Studio B Presents: One to Watch Wednesday w/ Guest Austin Ryder

Welcome to One to Watch Wednesday - featuring independent and emerging artists and bands from across Canada's music scene and their songs!

Featured: Manitoba's very talented Country artist, Austin Ryder
Guest(s): Austin Ryder
Song(s) Featured: 'Spin'

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

You know, you asked me what I'd want to write about someday. And I want to make sure that I'm, you know, carving out my own path and not being the typical country sound necessarily. You know, I love traditional country, but people give country a bad name when they say that it's all about trucks and back roads and beer. Definitely lots of those songs start off with an intro about this truck or my truck or that truck or whatever. So it caught my ear being different and kind of stood out with a different message.

UNKNOWN: 0:27

And...

SPEAKER_02: 0:32

Welcome to One to Watch Wednesday featuring independent and emerging artists and bands from across Canada and their songs. My name is Sarah Scott. Thank you so much for joining us today. Now in the spotlight this week coming out of Manitoba is the rising country star Austin Rider. Now of course in this episode you are going to learn a lot more about Austin and about his very promising and very exciting musical journey. This is a fabulous conversation. And of course, you are going to hear his debut release, Spin. Well, I'm pretty darn excited for this episode, so let's jump right on into it. Well, first off, Austin, thank you so much for joining me today for One to Watch Wednesday. It's an absolutely... It's an absolute pleasure to get you on and you're from Manitoba. You are an up-and-coming country artist and you do come from a fairly musical family. Your dad, Ryan Keon, is that how you pronounce it?

SPEAKER_01: 1:40

Yeah, it's a bit of a tricky name, that's for sure. We pronounce it Cowan, but you can't spell it if you read it and if you can't read it, you can't say it and whatever, whatever. So I go by my first and my middle name. So that's why I'm Austin Ryder.

SPEAKER_02: 1:53

For sure. And you are trying to make it on your own. You're coming into your own in the country music industry, which I absolutely love. And you've said in a different interview just a little bit ago, you've always been in love with music and always singing and always making noise from a young age, which may have drove your family a little crazy at times. So tell us more. Who are you listening to? Who are you singing along to growing up? And how did it really start for you?

SPEAKER_01: 2:21

Yeah, definitely the traditional sound, you know, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, guys like that, you know, you know, with dad being musical, he's always had music playing. So we kind of grew up on that. But, you know, vocal influences like Chris Stapleton is just unreal. Cody Johnson, you know, there's lots of there's lots of good vocalists. good artists out there that I can aspire to be like. But yeah, just always having music on in the house and then, you know, picking up instruments here and there. I took lessons with keyboard for a year and then violin for two years and then guitar. So I was kind of all over the map, but just always having music playing or making music or making noise, something like that. It kept my parents pretty crazy, but it ended up here. So

SPEAKER_02: 3:09

That's pretty fun. And you were also performing on stage with your dad since grade four. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01: 3:14

Yeah, it is. Yeah, we we started off as a special guest. He he'd call me out and I would I was just this little boy and I would do wagon wheel with the band. That was the first song I learned on guitar and the first song that the band played with me. It's it's always a crowd favorite. So he would call me up and he would say, I have a special guest for you guys. And I would do that song with the band. And then, you know, as I got older, He kind of morphed into me opening up his shows. And yeah, now I'm kind of an integrated part of his show. I do a first set with the band and then I introduce him and he comes on and then I come back out a little bit later on and we do a couple songs together. So it's super special. We both get to kind of have our own time and put on our own show with our own style and taste of music. But then we come together as we sort of always have. So it's super special.

SPEAKER_02: 4:07

For sure. And you are going out on your own. You are making a name for yourself, of course. But what are some things that you've taken away for your own career from your dad? What are some things he has taught you?

SPEAKER_01: 4:17

He has such great stage presence. That is something I've always looked up to, how he can just command a crowd. Really cool to see because, you know, as a father, he's that way with us. But then to see him that way with complete strangers or people who are, you know, big names or people who are up and coming. Just seeing how he interacts with all different types of people is probably the most important thing that I've learned from him.

SPEAKER_02: 4:42

That's really awesome. And you mentioned that vocally, Chris Stapleton is an influence and your stage presence, it is Cody Johnson that is one of your influences. So I mean, obviously solid country artists, but what is it about Chris and Cody specifically that inspires those aspects of your music?

