Q&A: Eric Ryan
The Toronto-based 24-year-old Eric Ryan is back with his new single 8PM (Cuffin SZN). Over a vintage, slow-dripping swirl of lo-fi R&B and minimal guitar, Ryan finds himself en route to rendezvous with his lover during this snapshot of modern dating. We had the opportunity to discuss the singer’s latest release, his vlog: Make It Work, and his Filipino roots.
For your introduction, can you tell us what the story behind Eric Ryan is?
My name is Eric (Ryan is my middle name). I’m a 24-year-old recording artist coming out of Toronto, ON, Canada.
It all started at a very young age being influenced by my dad; he would always be singing Boyz II Men when he’d pick me up for the weekends! Not to mention, he bought me this game called “Rock Band” on Xbox (which I played every single day for like a year). He also bought me my first acoustic guitar at the age of 12; from there I learned how to play by ear/through YouTube tutorials. Throughout my teens, I would practice singing in my room or my mom’s closet (‘cause it was soundproof hahaha, I was self-conscious about my voice).
From the end of high school until about two years ago, I drifted away from music; my self-esteem was super low so I never thought I’d actually be good enough to do well. From there, I tried a bunch of jobs/tried starting up businesses/went to business school and ultimately felt super lost.
It wasn’t until I was invited to see my friend’s band perform at a bar downtown … LIFE CHANGING. Seeing how much fun they were having just being themselves and singing their own songs and the whole place (15 people) cheering them on … it made me think to myself, “Damn, I wish I could do that …” which led to, “If my friends can do it, why can’t I?” I started practicing songwriting on & off the next year.
In the fall of 2019, I put out my first few songs; one of which (Summer / Autumn) blew up a little bit on TikTok, led me to make more music, and here I am today.
When it comes to making/writing music, I love to mix R&B, Neo-soul, Lo-fi & Alternative influences all into one. I find that music feels/hits way different when it’s genuine and coming from real experience; so I try to dive into & connect my experiences in love, life hardships & self-thought and turn that into art via lyrical/waveform.
As of right now, I’m working on my first EP, set for release in February of 2021.
A lot of artists today, for example, UMI, use the platform YouTube as a tool to express themselves and to share their music and clips from their personal lives. Your docuseries on Youtube Make It Work, where you share your journey as an artist with your fans. Can you explain the idea behind your documentary series?
The title speaks for itself! We basically just wanted to document our lives/stories/shenanigans throughout this whole adventure. I figure it would be super cool to watch 50 years from now too when we’re all old, haha!
You stated that you make music to help people get through difficult times in their life. In your life experience, what helped you get through the hurdles and struggles when you faced hard times? Were there any certain artists and songs that helped you get through these tough times?
It sounds cliché but for me, music was one of the only good things that could help me escape/disconnect from what was going on at the time. When the melodies & lyrics are spots on with what you’re feeling, it just makes you feel connected and like you’re not alone if that makes sense.
Pretty much every album from Frank Ocean & Daniel Caesar has been on repeat still to this day!
On your single 8PM (Cuffin SZN) you give off more positivity about the modern relationship compared to "Close". What motivated you to make this transition and portray the modern relationship?
Honestly, it’s just being true to self & reflecting on my past relationships; getting to know someone on a deeper level just makes your connection so much stronger … I felt this was important to put in a song to inspire this type of thinking; especially in today’s day & age where people just swipe based on looks, you know?
In the last couple of years, impressive and amazing Filipino artists, like Yeek, Toro Y Moi, Jason Dhakal, and classics ones like Joe Bataan and Cinderella, have broken the music scene and left an impactful mark on the global audience. What does it mean to you to be part of this big wave and be able to represent the Filipino culture?
I’m super proud to be a part of this wave. Growing up, I didn’t really know or have any big Filipino artists to look up to so I hope that I can get out there and inspire others & show that it’s possible. It all started with creating music in my basement, just “making it work” with what I had.
Lastly, any new artist you would like to recommend?
I’ve worked with so many talented artists within the last year, it’s so hard to choose! Here are my top 5 & their songs I’d recommend (in no particular order):
Shqdel, “Telempqthetic”
Julles, “Speed Of Light”
Shanuka, “If You Could”
Blvnk, “Mixed Emotions”
JSP, “Don’t Worry”