In conversation with: Ryan Egan
Ryan Egan is an American artist, songwriter and music producer based in Paris, France. He’s been a regular on the Blast Radio airwaves, debuting his new album Soft Power back in April and following it with a series of shows highlighting his favorite artists from around the world.
We recently spoke with Ryan to learn more about him, his taste, his inspirations, and what he’s got going on. Read on to learn about the man behind the voice.
Upcoming broadcast:
Make sure to follow Ryan (https://blastradio.com/thisryanegan or ‘thisryanegan’ in the app) to catch his next show, Ryan Egan’s Euro Trip on July 11. During the broadcast, he will share his favorite new artists from across the European continent. He'll also be premiering my upcoming single, "Soft Power (Alternate Version)" out everywhere Friday, July 15th.
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Our conversation with Ryan Egan
What is your first musical memory? How does that memory impact you today?
Two stand out in particular. Firstly, I would often rent the VHS of Michael Jackson's music video collection from the video store and play it constantly, sitting mesmerized in front of the television. I'd credit that as the first time I was deeply moved by music. Secondly, I grew up in a household that worshiped music, art, and film above all else. In particular, my dad was and is an avid fan and collector of music, turning me onto the latest artists (when I was little that meant Green Day or Nirvana for example, two bands I was otherwise too young to discover myself) and later through my teens with artists like The Dirty Projectors or Rufus Wainwright. This idea of music being the center of the universe has been the most influential factor in my passion and ability to go deep into my work and to believe that what I do has value.
What single piece of art (album, film, book, painting etc.) has had the biggest impact on you personally?
This is truly impossible to narrow down, nor should we, but one album that really shook me and altered my perspective on what music could be and feel like forever was D'Angelo's Voodoo. It stays in constant rotation, lives in the back of my mind as an example of the highest form of recorded music, as well as being a safety blanket that I put on during big life moments i.e moving to France, playing a big show, my wedding day, whatever. It's an album that you'll find musicians everywhere referencing more or less as the holy grail and like a one word card you can throw out to see if another musician is on the same page as you.
If you could see any artist (dead or alive) in concert, who would it be?
I guess this would have to be Prince. His level of showmanship, emotion, and technicality was just unrivaled and part of a musical lineage that I respect so much. I saw him sit in with Stevie Wonder at MSG for "Superstition" once but that ain't it.
How would you describe your broadcasts?
My broadcasts can be anything & everything, which is what I love most about Blast Radio.
I'm a digger so I'm constantly seeking out music from different eras, cultures, etc and I enjoy putting together themed mixes like 70s UK or Best of Brazil or just simply a playlist of my current favorite new releases.
Which product do you use to broadcast? What is your setup?
I use the DAW Plugin which has been all I need. In my studio here in Paris, I line up wav files in Logic, record voice over through my UAD Apollo Twin with a basic Audio Technica microphone, set the broadcast to live, et voilà.
What steps do you take to prepare for a broadcast?
Depending on the theme, sometimes I take quite a bit of time digging for the right tunes, sometimes that I'm discovering specifically for the show, sometimes sifting through forgotten favorites. Afterwards I'll write out basic voice over for an intro, outro and narrate the show a bit.
Do you have anything you’d like to promote (upcoming/recent release, concert, book, article, etc)?
Tune in for my shows every Monday at 2pm EST on Blast Radio and keep an eye out for my new single, "Soft Power (Alternate Version)" out everywhere this Friday, July 15th. This is the second track from a series of alternate versions off my debut album Soft Power, out now on all platforms.