SPEAKER_01: 5:02

Well, I've been fortunate enough to see both of those gentlemen live in concert. I've seen Chris Stapleton twice and he is second to none. He is just incredible He doesn't need stage presence because all he needs to do is just sit there and sing. And that's what he does. And he does it so good. His vocal runs, his range, his sound, kind of everything about his vocals is just unreal. So, of course, I would love to be more like that. But yeah, so I would say vocally, he is my idol. And I recently got to see Cody Johnson in concert. And, you know, he's such a classy cowboy singer. you know, so respectful. And his stage presence, man, he can get a crowd going and really connect people and unite them. It's really special and it's inspiring. So kind of a combination of those two is kind of what I strive for.

SPEAKER_02: 5:57

For sure. And I've seen Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson live as well. And I fully back you up on both of those statements. They are just incredible on stage for their vocals and how they do bring their crowd together. So speaking of stage presence, from the looks of it, you've had a busy, busy summer And you've played at several shows in Calgary and Manitoba. So what have been some of the highlights? Tell us about your summer so far.

SPEAKER_01: 6:18

Yeah, so we started off, you know, I came back home from Calgary. That's where I go to school. I'm in university out there. And our first weekend back, we hit Dolphins Country Fest, which is always fun. You know, just a short drive down the road from my house. And so we played a few shows there and that's always fun. And then, yeah, a few more gigs throughout the summer. You know, a couple highlights. Like you said, we played in Calgary there at Stampede at Ranchman's Honky Tonk there. And that's such a cool atmosphere. That venue is so well known in Canada. And so anytime I get to play there, it's really cool. And then, yeah, a few more. Recently, we just played... Saturday night, I guess it was, the Oxbow Valley Jamboree. So just kind of all over the map, lots of these places. I'm not exactly sure where we're headed, but when we get there, it's always such friendly people and a beautiful venue to play at. So yeah, I would say those are a few of my highlights from this past few months.

SPEAKER_02: 7:17

That's really cool. What else are you looking forward to for the rest of fall and winter when it comes to shows?

SPEAKER_01: 7:22

What I'm looking forward to coming up is maybe hitting back in the studio, but in terms of shows, um, we're going to the, uh, MCMA, uh, manageable country music awards, and we'll be at the CCMAs as well, the Canadian country music awards. So we're going to see some artists there and, uh, Yeah, those will be some pretty cool venues as well to check out.

SPEAKER_02: 7:42

For sure. And we'll talk about the CCMAs here in a few minutes. But first, I got to ask, if you could play any stage anywhere, which stage would you love to play one day?

SPEAKER_01: 7:52

Ooh, I would say the Grand Ole Opry. I feel like that's what everybody says, I would imagine. But how could you not? I think that's the ultimate dream and the ultimate goal.

SPEAKER_02: 8:02

It seems like such a magical place. So fully support that. And I'm definitely going to wish you the best on that because it would be a great place to play. And I love that you play at the Ronald McDonald House. You play music and you sing to the families and children staying there for medical reasons. That is so special. So how did you get involved with that?

SPEAKER_01: 8:20

Yeah, I've always had a passion for, you know, education and youth. I used to coach mini volleyball when I was in high school. So, you know, Teaching kids there and working with kids was something I really loved. So when I transitioned to university, I was really looking for something I could do to give back. Just like one block from my residence hall at university was the Sick Kids Hospital. And right across the street from that is the Ronald McDonald House. So I went online and I found a phone number and I gave a couple of calls and reached the right person. And then... Yeah, we went through the orientation process and then soon enough I was there with my guitar in hand and a bunch of kids sitting around the couches listening to me. So it's super special being able to connect with those families and, you know, change everybody's mood and maybe change their minds for a bit. It's an awesome opportunity that I've got there.

SPEAKER_02: 9:15

That is so darn cool. So your song Spin, which we're going to talk about here in a few minutes and also hear it as well. You were pitched that song, but you have said that you are getting more into your own writing. So tell us about your writing process and where do your song inspirations come from? I

SPEAKER_01: 9:31

think I think inspirations can come from anywhere. Obviously, I feel that the best songs are wrote when they're personal and personal. You know, you go through experiences and whatnot that that lead you to write a story. But yeah, like you said, that song Spin was pitched to me out of Nashville. My producer, Bart McKay, I call him my producer. It's dad's producer that I piggybacked off of. He found the song and sent it to me. And it was one of many. And it was the one that stood out for me. So we decided to cut it, kind of put our own spin on it. So. yeah we turned out pretty awesome for what we were going for and and uh yeah we're happy with how it went

SPEAKER_02: 10:11

and that's really cool so when you go down to or excuse me when you sit down to write a song what's kind of your process do you start with the melody or the lyrics first or a bit of both

SPEAKER_01: 10:19

yeah for me i'm you know still getting into the game and figuring things out for myself but i think that the uh the melody kind of is separate for me i hear you know the story that i want to go with first and then i kind of find a feel for what would fit and uh and work through a melody there. You know, sometimes a melody comes to my head and I want to write it down or record something on my phone and keep it for later. But for me, they're two separate things. And maybe one day they'll be all come together at once. We'll see.

