Ryan Ross Hernandez Returns:
Live Stream/Performance/Fan Questions
On Tuesday, April 23th at 7 PM PST/10 PM EST, Ryan Ross Hernandez and his producer Chad Fairweather hosted a live stream from The Village Studios in Los Angeles. During the event, Ryan spoke about the making of his latest album, Break in the Clouds, his upcoming tour dates, and discussed his return to the stage after treatment for a throat granuloma. He also performed several songs and answered questions from a few fans.
Chad: Welcome everybody. We are here in Los Angeles, California, at the Village Studios. I'm Chad Fairweather, Ryan's longtime friend and producer of his latest album, Break in the Clouds. How are you doing, Ryan?
Ryan: I'm doing just fine, thanks.
Chad: It must be nice to have a microphone in front of you again.
Ryan: It really is. Today was the fifth time since January that I've gone to the throat doctor to look again. Today that we're doing this, and announcing the tour dates, it ends a phase in my life. Now I enter the next phase of my life as both a musician and person. I've gotten the all clear five times now and I still don't think I believe it. Every week I get new note coming back to me which is cool. I hadn't sang in a year, even more by now. It's a joy to have a microphone in front of me and being able to sing into it.
Chad: Well I've heard you sing the last few weeks and it sounds incredible.
Ryan: Thank you, thank you.
Chad: It was pretty frustrating to not be able to sing for you, right?
Ryan: Extremely. But here's the thing, my emotions were so much lower in the way that it didn't affect me as much as it should. It wasn't as if I woke up one day and I was silent, it didn't happen like that. I knew the time and day when I was going to go silent. So having that in the back of my mind, let me prepare myself for it. All I could do was have the surgery, have the botox, and rest my voice. That's it. It was as if I'm a basketball player and I had torn my ACL. Usually that takes a year to heal. But the difference with that is that, you have a team. I have a team too, Sean, Aaron, all the guys in my band. Yet it's on the tour poster and all that, you see Ryan Ross Hernandez Tour.
I went 18 months either being silent or having a granuloma in my throat, for 18 months I was between that. I know it's a gift to play music and have a career out of it. I do everything that is required of me to comeback and do what I do 70, 80 nights a year. People don't understand that when I'm not touring, I'm not the only one who isn't making money. Every single person from the guitar tech to the tour manager to my personal assistant, aren't making money because I'm not touring. For them and for myself, I'm willing to do what is required of me, whether that is not talking for 5 months or having botox injected through my neck. It was required of me to not lose my mind, you know.
Chad: We were talking earlier about how not being able to be a performing musician for so long has allowed you to listen to so much music.
Ryan: That is correct. Which was cool. I don't think since I was maybe 18 or 19, I had listen to as much music as I have in the last year in a half or two. In the ten years or so, prior to this, I had been so busy with my own music to take notice of this much music.
Chad: In the span of these two years, who have you listened to that has made you kind of stop and really take notice of them?
Ryan: I mean, so many great records. I've found a new respect for a lot of artists too. And I think by listening to so much music, I know what's next for me, and what sound I want to achieve with my next record.
Chad: Are we going to hear any of those sounds on this tour?
Ryan: I think everything the fans are about to hear, not just today, but on this coming tour and others after it, is everything that I've been feeling and listening to in other music. I've had this all so planned out in my head, that I already know how I want this tour to be and sound like, without even stepping on a single stage yet.
Chad: Speaking for myself, everyone in this room, and everyone watching at home when I say, welcome back. You've been missed.
Ryan: Thank you. It's good to be back doing what I love the most. I think the people who aren't glad of me having my singing ability back is everyone in the Sweet Unknown cast, the series I'm on. We were filming last week and I was a little bored, I'll admit that, so that day I had to shoot scenes with Isabel. We would start the scene, everything going well, then like in the middle I would just start singing my lines. It would ruin the scene and mean I kept everyone working longer, since we had to re-shoot but I did it still, and I apologized to her afterward. But she's our little one on set, so I admit I do tease her a lot.
Chad: (chuckles) Well today we got this cool stream going on where people all over the world are connected to watch you perform and talk a bit. We have a few select fans who are joining us live right now, to ask you some questions.
Ryan: Cool. We should we start there?
Chad: Yeah, let's go with our first question. This is from Haley Johnson, who's in St Paul, Minnesota. Haley, are you there?
Haley: Hi, yes I'm here.
Ryan: Hey, Haley. How are you?
Haley: I'm good, how are you?
Ryan: I'm doing perfectly fine, thank you.
Haley: Good, good.
Chad: So you have a question for Ryan Ross Hernandez, here to my right.
