"I've been waiting for a very long time to make this album, but I'm proud to say that the wait was well worth it. I feel so blessed to finally be making the exact kind of album that I've always dreamed about. The people surrounding me on this record are all amazingly talented individuals from many different genres of music. The added bonus is that they've all been extremely dedicated to creating something special. There's nothing better than being a part of a great team made up of a bunch of good people.
I can't say enough positive things about this record and I can't wait to get out there and introduce this music to the people."
---Ryan Turner
After several years of improving his craft and singing solo on the Texas music scene, Ryan Turner is establishing quite a following. Ryan is a versatile and soulful Austin-based singer/songwriter who holds a compellingly different perspective on contemporary country music. He has dedicated the entire past year to working on his debut album, "Rollin' Up My Sleeves". The album features Ryan as a co-producer, alongside the multi-talented producer/engineer/drummer, Ken Tondre. Also taking part in the album are some of the finest players around the state including the renowned Lloyd Maines, members of Bruce Robison's and Pat Green's bands, as well as other outstanding musicians from the Austin music scene. The enthusiastic pre-release "buzz" for the album, set for release in September of 2005, is a strong sign of good things to come.
At this early stage in his career, Ryan has already seen his fair share of accomplishments. In the summer of 2003, Ryan won a statewide amateur songwriting and performance competition at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth. In March of the following year, his former band, LiveWireDown, was invited to showcase its talents at the esteemed South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin. That performance helped to broaden Ryan's following from Texas all the way to Europe, producing e-mails and phone calls demanding more music. With this in mind, soon after the SXSW performance, the idea to create a full-length album became the number one priority.
During his high school days in the small prison-town of Gatesville, Texas, Ryan picked up his first guitar and started writing songs. His musical tastes were shaped from a variety of influences. Classic sounds from the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beach Boys, John Mellencamp, the Beatles, the Eagles, George Strait and Tom Petty have all made their impact on Ryan. Along with the greats from the past, he also credits many current song men as mentors. Bruce Robison, Radney Foster, Monte Warden, Darrell Scott, Rodney Crowell, and many other "behind the scenes" songwriters are among those he chooses to study and learn from.
At the age of 20, Ryan took a "break" from college and carried his songs and dreams to Nashville, where he lived and worked for a couple of years. There he began playing open mics at the famous Blue Bird Café and before long was invited to join the invitation-only Sunday Writer's Night show. During this time, he also obtained an internship at the Country Music Association on Nashville's famed Music Row, working with Fan Fair and other exciting projects. However, with his roots still firmly planted in Texas, he returned home to finish college, earning his degree at
Texas State University, in beautiful San Marcos.
Today, Ryan Turner's sights are tightly focused on the continued development of his songwriting craft and the success of the new band and album. Ryan's original work ranges from the self-deprecation of "She's No Amy" to the positive self-realization of "A Real Good Day". However, Ryan definitely knows how to have a good time, as reflected in the feel-good first single, "Julie's Gonna Dance". It's also obvious that Ryan's paid his dues to the blues in the bittersweet ballad,
"The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own." Ryan's music offers something for everyone, with a wide variety of material exploring a broad range of honest emotion. His work is both sincere and full of fun. With Ryan's combination of sound writing and relentless dedication, he should look forward to a lengthy and successful career.
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