We were lucky to catch up with Nick Ryan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nick, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I would say I overcame imposter syndrome with time. When I first started out as a artist, I didn’t feel like one. Over time, when I released music on iTunes and Spotify, attended GRAMMY events, and started performing, I really started feeling like a true artist. The more things I did and the more things I accomplished helped me feel more of a real artist and songwriter. When I went to the GRAMMYs for the first time, I really felt like I had made it. When I went to Nashville on a Judy Stakee retreat, I really felt like a songwriter. I then moved to Nashville and that cemented that feeling. Although, I am back in the DC area now, I still do not feel imposter syndrome. I’m still recording and writing music and releasing videos regularly. I’m still a Voting Member of the Recording Academy.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Nick Ryan and I am a Recording Artist and Songwriter from the Washington, DC area. My genre of focus is alternative, pop, and rock music, but I have also written dance, house, R&B, and country music. I have written songs for other artists, but I primarily write for myself. I write as a creative outlet of self-expression. I have always wanted to do music since I was a child. I play guitar, drums, percussion, and sing. I grew up listening to a lot of adult contemporary pop music such as Amy Grant, Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, the Corrs, and Fleetwood Mac among others that I discovered by watching VH1. My taste in music expanded in high school with the invention of iPods and iTunes I got into Alanis Morissette, Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair, and Lisa Loeb. My taste expanded in college into more rock with Guitar Hero and Rock Band and I discovered Garbage, No Doubt, Lenny Kravitz, and Hole.
I stated playing drums in elementary school as well as piano and eventually played percussion in my high school concert band for four years. I got a guitar when I was sixteen and started lessons when I was a senior in high school. I started writing song lyrics in 8th grade and would write when I had study halls in high school. The songs would just come to me naturally. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I had finished songs with chord progressions and that’s when I decided to start recording. I had gone to college for recording arts and entertainment business, but was unable to find a career to use my degree, so I decided to use what I learned when I went to record in the studio. I love being an independent artist because I call all the shots when I’m doing a songs, artwork, photoshoot, videoshoot, album, etc. I love having creative control. I recorded my first album in 2015, titled Lone Wolf, which lead me to eventually move to Nashville in 2019 to record my second album, Nemesis, released in 2021. I then decided to move back to the Washington, DC area, and have been working on my remix album, ArchNemesis, which I will be releasing the first single off of in September. I have recorded the remix album with Robert Eibach, who has done a lot of remixes for Ariana Grande. I’m very excited about this project. I’m also working on my third studio album to be released after that, but that’s all I can say about it for now.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) Resilience is key. You are going to hear a lot of “no”s in this business, so being able to stay true to yourself and keep going is important. Keep putting yourself and your music out there!
2) Determination is also important. There’s a lot of tasks to do when being an independent artist. Knowing what you want out of your career will help you accomplish your goals.
3) Discipline is essential. You need to carve out time for yourself in your week to work on your craft, practice your music, schedule your social media posts or create content.
My advice for those that are early in their journey are to look at your heroes and peers. See what habits they are doing and try to emulate them. If they have social media content that seems to resonate with their fans, try to make you own personal spin on them. Also, try to get a coach or mentor to help guide you. There are many out there and I can recommend some as well.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to people to collaborate with, whether it’s other songwriters, artists, videographers, remixers/producers, etc! It takes a village to be successful in this industry and we have to life each other up. You can connect with me on Instagram @nickryanofficial or email me at [email protected] to collaborate! I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nickryanofficial.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nickryanofficial.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/nickryanofficial
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/nickryanofficial
Image Credits
Libby Danforth
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