Oxford, miss.-based totally Ryan T. Miller took domestic top honors for the Jan/Feb 2020 Lyric Contest for his music “asking for a friend.” American Songwriter stuck up with Ryan to dig a touch deeper into the track and spot what he’s been listening to recently.
What changed into the foundation for “asking for a pal”?
I assume writing has emerge as an exceedingly beneficial manner of expressing things that would commonly be plenty extra difficult to communicate in other ways. the entirety I write is both about some thing I’ve long past through, a existence enjoy of people close to me, or a few common denominator amongst absolutely everyone. intellectual and emotional fitness is one of these regions that affects every body in a few manner throughout our lives, however is frequently something approximately which we don’t speak very tons. The identify of this track got here from a chum making a funny story at some point of a communication about relationships and feelings. He asked a difficult, and doubtlessly embarrassing, query and followed it with the words, “soliciting for a pal.” all and sundry laughed, but it struck me that we use this phrase frequently as a punch line or as a social media seize-phrase. In truth, we all want to invite these questions and we need pals standing alongside to assist us as we do.
Does it take you a long term to complete songs? How long did this one take?
There are a few songs that come together piece by using piece over a long period of time. “The Captain’s Son” is a first-rate example of a music that took me months and months to jot down. I guess you can say that my heart and thoughts wanted to technique that one slowly. once I heard my pal utter the phrases “asking for a friend,” i used to be kind of off to the races with this music. I wrote the lyrics in approximately an hour, and the song came me to quickly as well. That’s how it is going for me. some songs sit down at the shelf for a long term. I revel in watching them and pining over them. Others end up slapping me inside the face.
you latterly recorded your first debut album. are you able to tell us approximately that?
My album is titled It’s Been a great Day. The album is a set of twelve songs that form of mirror my existence. Heartbreak and loss are mirrored by means of redemption and gratitude. It was my first try to positioned my songs into movement. I found out so much approximately the recording system and the energy of exact production. I may want to have stayed in that studio for all time. I were given to create with terrific humans. It was a a laugh project and i'm able to’t wait to do it again!
You won the lyric contest back in 2018 in your track “The Captain’s Son.” How have you grown as a songwriter given that prevailing again then?
I’m now not sure about my capability, but I think it’s smooth to say that my need to jot down has grown. Writing begets writing. The greater I write, the extra I need to write down. I’m growing in my amusement of that process. It’s this kind of healthy way for me to specific what is frequently hard for me to mention.
What keeps you inspired as a songwriter?
I suppose the emotional gain of writing motivates me. It’s simply good for you. Writing has become a daily habitual for me now. even though it doesn’t grow to be that “right,” I write something each day simply to keep my mind transferring. The achievement of telling a good tale motivates me to musically seize the steps we walk. having the ability to inform a story surrounding your lifestyles’s path is just an excessive amount of amusing now not to do it.
Are there any artists or activities which have in particular inspired you recently?
i've been taking note of Drew Holcomb & The acquaintances, Dawes, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Jason Isbell plenty these days. however I also have folks like Hal Ketchum, James McMurtry, and Gordon Lightfoot rolled into the playlist as nicely. that is, of course, until my daughters tell me to play Carrie Underwood. So, I guess I listen to Carrie Underwood.AZlyrics