We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful George Ryan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with George below.

George, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

Apart from some show money my first real check from the music industry came when I had the single ‘Lifestyle’ placed on Kim’s Convenience, a hit tv-show on Netflix. You can hear it in the background when Janet Kim (Andrea Bang) goes to the club with her friends. It was definitely a big milestone – things weren’t going very well in my music career prior to that. Now I get hundreds of people who watch the show and Shazam my song. I saved a copy of the check and hung it on my wall in the studio.

I owe a lot to David Hayman from Supergroup Sonic Branding, the music supervisor who got it placed on the show (which is called a sync in the industry). He unfortunately died in 2020 so I never had the chance to thank him in person. A rumor around the city was that he did this for a lot of emerging artists so there’s probably a lot of bands and artists blessed by his touch. He was only 42 years old so it’s further support that life is short and you need to really make the best of everyday alive.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

What up. I’m George Ryan, recording artist, producer and record label owner. I was born in England and raised in a small town called Georgetown, an hour west of Toronto, Canada. My latest project Day Trips just reached the 100K stream milestone on Spotify and the music video for the lead single “Money” is approaching 50K YoutTube views. I’ve been writing music since I was about 14 years old so it’s dope to be finally getting some industry recognition.

Realizing early on that the majority of artists who sign to record labels get shelved and their creativity is locked up forever in red tape I knew I had to build leverage independently before the labels would bat an eyelash. I started my own brand called Vinyl & Gold Records as a solution and it became an integral piece to the puzzle. If I couldn’t open the major labels wallets and keep creative control I’d be back to financial enslavement and no further ahead than I was working 9-5 jobs (which become 24/7 jobs if you’re ambitious and career driven). Owning all of your masters is the single most important decision an artist needs to make and I’m glad I had the foresight to never give that up. At V & G, we help similar artists get educated in the business, help monetize their careers and have direct relationships with the same people the majors work with. We’re selective with who we work with but emerging artists can reach out to us on our website (www.vinylandgold.com).

After booking a month-long tour in Atlanta and performing at legendary venues like Apache Cafe and Patchwerk Studios, the southern hospitality and support was an overwhelming surprise. I did shows almost every night across the city and met hundreds of new fans that became the core audience. It inspired me to begin building a dedicated fanbase that would support me regardless of staying independent or having a label backing.

The goal has always been to sign other artists and partner with a label at some point if it feels right. With a new untitled project coming early 2023 I’m really excited for the future and can’t wait for you to hear it. At Vinyl & Gold, we dedicate ourselves to being there for our listeners through every moment of their lives and to help support and inspire them on good and bad days. We’re not just a brand, its a way of life. Freedom is our core value.

To learn more about me and to hear my entire discography visit www.vinylandgold.com/george

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

For sure. There’s been several factors in my past that have added fuel to the fire and drove me to become the artist I am today. I wouldn’t change any of them for anything. From growing up in a broken home and moving out at 18 to going through College and being determined to breakout in the music industry, it’s been a path I wouldn’t change in the slightest.

My life’s mission is to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren that creates pride and honor in the family rather than shame and embarrassment. Creating generational wealth so I can provide for a long time after my death. Only a handful of people from each generation make a big enough impact on society that their names live in infamy and are celebrated by future generations. Many men’s biggest goal in life is to be able to provide, and be the foundation for, their families. Financial Freedom is one of the biggest motivating factors for me. Providing a high quality of life to everyone around me and not being enslaved has always been the main goal.

A couple of near-death experiences have made me realize how precious and short life is. As a young man I was dealing with a lot demons. My behavior was reckless to say the least. There were points where I didn’t value my life and the pressure of everything felt too heavy to want to move forward. I was crying out for help and no one seemed to be listening.

Moving through life with a chip on my shoulder I’ve learned to channel those demons into a strong work ethic and drive. When we board a plane they teach us that you have to put your own air mask on first before you can save your loved ones, and that’s what I’m trying to do. The division between rich and poor is only growing larger by the day and it’s scary to think what life will be like for people and families with the short straw.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Apart from reading the cliché books like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, “The Richest Man In Babylon”, and “How to Think & Grow Rich” there have been a lot of other books and resources that have helped shape me as a person. Like most artists in my generation YouTube has been the best resource by far. I’ve easily put in 10,000 hours on there getting my chops; learning guitar, watching music production videos, studying the music industry, music theory, etc. Here are 3 books that helped shape who I am:

“The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene is a bible for any artist, musician, actor, entrepreneur, CEO, politician, etc. who are trying to navigate the power dynamics in their business. It’s for people who want to leave their mark on the world and significantly impact their generation. Reading about the most notable men and women in history and the background behind some of their biggest decisions (whether or good or evil) that shaped the world we see today are important lessons to learn. We might think that their experiences are irrelevant to our modern lives but that’s just not true – human interactions don’t change much over time and the power structure remains whether we like it or not. Studying the moves of people like Napoleon, Nikola Tesla or Louis XIV can help frame current decisions and add tools to our own belts. I always found it difficult to find strong male role models in my life so in a weird way this helped provide that. I still refer back to it all the time.

The ancient Egyptian sacred funerary text called “The Book of the Dead” teaches the reader how to navigate death and the afterlife. It guides the reader through the underworld and gives them spells to chant when encountering different monsters, gods and beasts along their journey. Knowing what to say, how to read hieroglyphs and what to bury with you when you die are all really important things to know before your day comes. It’s a mental preparation for your inevitable death and whether you believe it or not is a coping mechanism for your final hours. It’s a lifelong preparation for your transition and I believe it’s the purest understanding of what happens after we die.

The last book I would recommend is called “Rick Rubin: In The Studio”. I read it last year and recommend it to any artist or producer coming up. He’s proof that good music prevails and he motivates all of us to cherish the craft on a much deeper level. His ability to transcend genre and strip back the over crowdedness of a record is madness. His career has had a huge impact on me and I would be blessed to reach half of his success.

Other music industry books like “What They’ll Never Tell You About The Music Business, “All You Need To Know About The Music Business”, and “How To Win Big In The Music Business” have been life changing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vinylandgold.com
• Instagram: https://GeorgeRyan.lnk.to/Instagram
• Facebook: https://GeorgeRyan.lnk.to/Facebook
• Twitter: https://GeorgeRyan.lnk.to/Twitter
• Youtube: https://GeorgeRyan.lnk.to/YouTube
• Other: TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgeryanmusic

Image Credits
Mikka Gia Photography (@MikkaGiaPhotography)