Bio
You don’t need to meet Ryan Bonner to get a good impression of who he is. Just listen to his music. Amidst the compelling lyricism, there is a thoughtful-nuanced attention to detail, even when those little details sometimes serve to make a song lighthearted.
In October 2013, Ryan Bonner released his second full-length record “Only When It’s Burning.” Recorded during the first half of 2013 this record finds Bonner working with Producer Joe Taylor (Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris) for the first time; opting to self-produce previously releases, 2010’s “Monsters In The Hallway” EP and 2012’s LP,“Think of England.” LP. Taylor first got excited about Ryan Bonner’s music after listening to a previous release. “I was first made aware of Ryan by my friend, Bryan Compton, who rung me up and said ‘Hey, you really need to listen to this; it’s world-class material.’ So, I listened, and it was like listening to early Steve Earle or John Hiatt. Ryan Bonner has a genuinely distinctive voice, unfettered by popular affectation, and his songs spring from a well of keen observation and sharp wit. This is classic American music.”
Joining Bonner and Taylor on the album are studio and touring veterans Steve Holley, drummer from Paul McCartney and Wings, and bassist Sean O’Bryan Smith, whose credits include Larry Carlton, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum, as well as his touring band known as The Dearly Beloved; Jack Friel, Malin Wagnon, and Whitt Algar.
A staple in South Carolina Music Scene, Bonner has had a strong presence on the radio in many national markets, including WWNU, The Palm in Columbia, SC. Says WWNU Operations Manager, Mike Allen: “Ryan Bonner has lyrical and songwriting skills that wring the emotion out of the everyday in our lives. Then his performance brings the words to life.”
This is Ryan Bonner:
“I grew up on James Island, South Carolina. My dad bought me my first guitar for $50 from a downtown hippie whose apartment had tapestry-darkened windows and smelled like pot. I needed a guitar and he needed more pot.”
This is Ryan Bonner:
“Went to college and had to live in a dorm so I could only take an acoustic, and that’s when I really got into songwriters and writing songs. I wrote a lot ‘em. Some bad, some okay. Got the bug and started a band.”
This is Ryan Bonner:
“Started making recordings and fell in love with the process. Put together a home studio and made a couple of records there. Traveled some. Found some radio stations that liked me. Shared bills with Shovels & Rope, Jason Isbell, Gloriana, Junior Brown, Unknown Hinson, Cowboy Mouth and many others. Been lucky enough to have the opportunity to do a lot of cool things like producing, engineering, and film scoring for other great folks.“
This is Ryan Bonner:
“Made new record with acclaimed producer and guitarist Joe Taylor at a studio in the woods by the marsh where cell phones didn’t work. Kept it simple. Got some dudes from Wings, Joe Cocker’s Band and Keith Urban’s Band to come play on the record. Got a band called The Dearly Beloved.”
“I’ll be making music until they put me in the ground.”
Questions, Interview, Media, and Booking requests:
R. Patrick
Monster’s Hall Music
info@ryanbonnermusic.com.com
843-819-4158