Eric Ryan thank you for interviewing with Nefarious Supply! To get this interview started, introduce yourself, who is Eric Ryan, what got you into making music, and what has been your experience so far?
Thank you for having me, it’s a pleasure. My name is Eric (Ryan is my middle name) and I’m an Alternative R&B/Soul artist from Toronto. I started playing guitar/singing around when I was 12; started to experiment with songwriting in 2018 after seeing one of my friends perform at a bar downtown and seeing how much fun they had. It was on and off for about a year until I reconnected with my homie Bryan; which ended up pushing me to release my first songs Interlude & Summer Autumn in August 2019, and it’s been a crazy ride since then.
What are some of your favorite aspects about being a musician, and what are some things that you don’t like so much?
Aside from being paid to do something I love (singing/making music), to me it’s super fulfilling to hear how my music touches other peoples lives... like it blows my mind how there are people on the other side of the world bumping my tracks right now on the regs.
Something I don’t like so much would be the self doubt/insecurities/attachment to the art I create which I’ve come across learning about myself. That being said, I’m actively working on it and getting better; I’d say if anything, becoming a musician/following this path has made me more self aware which is a good thing.
Who are some of your favorite artists right now, why, and what albums have you been listening to pretty heavy?
Boyz 2 Men, Bee Gees, Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar, Rex Orange County, Dijon, UMI, Omar Apollo, Steve Lacy & Raveena to name a few; I’ve been really into Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side Of The Moon” album lately… but some staples would be Channel Orange & Freudian (greatest albums of all time)
In addition to your favorite artists as of right now, what artists would you say have had the biggest influence on you and your sound, and how have they done so?
I love the way Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar & Rex Orange County’s music is very raw/emotion invoking. The way that they just let their stories come to life with natural vocals & harmonies makes everything hit so much harder; which I try to implement in my own way.
As an artist building a career how do you keep yourself from burning out and losing motivation. And for artists that are going through a rough patch what is some advice you would give them?
Nobody is perfect, I’m still a work in progress to be quite frank with you. However, what I’ve found to be working more for me is setting a schedule and working on my daily habits/routines. I’d also say to stop looking ahead to where you “could be” and focus on the present and make music for the reason you even started which is that you love making music.
This past February you released your debut project DreamState - EP, tell us about this project including the meaning behind the title, what inspired it, and what was your favorite part about putting it together.
This project is a story of the cycle of love & heartbreak (& finding new love), weaving in and out of dream-like memories/experiences throughout the EP. I really loved the idea of making a project that could be connected all the way through/be one big masterpiece rather than just a collection of songs… so coordinating it all and finding the story to piece things together was super dope to me.
Walk us through each song?
I envisioned Stuck as the beginning of the story; where this person wakes up (from a dream) & just sings about the feeling of being “stuck” on a past relationship with someone who they thought was the one.
8PM (Cuffing Szn) was basically a nostalgia themed flashback/dream of when they first met/the feelings they experienced in falling in love for the first time.
Shine (one of my favourite/meaningful songs I’ve written) is a flashback to reality of being lost/alone/depressed; and realizing the only way to get out of this feeling was to find your inner energy & “shine bright”. To love yourself & to remember that things will get better with time.
Dream State was another “Dream” similar to Stuck by the means of reminiscing on past memories with this special someone. However, here, there’s a shift where it becomes okay/understanding that things end & people move on… that it’s important to just be thankful for the time you spent together.
Soleil can be interpreted in different ways metaphorically; whether it’s coming back to reality and finding a new love; or finding new love within yourself (“shine bright”) or seeing things in a new light.
On your project you featured with Julles, and Shqdel how did you pair up with them, and what was it like working with them in the studio?
I connected with them both through Instagram a while ago hahaha! They’re both such talented artists and even greater people! In the studio & even just chilling, they’re just super dope people to be around you know? Just good vibes all around
In addition to the features did you have any other help on the project?
Shoutout to my homies: Bryan McNamara, Daniel Badilla, Mark Bancud, Ryan Michaels, Troy Fonte, Mike Ruggiero, Frank Lin, Trent Baugus, Elijah Cruz, Tyler Nam, Evann Lacour, Jesse Epp, Cindy Rodriguez & Roman Erafficci! I think that’s everyone… but yeah without these people this project wouldn’t have happened so shoutout to the homies!!!
So what’s next for you in 2021, what are some goals you want to accomplish by the end of the year?
For 2021, I just want to create as much music & art as I can… and Honestly this sounds super hippy but I really just want to be more present this year & enjoy this ride we call life I guess hahaha
Who should we interview next on Nefarious Supply?
You should interview Shanuka, Shqdel, & Julles; they’re all up next for sure.
Any last words?
Just want to say thank you so much to the ones who’ve been listening/messin with me since day 1. It means the world that they would take the time to listen & I can’t thank them enough for the space they’ve given me to create art and share with. Lots of music coming soon, this is just the beginning. Peace & Love <3
Big shout out to Eric Ryan for interviewing with Nefarious Supply if you enjoyed this interview and want to stay up to date with him and his music you can find him on SoundCloud, Instagram, and Twitter. Be sure to stream his new project Dream State - EP available on all streaming platforms right now. If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and for our weekly news letter you can sign up below.