05 May Interview: Ryan McKenzie

Rooted in Central Florida, singer/multi-instrumentalist Ryan McKenzie is stirring up the music scene with gorgeous pop music that is both introspective and inspiring.

McKenzie has been dabbling with music since 13 years old. He has mastered multiple instruments without any formal lessons. Fast forward to today: His debut EP, In Light & Desperation, took two years to create. Last year, he released his second, All This Time. In it, McKenzie focuses on sharing his experiences through introspective lyrics.

Before his Saturday SunFest set, McKenzie was kind enough to share a few words about songwriting, Texas, and artists that have impacted his life. 

From your bio, lyrics appear to be a very important piece of your craft and not an afterthought. Can you tell us a little about your songwriting process?

I write from the heart; based on experiences and people. What good is a song if you can’t feel it? I try to have a balance of ‘catchiness’ with actual feeling. Hopefully, when you listen to my songs, you notice a flow. Most times I do not write things down. To me, if a song idea doesn’t stick in my head, then I won’t continue with it. Because every song is based on experiences that I’ve been through, I can kind of go back to that time and re-live that moment– giving a better performance. Or at least I try!

What are you most proud of on your latest release?

My latest release is All This Time. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and my goal is always to play as many instruments as I can on my recordings. On “Miracle,” I played bass, drums, and acoustic guitar.  With that being said, I’m most proud of the quality and the way it turned out! When you write a song, you have a general idea of how you want it to sound with a full band. And now that I get to play these songs live at Sunfest, it’s mindblowing to me.

You live now in Central Florida, but have a beautiful song called “Texas.” Can you share a little about that song’s inception?

Embarrassingly enough “Texas” is about a girl who lives in Texas. I was 18 when I wrote this song! I lived in Virginia at the time. I had the biggest crush on her. We were the best of friends, but being that our heartbeats never crossed paths, we had our own agendas. Things between us started to decline. At the time, I could only wish we ran away to “Texas” and lived to our fullest together.

What can SunFest fans expect to see and hear from you on stage?

Sunfest fans can expect genuity. I hope they see passion and someone that is literally giving their own blood, sweat, and tears for a craft that they love so much. I hope they can see that I am a real person.  The music business is hard by yourself, especially when you still work a full-time job.

What three albums or artists have had the biggest impact on your life?

The Need to Feel Alive by Forever Changed. Honestly, without this album, I would not be doing whatever it is that I do! I taught myself to play drums through this album.

Also, Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer and Aaron Gillespie of UnderØath. These two men have been the biggest influences on my life and music. They play with everlasting passion. They both play multiple instruments. You can see that they are so genuine in what they do.

Lastly, when are you happiest?

I am happiest when I’m on stage with other people. It’s a crazy feeling when you sacrifice your everyday life for your passion. There is no better feeling than to write every part to a song and then have other people play those parts for you live.

All the emotions, nerves, and excitement are so freeing when you start to play. The adrenaline is amazing and I hope it never ends.

Do not miss this young, talented performer take JetBlue Stage on Saturday, at 6:45 p.m.