Dear Friends,
November is here and I can hardly believe it! I’ve got a lot to say, so today’s Letter is packed with news and reflections that I’m honored to share with you! Here’s what’s inside at a glance:
New Atlas: Sustain EP
Holiday Merch Release
Atlas Milestone
New Atlas: Sustain EP
I’m so excited to share that my latest EP in Atlas: III is out now!! Atlas: Sustain features my latest songs Source, Echo and Parallel Universe (Philia) as well as instrumental versions AND a brand-new A Capella version of Echo! Atlas: Sustain is about the mark that we leave on our worlds — the impact (and echo) of our lives. I hope you enjoy this chapter of Atlas!
Holiday Merch Release
I’m delighted to tell you that a few new merch items are now available in my store! An itty-bitty-teeny-tiny vinyl of Saturn, a Turning Page crewneck and my first ever beanie! Take a look:
Saturn Tiny Vinyl
My first ever “tiny vinyl” is available now! It’s a 4-inch playable vinyl record and it is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. It’s SO tiny and the perfect stocking-stuffer!
Turning Page Crewneck
Continuing the 15-year anniversary of this song, I’m excited to share this new and cozy Turning Page crewneck, which features gorgeous artwork by Tim Damitz.
Cursive Logo Beanie
Winter is coming. My first snow hat/beanie is now available!
Atlas Milestone
I’m trying to get better about celebrating milestones in my life, so I wanted to share: I just finished writing the final lyric of Atlas!
If you aren't familiar, Atlas is my 80 song project that I've been pouring my entire soul into for over a decade now. Even though I've been making music for more than a quarter century (!), and I hope to make a lot more in the years ahead, Atlas has been a massive part of my life's work.
The definition of the word Atlas is: a collection of maps. That's exactly what I have attempted to write: maps in the shape of songs. Maps (limited by my own understanding) of darkness, light, the universe, our solar system, Earth and her oceans, the beginning of human life, who we are, and ultimately who we choose to become.
In the writing of each of these 80 songs, I researched everything from religious texts and literature to astronomy and STEM, to the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics to Internal Family Systems and Greek definitions of love. But really, each theme throughout Atlas served as the scaffolding on which I wrote deeply intimate songs about my life, all in the hope of better understanding myself. Songs help me find my way.
In the years these songs were written, I became a dad to two wonderful daughters, lived my thirties and entered my forties, lived through the pandemic, experienced the greatest grief of my life in losing my mom in 2022, and I began playing live music again. SO much life has happened between the start of Atlas and today. These songs are maps of my life, and will forever transport me to what have been the most special years of my life so far.
As someone who often wrestles with insecurity and self-doubt (not a single song of mine has avoided my endless scrutiny and worry), it feels foreign and a bit uncomfortable to say it, but I am deeply proud of Atlas. This project has been the greatest and most rewarding creative challenge of my life to date.
The last (seven) songs in the entire Atlas project will be released in the first half of 2027. I am so very excited to share them with you and to celebrate the culmination of all this throughout next year - not only with these final songs, but with some Atlas shows, special Atlas merch and more!
I can't wait to tell you more in the coming months, but until then: THANK YOU for listening!!
Speak so soon! So much love to you!
Love always, Ryan
P.S. Here’s a list of things I love right now:
Teletone Audio’s Lunaverb (My new favorite reverb)
Spotify’s Hidden Snake Game (How have I not seen this til now? So fun.)
Uni-Ball Vision Fine Pens (Weirdly way into these pens)
Nintendo Sports Resort (Having a ton of fun playing this with my girls)