Matthew Ryan (musician)

Matthew Ryan
Matthew Ryan at The Saint 2011
Background information
Born	(1971-11-07) November 7, 1971 (age 45) Chester, Pennsylvania, US
Origin	Newark, Delaware, US
Genres	Alternative country
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1997–present
Labels	A&M Records, Waxy Silver Records, Hybrid Recordings, One Little Indian, Plastic Violin
Associated acts	Strays Don't Sleep, The Gaslight Anthem
Website	www.matthewryanonline.com

Matthew Ryan (born Ryan Webb; November 7, 1971) is an American musician, singer and songwriter, born in Chester, PA and inspired by such artists as U2, The Replacements, and Leonard Cohen; he logged several years in a series of bands before signing with A&M Records as a solo artist in 1996.No Depression magazine has described him as, “Equal parts Springsteen, Westerberg and Ryan Adams, Ryan is a powerhouse of a storyteller for almost two decades. A forefather of the Alt-country scene, Ryan has yet to receive as much commercial success as some of his contemporaries.” Ryan is known for his ”hushed rasp, with words catching like vows destined to be broken – one of modern music's most potent whispers."

Ryan has released 12 albums to date, including collaborations with Neilson Hubbard in the band Strays Don't Sleep, and with ambient/post-rock band Hammock. Ryan’s music has been featured in One Tree Hill, Ash Wednesday, Dawson's Creek, The 24th Day, & House. His most recent album, Boxers was released in 2014.

After attending Valley Forge High School, Matthew Ryan arrived on the music scene on September 23, 1997 with May Day, produced by David Ricketts (Sheryl Crow, Meredith Brooks) and released on A&M Records. Drawing on such influences like John Cougar Mellencamp, Ryan showed a lot of potential on his debut album. Allmusic concluded, "The native of Chester, PA (near Philadelphia) was 25 at the time, but this is such a mature, emotionally honest effort that one got the impression he'd done more living than usual during his 25 years. Ryan's voice is rough and has a very lived-in quality that proves most appropriate on such tales of loss, disappointment, and hurt as "Watch Your Step," "Chrome," and "Lights of the Commodore Barry." There isn't a lot of hope or optimism here; Ryan obviously didn't hesitate to let some of his darker feelings flow when he went into the studio to record this album, which is as pessimistic as it is soulful, moving and personal." A video was made for "Guilty". The album is considered a classic of the genre.