SPEAKER_02: 10:48

That's really awesome. And you said that this fall and winter, you're looking forward to getting back into the studio. So are we going to hear some more originals coming our way?

SPEAKER_01: 10:56

Yeah, I would say definitely stay tuned. We've got some exciting things brewing and I can't wait for you guys to hear it.

SPEAKER_02: 11:03

If you could write about anything any topic in the world, what kind of song would you love to write one day? Ooh,

SPEAKER_01: 11:11

that's a good question. You know, some of these songs, I really like songs that have double meanings, like Ashley Cook, Your Place, talking about his place kind of in their relationship and then his physical place or like whiskey glasses, you know, seeing through them and then drinking out of them, you know, like things like that. I really love double meanings. So I think if I could write something like that, that'd be pretty awesome to tackle that someday.

SPEAKER_02: 11:33

That'd be really awesome and great song choices right there. Your plays always get stuck in my head, always.

SPEAKER_01: 11:39

Yes, it's sure a good one.

SPEAKER_02: 11:41

If you could write with any artist, who would it be?

SPEAKER_01: 11:44

Yeah, that's a good question. You know, there's lots of big names that have wrote some pretty cool songs, but I think that writing with people who kind of have helped me along the way is more important to me. You know, I've got some good buddies out in Calgary that are super talented, but an ultimate dream, Maybe like this is reaching for the moon, but I would say like Reba or somebody, somebody spectacular.

SPEAKER_02: 12:08

I love that for you. That'd be so fun. And if artists, if an artist came up to you and said, Austin, I need you to write a song for me. If you could write a song for any artist, who do you love to write for one day?

SPEAKER_01: 12:19

Gary Underwood's got some good pipes on her. I think that, uh, you know, she'd be a good female pick. Hmm. Maybe like Parker McCollum, somebody kind of like young and, and, uh, Yeah, or Riley Green. He's pretty popular at the moment. Yeah, maybe one of those guys.

SPEAKER_02: 12:36

For sure. I can definitely see you writing something for Parker McCollum. Like, I don't know too much about you or your music, but for some reason, I feel like that would be a really good fit.

SPEAKER_01: 12:44

That's what I'm thinking. I'll contact him after this. Let's do

SPEAKER_02: 12:48

it. So yeah, coming up in a few weeks, it is the Canadian Country Music Awards week in Edmonton. You mentioned that you will be going. That is so exciting. Are you playing any showcases or what are you looking forward to the most in Edmonton that week?

SPEAKER_01: 13:03

Yeah, there are a couple showcases. The MCMAs will have a showcase and we'll definitely be around to check it out. I'm not sure what exactly I can tell you, but we're working on some things here and definitely keep an eye out for us.

SPEAKER_02: 13:16

It is going to be so fun. I believe it is from September 11th to the 14th and tickets are available right now for the big award show. Are you going to be going to the big award show too?

SPEAKER_01: 13:26

We sure will be. Yep.

SPEAKER_02: 13:28

Who are you looking forward to seeing the most on that stage and who do you think is going to be the big winner of the night? I know those are big questions.

SPEAKER_01: 13:36

That's a dangerous game. I

SPEAKER_02: 13:38

know.

SPEAKER_01: 13:39

Yeah, no, that's fair. I, uh, no, you know, I'm just, I'm just excited to get out and, uh, you know, see these artists and the atmosphere and get a look at the people who are at the next stage of the game and see where they're at and they're, you know, the people who are around them and the, you know, talent they've got and the skills and the stage presence and things like that. So I think just the atmosphere is what I'm looking forward to more than a specific person or, you know, placing my bets on who's going to be the take-home winner. But yeah, it'll be good.

SPEAKER_02: 14:09

Have you been to the CCMAs before?

SPEAKER_01: 14:11

I have not, no. Yeah, I've seen it on TV and heard lots about it, but no, this will be my first time. Dad and mom have gone a few times, but this will be my first time.

SPEAKER_02: 14:22

If you could win any CCMA award, which award would you like to win?