Haley: I do, yes. I know you've done a lot of work with veterans, you've worked with NCIRE and other veterans health research organization. My question is, how has meeting these veterans and their families changed your life and your point of view towards the issue?
Ryan: That's a good question. I feel like a lot of other musicians and celebrities support these organizations and charities, most of which are great causes and they do help the world. But I think a matter in the world of celebrities that is overlooked a lot on when you look at the bigger picture, is right here in the United States and veterans. The work I've done with veterans has made me realize that this cause is just as important as any other in the world. If you know a military family or someone who is in the military, that kind of makes you realize that it's not a movie here. It's not a war movie where you know the hero is going to come back home to his or her wife or husband. I've met a lot of veterans, just a few months ago I was in the D.C. area for the inauguration of President Obama, and my girlfriend and I visited a few veterans hospitals in the area and we were just taken aback by their stories and situations.
It hasn't changed my point of view on the issue because since I found out there was a need for support in it and I went out to meet these veterans and meet some of their families, it just made believe that there is a need to do even more for them. I'm just helping to help here. It doesn't matter your point of view in politics or towards the war, it just focuses you on the task with these veterans. My point of view is meaningless, it doesn't help anybody. Your point of view doesn't matter to anyone but yourself. So is the experience life changing? Of course, it's a honor for me to meet these people who really need the help, not every scar or wound is one you can see. Some veterans return with PTSD and other mental issues that aren't in the form of a battle scar, of a physical battle scar. It's a privilege to be in a position where I can help and do my part to maybe bring the matter to a larger frame.
Chad: Great question, Haley. Thank you for joining us. And sticking around because you're about to hear some wonderful music.
Ryan: I feel like I'm on the radio, right now. Like you're a radio host and I'm just the guest, and we're taking questions from the listeners. You're Ryan Seacrest. (chuckles)
Chad: (laughs) I've always been told I look like him. I guess now we should start giving everyone watching some music to enjoy.
Ryan: Cool, we're doing that now? If the look on my face doesn't give it away, I have no idea how this is running. I got here fifteen minutes ago. No one ask me if I'm playing in so and so because I don't know. I seriously have no clue what my tour dates are or even when it starts. I look forward to seeing what those are soon. I'm at a point in my life where things don't matter as much as they use to. Take that as you will, ladies and gentlemen.
Let me introduce you guys to the band, the mini band that's here with me tonight. We got Sean Hurley on the bass, and Aaron Sterling on the drums. This is kind of like an acoustic trio thing. Let's hope it sounds good because we didn't rehearse. (chuckles) So, this is weird, I haven't done this in a while. I don't know how to introduce a song anymore. (laughter heard in the background) This is a song off the Break in the Clouds record. That's all I have to say.
"
California's Sweet Unknown"
I'm on the road to redemption
Packing all my bags and moving out west
With a single guitar
And an arsenal of songs in my heart
I take pictures but I never frame them
What I see with my eyes will define me on my death bed
So I drive until I looked up in the sky
And saw a cowboy's cliche
'Cause if you wanna be free, gotta go it alone
And if you wanna go home, gotta build your own
'Cause you never will find what you're searching for
'Til you open the door to the sweet unknown
In the sweet unknown
Don't you ask me where I come from
I've buried who I was
Inside a hotel room somewhere in West Hollywood
I'm not ashamed of who I was
I'm just looking for the sun that comes
After the Gold Rush 'cross California
'Cause if you wanna be free, gotta go it alone
And if you wanna go home, gotta build your own
'Cause you never will find what you're searching for
'Til you open the door to the sweet unknown
In the sweet unknown
I drew my own Blood on the Tracks
But nothing changed
The idiot wind just kept on blowin'
As I saw my reflection on a glossy magazine
That ironically had my face on it too
I once met a woman who's favorite record was "Blue"
What she lacked in age, she made up in wisdom
So I long for honesty
While I drive through the sweet unknown
'Cause if you wanna be free, gotta go it alone
And if you wanna go home, gotta build your own
In the sweet unknown
Welcome to the sweet unknownChad: That sounded great, man. I was there for the making of these songs, and it's good to hear them live now. Obviously both Sean and Aaron played on the record, and it just brings back memories of how fun it was to make that album.
Ryan: I think I said this a little while ago to my manager, we were talking about the record and I remember telling him, "we don't have a record that's sold four million copies or has five hit singles on it." We hear from people we know and we people we run into that tells us they like the record, but the record wasn't a success in terms of it made it everywhere and it was Adele's 21 or whatever. It doesn't change the fact that the album is the best record I've ever made, the most honest record I've ever made, and the time spent making it was really interesting for me. I could still put that record on and be either, smiling or at the brick of tears. It was a very violent adjustment in my life that I was going through at that point. The record is that in songs, figuring everything out.
