Peach Jam Podcast: Ryan Oyer

Caption

Ryan Oyer in the GPB Studios

Credit: GPB

On making records at home

 

Jeremy Powell: How many records have you put out?

Ryan Oyer: Working on No. 7. Yeah. Less than a decade, basically, so.

Jeremy Powell: You're recording these mainly at home, producing them at home?

Ryan Oyer: Butch, that I play with, he mixes. We usually send off for mastering, but overall, yeah.

Jeremy Powell: And then you're finding, because you put out vinyl, so you're finding the people to press these records on vinyl.

Ryan Oyer: Yeah.

Jeremy Powell: And then selling them yourself.

Ryan Oyer: Mm hmm.

Jeremy Powell: But, like, this is — it sounds insane, but then also awesome.

Ryan Oyer: You know, there's a lot of freedom to it. It's, ahh — Like, the vinyl pressing thing that that experience —I did my last record, Rise and Shine, on vinyl. I recorded the entire thing during the pandemic on my phone, on my iPhone, with GarageBand, with the little headphone mic that came with my, like, iPhone 7. And I'm — I was sitting there going, like, while I'm working on it, going, "I'm going to put this on vinyl. I wonder how that's going to sound." Because everything's, you know, digital and whatnot. I found this company up in Canada called Standard Vinyl and — family-owned business, really great people, super awesome to work with. And when I got the test pressing back, I was like, "This is exactly how this should sound." And it was just the experience of dropping a needle and hearing yourself come back is like mind-blowing. You know?

Jeremy Powell: When you describe all of this, like it, it blows me away that this is — you're just a guy from Ringgold who has decided that, you know, "I like writing songs and I can play and I can sing, and I've met people who can do this. So, hey, let's record it and let's see what happens." And now you're working on your sixth record.

Ryan Oyer: Yeah, seventh.

Jeremy Powell: Seventh record.

 

 

On being famous

 

Jeremy Powell: So if — if you look you up on online, you don't have a ton of YouTube content or a ton of YouTube watches, videos, likes, and there's not a ton of listeners on Spotify. It's just, it's — some. But you get to be prolific in your art because it's enough.

Ryan Oyer: Mm hmm.

Jeremy Powell: And so it's enough for you.

Ryan Oyer: Right. Which is a good point.

Jeremy Powell: I think that's absolutely fascinating. And it's amazing that you are settled in, in your station, and you're not desiring to be, you know, the next Taylor Swift.

Ryan Oyer: Oh, no, I don't. You know, the thing? There's been so many people that come up to me and they're like, "Why don't you go on The Voice? Why don't you go on American Idol? Why don't you?" Like, I would have to take down all my songs. And that's — that's history of mine being taken down. And the other — like, in other situations, like, I don't — I don't know that I'd want to be famous per se. Like, it's weird enough being kind of famous in a small town. Because you kind of can't go anywhere without somebody recognizing you.

Jeremy Powell: Mm hmm.

Ryan Oyer: But I can also go disappearing. Like, nobody knows me in Ringgold. You know, aside from, like, people I went to high school with that are still around. But yeah, it's — I don't, I don't know that I'm the right kind of person for that. But I do enjoy that I get to like, do this and on whatever stage and level it goes to, every time, I've usually been like, "Oh, that's pretty cool." Like, that's that's the moment, you know. It's where I'm going, "I get to do this. I'm still doing this," you know? And until I'm like, "No, I've had enough." Mm hmm.

Jeremy Powell: Just ride the wave.

Ryan Oyer: Yeah. And it's funny because there's so many times as an artist you have this like voice that kind of goes like, "Who are you to to be able to do this? Who do you think you are?" The imposter syndrome thing comes in and it's like you kind of have to fight yourself through that. And, in some cases, other people's voices going "Maybe you shouldn't do that." But then all of a sudden these little things happen that you go. "No, this is exactly why I'm here." And it keeps coming.  Butch says it's the — the wheel of cheese that keeps you on the — er, the, the piece of cheese that keeps you on the wheel.

 

 

The Peach Jam podcast from GPB features songs and stories from a variety of the incredibly talented and diverse bands and artists who call the Peach State home.

Recorded live in our GPB studios, you get a front row seat for the intimate musical performances and free-flowing conversation from a truly eclectic variety of Georgia musicians. You can find more at GPB.org/PeachJamPodcast — please download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform as well.