Musical success came to Jimmy Ryser in 1990 with the release of his self-titled debut CD. The first single, “Same Old Look,” hit number 26 on the Billboard chart. The album sold over 100,000 copies.
But the national stage was short-lived. While music has continued to play a role in Ryser’s life, he broadened his career. He also got off of painkillers, clean for more than 10 years.
Now, Ryser is the program manager for Pain Services at IU Health Methodist, after earning his Master’s degree in Counseling at John Carroll University.
We’ve read Jim post on Facebook about new music, so we decided to catch up with the Ohio-born Hoosier to see what it was all about.
RN: Any new songs and new original music in your future?
Jimmy Ryser: Absolutely, quite by accident. I had gotten in touch with Bill Winke, a well-known archery hunter, who hosts an Internet and TV series called Midwest Whitetail. I had sent Bill a copy of my “1965 – now” CD and he asked if he could use my music for the show. I told him I would go one better and do writing exclusively for his show.
That was two years ago, and I write nearly all the music for the Internet, and all of it for TV. Another CD will likely be a result.
I just sent in a piece that had bagpipes, a little boy singing, a drum loop I created, and violin. The producers at MW absolutely loved it. Then I go hillbilly with a fiddle, a dobro, and a Jew’s harp. Then orchestral. There is nothing in the digital age you can’t do.
Winke provides lots of ideas, I get more while sitting (and hunting) in a tree, and then I come home and go crazy. Best stuff I have ever done.
RN: Are you playing live shows?
JR: I mostly do private shows and the occasional gig. I like Zanna-doo. I play with those guys and gals every year for the 9/11 tribute and always love it. But my priorities are recovery, family, hunting, Midwest Whitetail, and (then) playing out.
I expect a few more gigs next year (including) the benefit of Recovering Nurses Now; I hope to make it yearly. I am a huge fan of the nurse who has addiction and chooses recovery. I will go to the wall for them.
RN: What have you been listening to?
JR: I love country music. Lady Antebellum has to be my favorite. Love Zac Brown as well. And so many folks compare my old stuff to Rascal Flatts – although Gary LeVox absolutely blows me out of the water, I am humbled by the comparison. And Rush and Pink Floyd still roll me.
I just checked my CD player in my truck. Methods of Mayhem, Henry Lee Summer, my stuff for the (TV) show, Sade, and Tony Rich Project are in my changer.
RN: When you record, how do you do it? Are you at home? Studio?
JR: I like both. I updated my recording studio and am having more fun with music than I ever had, including the Arista days. I have worked with Andy Symons since I was 18. He and I have done stuff at the lodge studios, including my best CD Chameleon. And he has mixes here at home.
Both have their charms but at the end of the day I love doing stuff here at home. The magic happens and then it is in stone – no demos, just what is. And I like it that way. I play everything myself.
artist interviews
Indiana Music: Lafayette's Mike Reeb Readies New EP for Nov. 1 Release
Lafayette singer-songwriter Mike Reeb’s new album is Turn Your Ear, due November 1. The album features four songs, with half of all sales to be donated to Family Promise of Greater Lafayette, a non-profit voted by fans to receive the funds.
Part introspective, part subtly defiant, Reeb’s latest rings of Beatles influence, 70’s songwriters, and a bit of a power-pop.
Reeb handled much of the recording himself in Chicago, and brought in a few friends to round out a couple of the tracks. I tracked Mike down as he was getting ready for a record store show at Indy CD and Vinyl in Indy on Saturday.
ROB: Describe your recording process.
MIKE REEB: I tracked every part of all four songs in my basement at home. I used a hybrid of analog and digital equipment. Since I didn’t have a deadline, I took my time recording these tracks. Recording about three full days each month, it ended up taking me about five months to finish the songs. I produced [the album] myself.
The songs were mixed by Tim Rusin at JBTV in Chicago and mastered by Brian Zieske at Gallery of Carpet Recording in Chicago.
Listen to “Turn Your Ear”
/foundation/audio/player/mediaplayer.swf
ROB: Did other musicians contribute to Turn Your Ear?
MR:Like on Breaking, I played most of the instruments myself (acoustic, electric, drums, bass, synth, tambourine, vocals, backing vocals, etc). I did have my electric guitarist, Duane Chew, play electric on “Turn Your Ear” and “Anything”.
There were also a few local friends who lent their voices for the bridge on “Turn Your Ear”. Jordan Banks, the frontman from the Lafayette band YEARS, wrote the synth parts for “Just Walk Away”.
ROB: Highlights of the recording process? Anything extra-memorable?
MR: When my friends and I tracked the vocals for the bridge “Turn Your Ear”, the five of us stood around one microphone to capture it. It was the closest I’ve felt to being Brian Wilson.