Chad: No, it's really true, I was there and I heard these songs being built. There is a story in the album being told, without being a concept album, it's just your life in these songs. It's wonderful songwriting.
Ryan: Oh, thank you. That record wouldn't sound how it does if it wasn't for you and everyone that worked on that record and helped put it all together, including these two guys playing here alongside tonight.
Chad: It's still an awesome record. Now, I think we're gonna be heading over to South America, where we have Katie Gomes who's in Brazil. Hi Katie, how are you doing?
Katie: I'm fine, and you, Ryan?
Ryan: I'm good, thanks.
Chad: What part of Brazil are you in?
Katie: São Paulo.
Chad: Oh, São Paulo, excellent. So you have a question, right?
Katie: Yes. Ryan, are you looking forward to performing in Brazil? Where you'll be playing first concert here at Rock in Rio.
Ryan: Hold on, Katie, I trust your word but I'm looking at my manager right now and.. yes, he's giving the thumbs up, so yeah, looks like I'll be playing at Rock in Rio this year, which is really cool, actually. I've never performed nor been in Brazil before. I look forward to playing for that Brazilian crowd for the first time. It's gonna be fun to meet the fans because I know back when I had Twitter, fans from down there always wanted me to go play for quite a while and it's awesome to hear that I can finally go do that. I love that I've never played there before, so every song will be like the first time it's ever been heard live in Brazil. I'm going to enjoy the set a lot because every single thing I do on stage is the first time, what you're feeling and hearing there is a first because you've never seen me live before.
It's gonna be really exciting, again, I don't know where else I'm playing on this tour, I swear to god I don't. But I have feeling that one is going to be a really fun show. We have to play each song a little faster because I feel like I owe you guys a long set, because you've never heard or seen these songs live in person before. My entire discography is new pretty much, so it's gonna be fun night of maybe bringing some old school stuff out just for Brazil. I look forward to performing there, I look forward to working off the energy the crowd gives off, and the country. Everyone artist knows that Brazil have the most exciting fanbase in the world when it comes to music. Are you going to the show?
Katie: Yes, yes, I will be there.
Ryan: Oh, cool. That's awesome. Thank you, I'll see you there.
Chad: Yeah, enjoy the show.
Katie: Yes, thank you.
Chad: You know, Ryan, I think it's time for another song.
Ryan: Alright, sure. Let me change the tuning here, while getting off the nerves.
Chad: Are you really nervous? I don't think I've ever seen you nervous.
Ryan: I'm basically a guy who has been in a cabin in the middle of the woods for god knows how long, and now I'm stepping back out. I have all these feelings and stuff now. I'm having doubt, and I'm nervous, and I need to use the bathroom. For the first time in my career I am thinking in my head right now, "what if I screw up?" What if this is so bad that no one will show up when I start touring? Fuck, I'm so much fun to hang out with now. (sighs sarcastically) Here we go, people.
"
Show Me Something I Can Be"
Now MTV doesn't even stand for Music Television anymore
And Rolling Stone is giving out their cover stories to reality stars
And the radio is playing a party mix
At a quarter to eight on a Tuesday morning
Ain't it disheartening to know
Music meant so much forty years ago
The radio and the television are turned on
All they give out is manipulated voices and sounds
You should be just as sad as am I
Changing times mean less heart put in the things we do
Ain't it disheartening to know
The soul is nowhere to be found
My bookcases are filled with vinyl records
I predict I'll lose faith in a whole new generation
One where the kids just want to become the talentless famous
Where have the ones who create before profiting gone?
Ain't it disheartening to know
We're running out of heroes for our kids
I still have a ringing in my fingertips
To try and make something real for once
I still believe in some of us
Wisdom comes with age, so let's all grow old
Little voices playing on the radio
Little voices playing on the radio
Little voices playing on the TV screen
Little voices playing on the TV screen
Little voices making noise on the internet
Little voices making noise on the internet
Little voices, little voices, little voices
Little voices, little voices, little voices
Little voices, little voices, little voices
Little voices, little voices, little voicesChad: Beautiful song, man. Your voice sounds great so far.
Ryan: Well thank you, but I still need to change the way I sing these songs a bit. The botx I had injected into my throat is still dissolving The ability for me to perform is growing more each day, but my voice is still not at 100 percent, I wouldn't even say I'm at 80 percent still. As the botox clears, my vocal chords become more usable to sing. I hope that by, I think the first show is in May, I hope by then that I can sing, like for example in this song we just played, I hope that by a day really soon, I can sing some falsetto lines in it.
