s side, I was partially raised by my granny who has this lovely voice although she’s not a singer, and she used to sing me to sleep. She played for me 50s and 60s doowops and I took a liking to artists like “Connie Frances” and “Roy Orbison”. My aunt also introduced me to my favorite band “The Killers” when I was about three years old and I’d say that listening to “Hot Fuss” was truly a breeding ground for my love of indie music.

Are there any artists who have influenced your music style?
There’s a wide variety. “The Cars”, “The Strokes”, “The Killers”, also some synth pop artists like “Cyndi Lauper” and “The 1975.”

Could you share some insights into your creative process when writing and producing your music?
For me, a lot of the melodies and lyric ideas come to me at random. Oftentimes I’m either driving or shampooing my hair. I then bring those semi formed ideas to the studio to either finish up with my producers or collaborate with my dear friends. I write a lot with my guitarist Davis Gesthier and my tour manager Ben Tsakopolus, as well as my producer Todd Wright.

Your music has been described as a unique blend of ethereal vocals and angsty lyrics over catchy synth hooks. How do you approach creating this distinctive sound?
I think a lot of it comes from my influences. I have a large variety of musical influences that all kind of sound different but are cohesive in a very magical way. And it’s a fun challenge in the studio to marry the 50s melodies with synths and 90s production. It sort of comes naturally. I’m very deeply affected sonically and if something sounds a certain way in my mind I strive to get my music to sound exactly like that with experimentation and some research on what gear my favorite artists use.

Congratulations on your latest single, "Quarter Life Crisis." What was the inspiration behind it?
I was hit by a conflicting wave of feelings this year and quite honestly I think I was feeling it since I graduated high school and all my friends went off to school and I didn’t. I felt stuck and left behind and like I was living in my teenage years as a 20 something year old when everyone else was moving towards settling down into adulthood. I felt incredibly out of sync with my friends and the people my age. This song just sort of fell out one day while writing with my friend Ben Tsakopolus and my producer Todd Wright.

Your upcoming EP, set to release this summer, continues the theme of pessimism and conflicted feelings. Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind this overarching theme and how it manifests in your songwriting?
I have always considered myself a naturally very negative person. I just felt like there wouldn’t be anyone that would ever truly get along with me or like me in the true way that I am because I am always seemingly catastrophizing, so to speak. I started dating someone about a year or so after a failed relationship that left me spiraling and insecure, and was shocked by how much this person cared about me and embraced my flaws and quite literally my gloomy dreadful mindset. So I tried to write love songs, but they all came out like little bits of pessimism. My song “What’s Not To Love” really explains it in the way that it’s me saying “here’s all of my negative awful qualities and what’s not to love about the negativity”.

What do you hope listeners will take away from your upcoming EP?
That it’s okay to be a “negative Nancy”. Being a pessimist doesn’t make you a bad person. You’re allowed to embrace your fears and worries. But also, it’s important to healthily express them and ask for help when you’re feeling down and out.

We heard that you have been working with an organization called Team Mathias since 2014. Can you tell us more about your work with this organization?
I became good friends with the Giordano family through my mom who at the time did a yearly fundraiser for pediatric cancer at her work place. She put the family in touch with my dad who also has done a lot of work using music for different charities in the community and Mathias and his family just really felt like our family. Mathias was so full of light and had such a love for music and me and my dad would perform for his foundations charity events and we still do and always will. He passed when I was 12 and he was 13 and because of this connection to him that I had through music, I like to think that he’s front row at every show in spirit.

What inspired you to dedicate your time and efforts to supporting families dealing with pediatric cancer through Team Mathias?
My family and I really fell in love with Mathias’s family and his resilient and magnetic personality as well as their cause. I learned so much about pediatric cancer and how incredibly important it is that a cure is found for these kids who fight so hard every single day and go through things no one, let alone a child should have to go through. The Giordanos are truly just the most incredible and wonderful, selfless people I know and I would do anything for them.

How do you envision your music evolving in the future, and are there any artists or genres you're particularly interested in exploring further?
I want to get more and more organic. I’ve been really into Elliott Smith and his songs are so simple yet also some of the most complicated pieces of music and art I’ve heard and I’ve been really taking inspiration from that. I just want my music to feel like something that’s new and fresh and unheard of, yet still holds a timeless quality.

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share?
I am going on tour this September with Ashes To Amber and I am also currently working on my fourth EP as we speak!

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
I surround myself with good people. My family, my boyfriend, my home town friends, my dogs (although not people, still key for my happiness). They always have my back. I truly feel most grounded when I’m playing volleyball in the backyard with my little sisters, going to the movies with my dad and stepmom. Making cookies with my mom and trying to keep my stepdad from eating the cookie dough. I really am a homebody and that’s okay because it makes me happy and truly has kept me on my feet and helped me stay centered.

What is your motto in life?
Follow the golden rule. My stepdad always instilled it in me since the second we met. Treat people the way you want to be treated and stay humble. Good things will come for the people that do.

To learn more about Ryan Wright, please follow the link below:
Ryan Wright

Ryan Wright - Embracing Oneself