ROB: Where can fans see you perform your newest work?
MR: I’ve gotten really tired of playing in venues, so I’m focusing on house shows. A few weeks ago, I played at a barbeque on Indy’s east side. We grilled, drank Sun King, and had a great time.
ROB:Anything else?
MR: All four of the songs on Turn Your Ear were written over three years ago; I just didn’t know what to do with them until now. I knew they wouldn’t work on my 2010 album, Breaking, so it feels really good to finally share these songs with everyone.
——————————-
You can pre-order a digital download of the album for $4 or pre-order a digital download & physical CD combo for $6. Both are at mikereeb.com and mikereeb.bandcamp.com
Anyone who pre-orders the album (digital, physical, or both) will get an immediate digital download of the title track.
Indiana Music: catching up with Brandon P. Perry of The Dead Hearts
I got a tip recently from my music friend Henry French, who told me about a new Americana band called The Dead Hearts. I mentioned them on NUVO.net, and I recently tracked down the band’s lead singer, Brandon Perry, to find out more.
Rob Nichols: How did you guys get together?
Brandon Perry: All of us had been playing a lot of music for a long time, but in very informal situations. It’s tough to believe, but Brian [the band’s keyboardist] has never been in a band. I think Joe [bass] is the only one of us that’s played in a serious band in the past few years; he played in a rock band called Blue Sky Goodbye. Marc [drums] has played around town in a few informal projects, and was actually a tech for the Flying Toasters for a few years.
RN: What about yourself?
Perry: I hadn’t played much in a few years, but I finally started playing guitar and keyboards with a band called Things Behind the Sun in December 2009. That is where I met Joe. The songs were really great, and we were having a good time, but there were just complications that stopped it from ever going anywhere. We couldn’t agree on a drummer, [and the] first attempt at recording did not go well.
Joe and I were standing in line at Record Store Day in April this year, and he mentioned to me that he had played some of my home demos for his cousin Marc, and that Marc really liked them and might like to get together to play some time. I thought it was cool that he liked my songs, but thought, “Yeah…that’ll never happen.” Joe pushed a little, and I brought my friend Brian to the first rehearsal — and it just sounded good, and we all had a blast.
RN: It’s a definite alt-country rock sound. Who are the influences?
Perry: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, The Jayhawks, Wilco, The Elms, Justin Townes Earle, Gram Parsons,Tom Petty, Old 97’s.
RN: And you guys are all Hoosiers?
Perry: We’re all from Indiana. I just moved to Chicago a month ago, but Indianapolis is home to the band.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4gHzJQ88ow]
RN: I love the warm sound you got on the EP. Talk about that.
Perry: We recorded at this really vibe-y, little place in Noblesville called scientia studios. It’s small, but has everything we could have needed and more. It’s owned and operated by a guy named Alex Kercheval. He’s very smart, has a good ear, and helped us to get what we wanted out of the session. The whole thing happened in about a day and a half. We went in on a Saturday morning and stayed for around 15 hours. We came back one night the following week to finish vocals and percussion. The process was a whirlwind. We’re happy with the result.
RN: Any shows yet besides Birdy’s?
Perry: There should be a few more shows announced soon, but at Birdy’s on September 10, we’re playing with Henry French and the Shameless, Ernie Halter (from LA), and The Bright White (from Chicago).
RN: Things have started to fall in place; good EP, guys that get along. What’s next?
Perry: We want to have a lot of fun. We’ve got some new songs that we’d like to record and maybe put together a full-length release, but we really just want to get out, meet people and play. I also really want to nail down the sound of the band. The EP fits together well, but some of the newer stuff sounds very different.
RN: What are you learning?
Perry: As fun and liberating as it is playing with this band, it’s very tough. I’m definitely not comparing us to them, but bands like Henry French and the Shameless, Stereo Deluxe and The Elms have this talent for making it look easy, and I’m positive that it’s not. I’m not complaining at all, it’s just crazy how much we’re learning, and so quickly.
RN: Any bumps in the road and roll road?
Perry: We had to cancel a show in Chicago, because the promoter finally disclosed that they were going to be very particular in what drums setup Marc was allowed to play. We rehearse at my old house in Indy most of the time and we’ve had the police show up once and two neighbors stop by telling us to “please turn that thing down.”
Indiana Music: catching up with whoa!tiger
They’ve been quietly banging around Indianapolis for about four years, holding onto their original rock integrity. The whoa!tiger debut album — Truth Serum and Forgetfulness — was released in March 2009 and they uncorked a new single and video, “Three Coins”, earlier this year. As they admit, going the route of playing original sets of music may make their road to getting more gigs a little slower. But they have nicely progressed to being known to those who seek them out as a tight, road-tested rock band, and have been rewarded with a good selection of festival dates across Indiana this summer.
