Meet Ryan Raines

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Raines.

Ryan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Key Largo, FL. My dad bought me a guitar when I was 5. At 9, my mom forced me to start piano lessons. I hated practicing. I started playing drums around age 14 when I could use the drum kit in the band room during lunchtime. Drums immediately became my main thing. Around that same time, my parents got me a Tascam digital 8-track recorder. I would record/produce the different bands I was in. A couple of years later, I got some software and an interface and switched over to the computer for production.

I studied jazz drums at FSU, and after graduating in 2017, I moved out to LA to play, produce, and write. I’m not exactly sure why I chose LA, but I knew I wanted to experience living in a big city.

I got into gigging, mostly one-off jazz and pop gigs, pretty quickly after moving. At the same time, I started writing and producing with my friends, then friends of friends, then people started to hit me up. That’s pretty much where I am now, doing production work for artists and writing for pitch.

Has it been a smooth road?
No. Moving out here made me grateful for how easy my life was before. I didn’t have a job lined up, and I didn’t save up nearly enough money. When I first got here I was sleeping on a friend’s floor (pretty classic LA story, huh?) and was super down about being so broke.

I got a job at Philz Coffee and worked as close to full time as I could for about a year. It was pretty normal for me to have a session from 8pm-2am and then open the shop at 6 am. I loved it, though. I was tired all the time, and just drank way too much coffee.

I finally was able to leave the coffee shop this April to do music full time. I still drink way too much coffee, though.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a freelance producer, doing mostly indie pop/RnB stuff at the moment. I like working with artists. I don’t really do the whole “____ type beat” thing.

I play drums. I play frequently with my friends Jackii Kennedy and Gabe Reali, and various one-off jazz gigs. This fall I’m going on tour with an artist named Dominic Fike.

I just music directed an original musical by Marcus Johns for its first production. I had never done anything like it before. It was a blast and a lot of work. But I like doing big things. My friends back in school used to say we “build mountains for the sake of building mountains.”

I’d like to think that whether it’s behind the kit or in the studio, I make people comfy to be themselves. Leave me a yelp review, bruv.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
LA is a great place to make stuff, mainly because there are so many people here. Why they came here in first place, I have no idea. Maybe because of the weather?

Any market is competitive, but I’ve never felt as supported pursuing my art as I do here in LA.

I would say that LA is a great place to wear your heart and your art on your sleeve. LA is probably not the best place to get your s**t together, though. I felt safe sucking at drumming and producing at school in Tallahassee, FL. I feel confident having spent that time woodshedding. I’m still getting better all the time. But there was a baseline of quality that I attained before coming here.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ryraines

Image Credit:
Sophia Marin, Chris Weigen, Emily Lopez.

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