Indie rocker RYAN DAVID ORR is finishing up what he says is his tenth album, with a handful of single's out as well as a lot more music and newer singles out soon! He goes into much detail about this music and what else he has planned.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
I have been playing as a solo artist and also with a full band for about 20 years. When I first started recording my own music with a home studio setup in 2001, I ended up making an album that had far more instruments and layers than I could possibly do justice to by myself, so I scrambled to find some other musicians. My bandmates have been a revolving cast of friends, acquaintances, and recruits I have found in the scenes I have been a part of. For my latest release, the drums and bass were performed by a couple guys I regularly perform with in Arizona. I played all the guitars, but when I was done tracking the song, I sent it to my lead guitarist, who got excited to learn the parts and play them live.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
The "band" name is just my full name, but I used to actually just go by my first and last name, without my middle name. I changed my stage name to include my full name when I happened to do a Google search for "Ryan Orr" and a few other people came up, including a fairly popular young adult fiction writer. So, the strange, but honest, answer to why I use my full name is based solely on SEO purposes: it was easier to find me in the digital world if I used my whole name:)
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
My music in general is based out of Lakeside, Arizona. I play a lot of live shows in this area, both solo and with accompaniment. This area is called the White Mountains, and it's nestled in a rural part of northeastern Arizona. There isn't a huge original music scene, but there are a lot of musicians, so it's easy to find a lot of cover bands. I often travel to bigger cities and go out of state to perform as well. Some notable artists that have come from this area: Zella Day, Alaska and Me, Gorky,
4. How would you describe your style?
I usually describe my music as indie-rock or indie-folk. I mix in a lot of different genres and elements over the course of an entire album, so it's sometimes hard to give it one definitive label. But generally, a term like indie-rock seems to cover most things. Most often, my music is written on guitar, and ends up accompanied by bass and drums. Sometimes there are elements of electronica and experimental layers, and some of my recordings are spoken word pieces.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
I am currently finishing up my 10th solo album and a handful of singles that all fall into the indie-rock, alt-rock, or indie-folk areas. Over the years I have released some very minimalist folk some big-sounding rock albums some albums that pull from the areas of blues, jazz, and funk, and some stuff that hints at trip-hop or electro-pop What I think can be said for most of my music is that it is very lyrically-driven and cinematic. For the most part, listeners can expect that no two albums are going to sound the same. I have spent my music-listening life taking in all sorts of styles and genres, and I think that comes through in my work.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes, quite a bit actually. I am releasing a couple new singles with The Animal Farm over the next few months, and will be releasing several more with them over the course of this next year. I will also be releasing a full-length album this summer that I have been working on for the last couple years. As was the case with most musicians, I spent long pandemic hours writing, recording, and producing this group of songs, so it will be good to finally release the album. I am also a fan of film, so I am working on a new music video for a song from the new album. I studied film as an undergrad student, so I like to really get into my videos. I usually write, direct, and often shoot them myself. So yes, lots of new music coming forth. :)
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Right now I have about 30-40 shows booked for the remainder of 2022. Most of them will take place in this area of Arizona. Another result of the pandemic was that many shows got canceled and no one was certain of what state our social lives would be in. Since a lot of booking is done pretty far in advance, it has been easier to focus on Arizona shows at venues with outdoor stages. In the not-so-distant future, I hope to again tour more outside of my immediate area. In the past I have done tours of the west coast (California, Oregon, Washington), many states to the east (Tennessee, North Carolina, New York), and have done some touring in Europe.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
I will continue writing new material, and my current bandmates generally like what I do, so it is easy to get them on board for recording projects. We will continue performing my music, and we hope to branch out geographically as time progresses.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can find all kinds of info about my music and links to my store by going to ryandavidorr.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For videos, my YouTube channel. To access my store directly for vinyls, t-shirts, CDs, etc. you can visit my Bandcamp site.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
I think it pleases me the most when a listener tells me they really connected with the lyrics. I put a lot of thought and consideration into my lyrics, and I think lyrical content is very important - something often neglected by modern listeners as well as songwriters. I think that for most of my music, the lyrics tend to fit the vibe of the song, and that there is a reciprocal creative force between the music and lyrics. One inspires the other, back and forth, throughout the creative process.
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