On their website, the guys descibe their sound as “kitchen sink rock” – classic rock and roll hinting of funk, blues, and reggae. Lots of jammy, bluesy, Allman Brothers grooves – a sound fans of the Dave Mathews Band, the Dead or anyone raised on 70s rock would recognize.
Bandmembers: Jack Barkley: vocals, guitar; Jon Knight: guitar; Erik Nelson: drums; Eric Tullis: bass
We caught up with the band’s bass player Eric Tullis to pose a few questions.
ROB: You guys are an original music band. Does that mean you have a batch of new songs is always floating around?
Eric Tullis: We’re always writing new material – it’s one of our favorite things to do. We have a running “hopper list” of ideas that we’ve each brought to the table, as well as ideas that we just fall into while warming up at practice. The beauty of our writing process is that we can take any one of those ideas at any time and morph it into a workable song. We tend to discard no idea unless we collectively decide we just don’t like it. We currently have about a dozen songs in the set that we haven’t recorded yet, and are debuting a couple more in August.
ROB: When you get the band together to record your new music, where do you do it?
ET: We do very simple room recordings during practice just to capture ideas. But nothing beats being in the studio. For one thing, it’s really liberating to turn the controls over to a good engineer and just immerse in being musicians, rather than trying to wear all the hats at once. Also, the studio allows us to put the final sound from our minds onto the recording. It’s where we can layer in parts that we just can’t create on stage, and get each song to the point where it represents our vision the best. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of popping that completed CD into your car, turning up the volume, and getting to play listener instead of musician for just a little bit. It’s a very cool and satisfying feeling.
ROB: How’s Indianapolis treat you, with more original music?
ET: That does pose some challenges here in Indy. There are some really great local original bands, probably more than there are venues to accommodate them all. So one of the tricks is to find those bands whose music will mesh well with ours, and perform shows together. That opens up our music to their fans, their music to our fans, and really helps to network and to grow that community. Those outdoor festivals are one of the best places for all-original bands to truly show their styles and variety, and to get their music into lots of new ears at once.
ROB: Any shows coming this summer that you think are extra special?
ET: We’ve been hitting the outdoor festival events this summer, which we love. We play in Lafayette on August 13 for the Mosey Down Main Street series – our first time playing there. We play the Linton Music Festival on September 4, which is one of the largest free music festivals in the midwest. We are back indoors at Local’s Only on September 16. Then we will be back at the Rocky Ripple Festival again this year on September 24.
ROB: What have you been listening to recently?
ET: I think we’re all excited about much of the local talent we’ve been able to see and connect with at our shows. There’s so much talent and originality in Indy’s own back yard. We listen to is truly all over the map, from Led Zeppelin, John Coltrane, No More Kings and Bela Fleck to Phish, Stevie Ray Vaughn, James Brown and Miles Davis.
ROB: What’s do you hope the next year hold for WHOA!TIGER?
ET: Our goal every year is to do things we didn’t get to do the year before. So far this year we’ve already released a music video, performed on television and are booked in several of the summer fests that we wanted to be a part of, so we’re ahead of the game and still have six months to go. We also have a whole bunch of music in the set (and) we’re looking at all our options for the best way to get that out to folks. People can always find out what we’re doing by checking www.whoatiger.com for dates and events.
ROB: Any other info to pass along?
ET: We just encourage everyone to check out the local talent in Indy, especially those doing original music. If everyone went to see an original band just one time each month, they are probably guaranteed to find something they like, something that jives with their tastes. Because while becoming rich and famous and touring the country is something most of us can only dream of, sharing our music with audiences is what we love most. And having someone walk up to you and say, “Hey, you guys sounded great!” can make you forget about the tour for a minute, and focus on the reasons we do this in the first place.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w18C_YzcSq0]
Indiana Music: Catching up with Rusty Bladen
For the past 20 years, Indiana roots-rocker Rusty Bladen has made his living playing shows between Indianapolis and Louisville. He takes the occasional trip anywhere else someone pays enough for him to load up his white van, to play a private party, bar gig or Saturday night campground blowout.
Bladen’s musical ground is the area between a cover song highway going one direction, and an original tunes road going the other. The Madison-based singer/songwriter, whose energetic live show has carried his career, has released seven albums of his own music. His live show mixes those songs with a healthy helping of “Brown-Eyed Girl”, “Jack and Diane” and more obscure-but-meaningful country-rock tunes
He knows it’s the live show that pays the bills. But Bladen has a strong sense of his own happiness, and that is how his show artfully makes room for his own tunes. Maybe the best description of who he is came from the Kentucky Headhunters, headliners for a show that Bladen opened for them, who complimented him with a description as a “hillbilly Tom Petty”.
