Interview with Ryan David Orr
Ryan David Orr is an American Rock and Folk singer.
Why did you want to be a professional musician?
I began playing music at a young age. I started on the violin at age 7 and also sang in choirs. But I didn't really become inspired to create music until I was a teenager. Once I got into a groove of writing songs that I actually liked, I really began to desire a professional music career.
What inspires your music?
Mostly it's the human experience that inspires my music. I am always analyzing people and behaviors, and I am also a pretty sentimental person, so I tend to get inspiration from watching other people live their lives and how they deal with love, loss, pain, joy, progress, etc.
What things get you in the mood to write songs or do lyrics come spontaneously?
I often write the music for my songs first. I might come up with some sort of chord progression or guitar phrase or something that inspires a certain emotional state. Then from that state the lyrics eventually emerge. Sometimes a lyric might come first, but it's usually just one or two lines that then inspire a piece of music.
How do you want your music to affect people?
My hope is that people connect with my lyrics and feel compelled to sing along. I hope that there are things I discuss in my writing that helps people heal in some way or uplifts them. I want them to be affected by my music in the same way other music has affected me.
Do you test out your songs before releasing them? How do you do this?
Often, I do. I usually either play them live for an audience several times to see the reaction, or I might play them in a live stream and pay attention to feedback. Other times I work with producers who will help pick things apart and guide a song to be its best.
How do you prepare for a gig?
I like to get a couple of days of rehearsal in before a show. If I am playing solo, that is usually enough to get me ready. If I am playing with a band, it might take several days of meeting and making sure everyone is on the same page. I have even held Zoom meetings with band members to go over things about set lists and performances.
What is your favorite song that you've written?
I don't know if I have one song that is my favorite. I guess my favorite is usually whatever I am currently working on that, it feels like it is really something great. Right now my favorite might be a song called "Old State Street" that is in production with a producer in Nashville.
Has there been a reaction to one of your songs that you've been surprised by?
Yeah, that has happened a few times. One time I was playing a gig where most of the people in the venue were outside the room where I was playing. I played a song called "Driving in Silence" because I had just finished writing it and I wasn't sure how it would go. I figured if I played it and messed up, everyone was outside anyway, so no one would even notice. I played it, and it went fine. Then a guy from outside came running into the room and asked if I wrote that song. He went on about how awesome he thought it was. That was a pleasant surprise, considering I wasn't sure anyone was even listening.
What are some ways that you promote yourself?
I use most of the usual social media channels. I also do a lot of video creation, either live performance or music videos with narrative and production value. For specific venues, I will send flyers to be hung up a few weeks before a show. I work with a couple of different publicists, and I also create targeted ads sometimes, so I utilize a modest PR budget regularly.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Hands down, the most challenging thing is to get people to hear you. The world is so inundated with music now that it's hard to get your music in front of people. I think a real challenge for indies is that it often takes money to get the public awareness up, and indies don't make huge amounts of money. Most of the money I make from my music goes back into my music somehow, and that includes PR campaigns.
What have been your favorite places to tour?
I did a month-long tour of Germany in 2018, and that was spectacular. I also did a U.S. west coast tour one year that was a major blast.
Are there advantages to being an independent musician?
Definitely. I would say the biggest advantage is the sense of freedom it is possible to have. I get to essentially make my own schedule and put in as much effort and time as I want (or don't want.). It's also now become "cool" to be independent, so I think there is now a positive stigma that comes with it. When I first started as an indie, about 25 years ago, it wasn't cool yet. It just meant that you didn't have a record label. Now it's the hip thing to be, so that is a good selling point.