Life & Work with ryn

Today we’d like to introduce you to ryn.

Hi ryn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Finding music was kind of a wandering road for a while! I started dancing was I could barely even form a sentence and I think that where my love for music with a good beat that makes you want to move comes from. When I heard my first hiphop song at 9 years old, I legit lost my shit LOL! I had never listened to music that made me want to move as much as this type of music did. Hiphop dance lessons where my favorite activity for many years and I even wanted to become a professional dancer (what girl doesn’t at 12 years old amiright). But there was something missing from the dance world for me. It wasn’t until I was around 15 years old that I figured out what it was; I wanted to be the one making the music that I danced too! I learned how to write music shortly after that. 200+ songs later, I’m just as, if not more, in love with making music as I was when I first felt the butterflies and excitement of creating my art. Stumbling around genres starting with a very acoustic-sounding singer-songwriter approach, I’ve found my way to indie pop/rock meshed with dark pop. With that dancer energy still in me, I am such a performer when I get on stage. I love finding moments of stillness and connection on stage and then exploding with energy and emotion, be it dancing or jumping with my audience. Creating an identity is hard enough as just a person but trying to do so on a public basis was definitely a struggle for me. The idea of needed to be “branded” always bothered me because it felt like I was being put in a box.

Starting in January 2022, I decided to say “f*ck it” to the branded identity I had been portraying with my music under the artist name, “Camryn Michael”. It felt too formal, stiff, and just didn’t give me the feeling of fun and joy that I wanted to feel from my music and myself as an artist. Making the switch to “ryn” was such a pivotal point in my music journey because it was when I truly started having fun with it again. “ryn” being an old childhood nickname, it brought me back to a more fun, grounded, and youthful way of doing things. Funny enough, I use to HATE the nickname when I was a kid given that my older sister used to torture me about it. Reclaiming that name is a positive way and turning it into my future really helped solidify what it is I stand for as a person and artist. I take what should take me down and make it fuel me further. I don’t take shit from people who try to change me or force social pressures on me and have zero problems telling those people to (kindly) f*ck off LOL! Wearing power suits is just a physical expression of how empowered I feel by my music and my ‘philosophy’ for life. Also, they look bomb as f*ck so that’s an element HAHA!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Life always has its obstacles. The toughest one when I was a kid was dealing with sexual assault at a very young age. Gratefully, I have an amazingly supportive and caring family who were truly my rock when I was finally ready to bring the trauma to the surface, talk about it and deal with it. Many years of counseling and inner reflection later, I am so happy to say that I hold no more resentment about the assault and in a way, am grateful for the strength that overcoming it gave me at a young age. The biggest challenge I’ve faced in the last couple of years has been an internal battle of trying to overcome the fear of what people think about me. Constantly given ‘advice’ and opinions about my music, it’s tough to decipher what I truly think about my art. Especially as a growing artist, I thought it was crucial to listen to my fans’/followers’/listeners’ opinions of my music to guide my direction. This last year however has taught me not to change my music based on my fans but instead to change my fanbase to fit the kind of music I love to make. People want to hear music that inspires the artist! If the passion is there, the fans that resonate with it will come.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Wow, loaded question LOL! The short answer to this would be, I have fun and make music that people like. What sets me apart from others is that I’m not them; I’m me. What I think makes my music different from other indie pop/rock and dark pop artists is that I carry over some elements from my singer-songwriter days with honest and emotional lyrics. Even when I’m writing an angry rant song or bad b*tch anthem, I always keep it honest and share the reality of the situation that the song is about. I see no point in bullshitting or posing as someone other than who I truly am in my music because to me, music is like therapy and why would I lie to my therapist? Idolizing Adele growing up, my voice is very powerful with a strong belt in Adele’s style and a wide range. I’ve been told before that people can pick out my voice just by the full-bodied tone and vibrato.

Feeling my best in a dope suit, I’ve definitely established a strong visual presence by dressing up inherently manly clothing with a provocative corset, silver jewelry, and of course, my trademark long, crazy curly hair (which my family calls my lions mane). Honestly, the thing I’m most proud of has been keeping it real on all platforms and on stage. I don’t pretend to be cool when I’m freaking out over how amazed I am when I receive love and support on a new song or at a sold-out show. I try not to focus too much on what I think sets me apart from others because for me that puts me in a competitive state whereas I rather just appreciate who I am and love the fact that there is room enough for every talented artist.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
The best advice I received was told to me only a few months ago. A women who was in PR and A&R for decades and worked with The Rolling Stones, Whitney Huston and many more legends told me this after only just meeting me and before even listening to my music; She said, “You’re too serious! You’re young, have fun with it and just do it!” And that is what I’ve been doing ever since. It’s crazy to see how such a small change has totally shifted the energy with which I do everything and I have seen crazy good results. My content has been getting so much interaction and support, my music has been receiving so much love and support from random new followers and fans who really connect with my message, and I even sold out a show at the Whisky A-Go-Go when I had previously struggled to sell even 20 tickets. It’s all about love and happiness!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ryn-music.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callher_ryn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callher.ryn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpllwj52scznejmGnPKRByg/featured
• Other: https://zez.am/callher_ryn 

Image Credits
Nicholas Gaspar Johnny Vargas Tori Griffith