ROB: You’ve been playing to Indiana music fans for more than 20 years. How do you still do it, and what is the key to having some local and regional success?
RUSTY BLADEN: Just like one of my favorite songwriters, Guy Clark said, “It’s gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.” I just do what I do and fortunately for me, a lot of people like it. I am so grateful to the folks who support my music. I can’t think of a more rewarding way to make a living than playing music. Independent artists have to work hard at promoting their music. One key to longevity is to balance the music with plenty of family time, avoid burning out, and taking care of your health.
ROB: You played with Jennie Devoe at Rathskeller on July 15. How did that come about?
RB: I met Jenny in the late ‘90’s when she was singing backing vocals for Larry Crane. I was opening for Larry one night in Indianapolis when, midway through my show, I heard this beautiful voice harmonizing with me. I looked over my shoulder and there was Jennie. We’ve been friends ever since.
ROB: How’s do you see the Indiana scene for folk/Americana/alt-country performers?
RB: Indiana’s live music scene, in general, is getting better. Live music is more valuable now than ever before. A lot of recorded music can be downloaded free on the internet. But you can’t download the experience of standing three feet from a performer, pouring his heart out for you in the flesh. You can’t download one-on-one eye contact and the personal interaction between a performer and an audience.
ROB: How do you use new media and social media to stay ahead, since those things weren’t around when you started playing shows?
RB: Facebook is a must for any serious artist. In the old days, we spent days hanging up posters in store windows and on telephone poles. Now you can reach ten times as many people with the click of a mouse. My website has been very valuable. Club owners and talent buyers don’t have to leave their office or home — they can see what I sound like and what kind of show I put on by watching videos at rustybladen.com. I also have plans to begin a “Live In The Living Room” webcast on Wednesday nights where I’ll sit chat with friends online and play songs, sometimes solo and sometimes with other guest musicians.
ROB: What have you been listening to? Any music that excites you? Performers you have recently seen?
RB: J. Roddy Walston, Ponderosa, Brett Dennen, and Hayes Carll are some of the new artists that I really like.
ROB: When you record, how do you do it? Are you at home? Studio?
RB: In the past never I recorded many demos. I’d write, rehearse, then hit the studio to make a record. I recently bought a Zoom H4 hand held digital recorder that is amazing. I’m currently performing a couple of new original songs. One was written with Mickey Clark called “Bakersfield Wine”, which placed 3rd out of 1,500 songs in this year’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest in North Carolina.
ROB: What concerts from others have you seen recently that resonated with you?
RB: Robert Randolph and the Family Band. They are loaded with talent and soul. See them when you get a chance. You’ll be blown away.
ROB: What’s ahead for you in the next year?
RB: Lots of live shows and lots of miles on the road between Indiana and Florida. I am signing people up at my shows and at my web site for a drawing to win free house party concert where I go the winner’s house and play a private show for them and their friends. It’s a great way to meet new people and I have a lot of fun. I’m also writing some new songs and arranging some songs from my recent live solo acoustic album, Homegrown Treasures, to be recorded in the studio with a full band that includes some of John Mellencamp’s band members.
Indiana Music: catching up with Gene Deer
For nine straight years, from 1995-2003, Gene Deer was voted the Best Local Blues Band by readers of NUVO. He’s still gigging across Indiana and has a new deal with a local production company. He has plans for a pair of new records, with Paul Mahern producing. Not one to spend a lot of time talking about himself and his local legend status in Indianapolis, we did get Deer to share a bit about his upcoming plans.
ROB: What’s new that we should know?
GENE DEER: I have just signed with Daddy Real entertainment, a high profile production company. I am going to release two CD’s through them and Paul Mahern will be producing. He also produced my first CD Soul Tender. Looking forward to all that for sure.
ROB: What shows coming the rest of the summer that you are looking forward to?
GD: We will headline the Bean Blossom Blues Fest this year on August 26th, and at my solo shows I have been having a very talented fiddle player name Allison Ervine play with me. I would like to say thanks to all who have shown interest in me and or my music. The people of Indy have given me the blessing of music in my life and nothing is taken for granted. I thank God every day for my family, my friends and loved ones and all of the awesome fans that have given me so much love and joy.
ROB: How’s life on the road?
GD: I’m not too concerned with going out on the road much since gas hit the fan a few years back. Instead, it is plenty of gigs close to home. Indianapolis and Indiana have always been very good to me. I have always given my all back every time I play to try and keep up my end of the deal.
ROB: What have you been listening to recently? Any music that excites you?
GD: Wolfmother