SPEAKER_01: 14:27

Ooh, maybe like a new artist of the year. Someone that's up and coming, fresh find, you know? I think that's a good one to strive for because then you're kind of in the scene and then it's dueling out from there for the rest of the awards. But I think one of those new artists, because everybody goes for entertainer of the year or male vocalist or whatnot. But yeah, I would say new artist of the year.

SPEAKER_02: 14:50

Yeah, I feel like that award category really puts... artists on the map. Like that is kind of like, yes, you know, we're doing something.

SPEAKER_01: 14:58

For sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_02: 15:01

Although we do do what we do for the love and passion of it when it comes to music. What other music award would you love to win one day? What are you manifesting?

SPEAKER_01: 15:10

That is a good question as well. Well, you know, there's the Josie Music Awards, which are for independent artists down in Nashville. One of those would be great. You know, There's always the CMAs or the ACMs that are big, big names down in the States as well. So maybe one of those would be cool. A CMA would look good or a Grammy. Those would look good on the shelf too. So who knows? We'll see. But those are a long way down the road, but definitely something to strive towards.

SPEAKER_02: 15:42

Definitely. Now, something that is unfortunately coming to an end is summer. I know. I don't mean to bring that up, but it's true.

UNKNOWN: 15:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 15:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_02: 15:53

And summer is blockbuster season. A ton of great movies come out during this summer. We're wrapping that up. And I know I can't believe it either. So with that, if there was a movie being made about your life, who would you choose to play you in a movie?

SPEAKER_01: 16:07

Oh, it's a happy looking because I got to I got to convince the people that that's I got to fool them and make them think that that's who I am. Like, dang, that's a good question. I would go with Riley Greene. He's, you know, he's way more buff than I ever was or will be. But yeah, I would say him. He's got a country look to him.

SPEAKER_02: 16:29

Definitely a good choice. If you could try another art form, do you think would be acting?

SPEAKER_01: 16:35

You know, I don't think it would be. I think it would be dance. I love dancing. I go to ranchman's multiple times a week for their lessons. I just love, you know, country swing and two step and all those kinds line dancing. It's lots of fun. So I would say dance, not acting.

SPEAKER_02: 16:53

That's fine. I love that. So if your music could be played in any cinematic universe or movie, which movie or what kind of movie would you like to see your music played in one day?

SPEAKER_01: 17:03

You know, something Western like Yellowstone or 1883, something like that. That would be the goal.

SPEAKER_02: 17:11

That'd be awesome. That'd be so fun. And okay, moving on to something different now. You do go to school in Calgary. You go to the University of Calgary and that's where I went to. So heck yeah, Calgary alumni here. And you're starting your fourth year of biochemistry and you're going to be graduating pretty soon. So tell us a bit about that. How'd you get into biochemistry?

SPEAKER_01: 17:33

Yeah, so going through high school, I just loved school, loved learning. I wasn't the huge English major fan. So I kind of wanted to pick something that didn't require English as a course. So when I went to look at the list, there was lots of sciences and biochemistry stuck out with, you know, biology, chemistry, physics and calculus and a bunch of different things. So I I picked that one and then applied. And when I got accepted, I just stuck with it. And I'm really enjoying it. It's definitely a challenge. But, you know, I think that it's a good idea to have a background and be well diversified in education and in, you know, an artsy craft and career. So, yeah, I'm enjoying myself there.

SPEAKER_02: 18:18

That's really cool. And I'm assuming that biochemistry and all those things are not easy courses, of course. I just took communications, so a little bit different. So how have you been balancing it all?

SPEAKER_01: 18:32

Yeah. My fingers are definitely calloused beyond... The callouses have fallen off. They're so hard. I play guitar at least twice a day. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, I'm always grabbing my guitar. That's my... my relief, my stress relief, my distraction from school. Anytime I need a study break, that's what I turn to. So music balances me rather than me balancing music. So it's definitely a passion of mine that my life fits around rather than I have to fit it into my life. So I'm pretty fortunate that I have the time for that. So Yeah, it works out quite well.

SPEAKER_02: 19:10

That's really great. Now you've got a few things coming up here in the next few months with the MCMAs and the CCMAs and also going back into the studio. But anything else you got going on?

SPEAKER_01: 19:22

Yeah, just keeping writing, you know. There'll be some gigs coming up. You know, Ranchman's Honky Tonks, a great supporter of local talent and artists. So we'll be back there for sure. Continuing this writing journey and collaborating with lots of different people. There's lots of talent out in Calgary there. There's more people in Calgary than there is in all of Manitoba. So the talent is concentrated for sure. Yeah, lots of different people to mentor and ask questions. So it's definitely a great atmosphere out there.