Chad: You sound a lot better than the last time we hung out, which was actually in my wedding, that you were kind enough to let us use your lovely home in Montana for it. And I remember you sang a little there, this was back in October, and your voice sounded really rough.
Ryan: Yeah, well in October, I belive that was right where I was starting to get my voice back from the surgery, and about to lose it again when I was maybe a week away from having the botox injected into my throat.
Chad: When that was the case, I remember I had to carry an iPad and you had this bluetooth keyboard and that's how we spoke.
Ryan: The only reason I didn't crazy is because I knew I couldn't. When you know that you're having this struggle and that going crazy won't do absolutely nothing for you but make life harder, you just accept it. There are several times in the last 18 months that I've gone to the doctor and I had that hope that they would tell me, "it's a miracle, it's gone." I would love to buy the scope the doctor uses to change my throat and have it at home, I'd probably stab myself with it and make my problems worse. (laughter heard in the background)
I went months just eating rice and grilled chicken, and I remember I went to see the doctor and she told me, "hey, you're gonna need more botox, it's gotten bigger." And that sucks. I would go into my car and have a moment, cry a little, be really upset, then say, "what's next?" Because I knew that I wouldn't be truly happy unless I would get back here, and it was require for me to do everything I could to get back here. For everyone watching this, this right here is what I was dreaming out night after night. So I'm very happy to be out of that wormhole and now I can return to being the musician who actually plays shows. Which is weird, all last year I was a musician who didn't play a single damn concert, and I released an album last year. So, I don't know.
Chad: Once again, it's good to have you back, Ryan.
Ryan: Thank you.
Chad: Now let's take another question. This one comes our way from London, England, actually. We have Stephanie Howard who has a question. Stephanie, how are you?
Stephanie: I'm good, I'm really good. A little bit starstruck. (laughs nervously)
Ryan: Can you be starstruck online? I've never heard of that before. That's cool, that's the first time I've heard that. I guess it's better than Twitter starstruck.
Stephanie: Yes, you write some fantastic music. My question is, you've made five albums, how do you continue to get inspiration to keep writing and keep making albums?
Ryan: Sonically, my inspiration, and I have no problem admitting this, nine times out of ten, comes out of listening to someone else and enjoying what they're doing. I'm still discovering music that came out before I was born in 1977. There is so much music out there that you can never grow bored or tired of it. Musicians who listen, who love music with a passion, we're constantly searching for the next thing that's going to make us so inspired. I've had about 10 times in my career that struck moment where I listen to a song or album and I'm just like, "shit, how did he or she or they do that?" When I hear something that sticks with me and moves me in a certain way, I would love to learn how that's like to create.
So I study most of my favorite songs and when you study it enough, when you do your homework, it doesn't sound like that song, it gives you that same feeling, but without ripping it off. If you study it incorrectly, you do sound just like that. If you study every single part of it, and break it down into each element and instrument and melody, then you can rebuild it and no one will notice, not even yourself where it came from. It doesn't mean that the chorus moves you or a lyric or a chord, it might be the smallest thing, like how they sing a certain line. Lately I'm inspired with writing music for the stage, songs made to play love, not necessarily songs that make it on a record, you know. On stage, a song could go 15 minutes or 5 minutes. That's a different style, a different approach to writing, it's a freeing style of writing. I'm inspired with how the next record could sound like.
Chad: You're hearing something in your head already for the next one?
Ryan: Yeah, definitely. I think the other night I was hanging out with the band, and I think we came across some sort of country music. Continuing in the footsteps of Break in the Clouds, but with a more edgier, rough sound. Some people now already call me a country star, but I'm not. This isn't country music. If I don't change my mind, which happens a lot, but if I stay true to this, my version of country music is really weird and off-brand, with a Sting chorus. That's what you get with me.
Chad: Sounds really cool, man. Is the next song your playing now something like that?
Ryan: No, actually, as a songwriter I think this song is a gem. This song is on the Running Changes record, despite the fact that it sounds like a song that should belong on the Break in the Clouds record. When I wrote this song I just kind of stopped and went, "oh, this is really cool, this could be a lot of fun play." Nothing else on the Running Changes record sounds like this one, then everything on Break in the Clouds is like this.This song is also responsible for a bunch of people that I do not know, coming up to me and asking me if I like to partake in smoking marijuana with them. Which I don't, I hardly ever do. When I do smoke marijuana, I do it with people who I am very close to, because I'm very paranoid without marijuana, with it I might start having a panic attack. This song is defending the right of people being able to do whatever the hell they want.
