Life & Work with Ryan Bieber of Downtown Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Bieber

Hi Ryan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ryan Bieber and I am a 24-year-old pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. At the beginning of this year I moved from New York to Los Angeles to make music full-time.

After graduating from college in 2022 I worked as a journalist at Business Insider and then on a trail crew for the National Park Service. But making music has always been passion. I started playing guitar when I was 8 years old and then began singing and producing around my senior year of high school. I’d always been scared to go all in on music but after saving enough money through the other jobs I had worked, I figured there was no reason I shouldn’t go for it. There was nothing holding me back and I wanted to give my dream a shot.

Before I moved to L.A. I. made a tangible list of goals I wanted to accomplish in the first year of being here. Those goals included releasing one original song every month, getting 1000 monthly listeners on Spotify and performing weekly gigs. I am happy to say I have achieved all of these goals. Since moving to L.A. I have collaborated with other local artists on both original songs and popular covers. I document my journey and give advice to fellow independent artists on my Youtube channel. I also play anywhere from 2-4 gigs a week at various farmer’s markets, wineries, restaurants and music venues around L.A. and SoCal.

All of this has led up to the release of my second self-produced studio album Eventually It’s Okay which comes out on November 15th. It is a 10 song folk, pop album that delves into themes of heartbreak, leaving home and the search to find oneself. This year I got really into folk music through artists like Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. These influences pushed me to become more of a storyteller in my songs. The album uses imagery from nature and my travels across the country to paint a more vivid scene of these memories. The album will be followed up by an album release show at the Hotel Cafe on Nov. 21 at 8pm.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have been very lucky to be able to pursue my passion. I grew up in a stable household with loving parents who are supportive of everything I do. All of this laid the foundation for me to have the privilege to come out here and make my dream a reality. So far, I have been consistently amazed by my own progress, reaching above and beyond goals I had originally made for myself. The road has been full of hard-work and long days and nights but it is truly a joy to be able to support myself through my creative passions. I work all day, every day on music and it can certainly be taxing but as of late I’ve found that really there is nothing I’d rather do. The hardest part is feeling like you have to be creative 24/7. When I am not working on music, I feel somewhat guilty because I want to be doing everything in my power to get me to that next level. I have worked to balance these feelings by going for runs, reading in the park and going on hikes. I also film music videos for my songs and having other creative outlets such as filmmaking can be freeing as well. There are definitely days where I have existentisal crisises about what I’m doing out here and if I’m crazy for thinking if this could work. But the longer I’ve been out here and met new people and found a routine, the less I have days like that.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. I write, record and produce all my own music. I also play in multiple bands and occasionally as a hired gun on guitar. The genres vary greatly from a folk band, to a rock band and then a fully-instrumental post-rock band. Having all of these influences and styles keep things interesting and help me develop my own unique sound. My biggest influence stylistically is definitely John Mayer. The way he combines blues guitar solos in a pop context. really hits the nail on the head for me. I fell in love with blues guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King but to hear those influences in a modern context is really cool to me.

When I started playing guitar I was really into classic rock and blues music, but now I combine those influences with pop sensibilities. On my Instagram (@biebs_shreds) I combine these influences by covering top 40 pop hits on guitars and adding in guitar solos to songs that don’t otherwise have them. Most people seek me out because of my guitar abilities and ask me to accompany them for shows and track guitar for their own music.

What sets me apart is this wide range of influences as well as my dedication to the craft. I read a book called “You Don’t Want It Bad Enough” and my whole mindset coming out here was to work as much as I can to get me where I want to be. There’s certainly a balance to be achieved here, but I want to build a reputation in l.A. as someone reliable, hardworking and passionate.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Upon immediately graduating from college, I joined a trail crew in Oregon (with no prior camping experience) and spent 10 weeks straight living and working the woods. It was a life-changing experience that inspired many of the songs and stories on Eventually It’s Okay.

Additionally, last summer when I worked for the National Park Service, I solo road-tripped across the country for the first time and visited over 15 National Parks. At each National Park I would hike to the most beautiful place I could find and record myself playing guitar and singing. I posted these to my Instagram and played at places like Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Arches National Park. The most memorable moment was hiking Angel’s Landing in the dark in Zion National Park to see the sunrise and record a video at the top. It was an unforgettable and exhilarating experience. These memories are directly woven into the songs on the album as well. This is where I began to hone my image and brand of combining the beauty of nature with songwriting and storytelling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ryanbiebermusic.wixsite.com/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biebs_shreds/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryan.biebs.353/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@biebs_shreds

Image Credits
Any of the desert photos should be credited to: Alex Vazquez
The photos of me playing electric guitar at a show should be credited to: Tanairy Robles
The photo of me playing at the top of angel’s landing in Zion should be credited to: Colton Mansavage