SPEAKER_02: 19:53

It's a fabulous atmosphere right here in Calgary. It is so good. So I just got a couple more questions here. Now, where can everybody find out more about you and your music and everything you got going on?

SPEAKER_01: 20:04

Yeah. Definitely check out my social media. I'm on Instagram at the Austin Rider, Facebook, and check me out on Spotify and Apple Music.

SPEAKER_02: 20:14

Perfect. So Spin can be found everywhere. It is your new single. And it was pitched to you out of Nashville, like you mentioned. And you said after listening to a couple hundred songs when you heard this one, it was awesome. The One. And you knew that you can make it your own. And with Bart McKay, you did that. So when you heard this song for the first time, or maybe even after a couple of times, how did you learn to make it your own? And how have you related to it?

SPEAKER_01: 20:41

Definitely when I first heard it, it caught my ear. you know, after listening to it a bunch of times, hearing different, you know, instruments or sounds within it, things that I loved and things that I maybe was wanting to change. We kind of communicated that with Bart and he had a vision for it and I had a vision for it. And we kind of worked together to make it one. And, you know, discussing influences that I have with him, like we kind of put a Thomas Rhett sound to the song and that's what we were going for. And I think that we established that and created something similar. Yeah, that's kind of how the creative process went. And in terms of connecting with the song, you know, you asked me what I'd want to write about someday, and I want to make sure that I'm, you know, carving out my own path and not being the typical country sound necessarily. You know, I love traditional country, but people give country a bad name when they say that it's all about trucks and back roads and beer. Definitely lots of those songs start off with an intro about this truck or my truck or that truck or whatever, so... It caught my ear being different and kind of stood out with a different message. And it's just about taking your own race at your own pace and putting your own spin on things. I thought it would be an uplifting and happy kind of upbeat song for the summer. And yeah, that's kind of why we decided to cut it.

SPEAKER_02: 21:56

It is such a good, good song. And it has been played on the radio. It was played in York and Saskatchewan from the looks of it on GX and 94, for example. The first time you heard the song played on the radio, how did it feel for you?

SPEAKER_01: 22:10

Yeah, so the very first time I heard my song on the radio was right after I did an interview, so I was expecting it. They told me that we're going to play it right after the interview, which was really cool, you know, knowing that listeners were out there hearing it. But the first time that I heard my song unannounced on the radio was at GX94, and I was just driving with my little brother. He was chauffeuring me around, and yeah, it was just so cool, like, Up next is Austin Ryder. And I was like, what? That's me? Like, this is this is unreal. So it was definitely a special moment. And I was glad that he was there to share that with me.

SPEAKER_02: 22:45

That's so funny. I love how you said your little brother was chauffeuring you.

SPEAKER_01: 22:51

I was that day.

SPEAKER_02: 22:53

That's fun. Well, Austin, thank you so much for hanging out with me. It was a pleasure getting to know more about you and your music. And I look forward to seeing you at the CCMAs. I'll also be there as well. We're going to have a blast. Now, last but not least here, I get every artist to do this. Introduce the song for us before I add it in.

SPEAKER_01: 23:11

Awesome. Well, hey, guys, take a listen to my new song, Spin, out now on Spotify and Apple Music. It's sure to... entertain you and uplift you, so take a listen.

SPEAKER_00: 23:43

Everybody's rollin' in new stuff, big trucks We like our own Mustang This is our ride, this is our life Ain't gotta make this love just start Everybody else is out there We got it going on We put our own spin on this Come on, switch it on And let it play the way we want it No rhymes, no rules, we can own it Sounds so good, so good, baby don't let it We put our own spin on it Nothing wrong with the same old status quo But we like it customized We'll mix it up with some Coldplay George Strait, a little Georgia on my mind Tonight it's yours and mine We got it going on We put our own spin on it Come on, switch it on And let it play the way we want it No rhymes, no rules, we can own it Sounds so good, so good, baby, don't it Just like everybody else, cause we ain't everybody else No rhymes, no rules, we can own it Sounds so good, so good, baby, don't it We put our own spin

SPEAKER_02: 26:43

There's our guest Austin Rider with his debut release, Spin. Isn't that such a good song? Definitely going on repeat. Of course, that song and all of his music is available and will be available wherever you buy, download, or stream your songs right now. And of course, you can follow along on his very exciting and very promising musical journey on all social media platforms. Massive, massive thank you going out to Austin for hanging out on this episode of One to Watch Wednesday this week. It was an absolute pleasure to get you on and you are more than welcome back anytime. That has been your One to Watch Wednesday for this week my name is Sarah Scott thank you so much for joining us and have a great rest of your day