As a guy with a guitar it's easy these days to get trapped in the insipid singer songwriter fold. It doesn't make it easier if you've been tube fed with songs by the giants in this genre during your upbringing. In the Ryman home Dylan's Blonde on Blonde, Beatles White Album and Rolling Stones Let it Bleed constantly spun on the familys record player. That will naturally leave a trace. If you in addition to that have grown up with a music making big brother, who rarely opens his mouth without mentioning Lou Reed, The Band or Al Green, it's not easy to create your own musical sphere.
But despite that, Simon Ryman is one of few artists today who has been able to manage the feat of using the classical song writing tradition, and recast his songs into a new and interesting form for the 21:st century.Simon came into the recording studio of Love Martinsen with two songs and a miniature guitar from Malaysia (that he had borrowed from his father without permission) without any idea about what he wanted the result to be. He asked me if I would play the drums and guitars and deliver critical judgement. Of course I accepted gladly and thought that this would be a piece of cake. After a first day of total lack of inspiration and studio coma, there wasn't much hope. Then, thank God, a new approach was found. Instead of the acoustic guitar a dusty old organ was found. The junk market treasure's foot pedals, got to work as bass. Guitars with trashed distortion, was a perfect last ingredient, instead of the old hackneyed picking guitar. The result was a two track demo containing brilliant pop/rock songs, in new, innovative and pleasuring arrangements.
Normally, Simon plays the guitar with Swedish singer/songwriter Nina Kinert and the artist and big brother Love Olzon and replays episodes of "The Office" on DVD.
Simon Ryman's "Sitting on my Porch" sweeps most of todays artists, of which there are 13 to a dozen, off the floor. Just listen and see for yourself!
/Pontus Levahn - best friend and accomplice
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