We were lucky to catch up with Ryan Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Starting a new music project at 40 years old is pretty scary. I could share about that and my experience as an older artist just starting out on a new project.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My current musical project, Arewhyayen, started in the months leading up to the loss of my Dad in February 2023. His health was failing and I was feeling a complete loss of control and felt like my life was spiraling. I started to write some songs to help me process my big, heavy feelings and try as best as I could to make sense of the terrible reality that surrounded me. In the days after his passing, I started to write again and finished a song called “Next Life” which is about the night he passed and how I was feeling. After finishing this song, I started to write more and more about love, loss, and life and before I knew it, I had a full set of songs and I started to play them live for the first time.

This project aims to put words to some of life’s toughest challenges, the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, and losing your identity after something traumatic happens. These are the topics I incorporate into my music. And I do so because in a way I feel like I am giving people permission to feel all their deep feelings. I am proud of how this project has helped connect people who may have never met in normal circumstances. I am proud of how we are building a community of nostalgic “emo heads” who still find value in singing songs at the top of their lungs. And I am also proud of how we are creating positivity just by making music and coming together to enjoy that music.

I think what sets this project special is the time I have put into making this project so special. It’s been years in the making. The collection of songs I am currently performing has been poured over, deconstructed, and then put back together. And I am blending several genres into each song. I mix pop, R&B, hip-hop, and even country. This project helps me feel free as a creative and I am so excited to keep walking this path and producing more and more music from this special place in my heart.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The short answer is to find a few artists and creatives who you feel improve your life with their art and just support them. Go to their shows or gallery openings, post about them on social media, and tell your friends about them and what you love about their art. Word of mouth is the best way to gain new fans so sharing your favorite artists and creatives is huge. If they have a website, buy their merch, download their virtual class, or subscribe to their e-mail, these are all ways you can support an artist or creative that don’t require much effort on your end. But it helps the artist garner new opportunities when they have an outlet to promote their works.

In my experience, most people don’t understand the economics that goes into furthering our creative projects. And there isn’t much help from record companies or streaming platforms. It makes such a difference to a musician or creative to have around 100 people diligently support their music or art. If more artists could hit this number, I think the amount of creative projects that saw the light of day would increase dramatically.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

At the genesis of this project, I knew I had to create a kind of mission statement or creed that would help me keep this project going in the right direction. My goal is to create emotionally driven pop songs about love and loss that offer folks a safe haven, or oasis, from carrying their heavy burden alone. Through this project, I am building a community of like-minded people who just enjoy nostalgic music and want to share it with their friends. After each show, I spend time meeting new people and getting them connected to our community however they feel comfortable. When I feel stuck creatively, I go back to this mission statement and it helps me work around my creative blocks and find creative solutions to tough challenges. Everything is wrapped in the mission to bring people together and curate a live show that leaves them feeling inspired and energetic.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiemusicdad
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arewhyayenmusic

Image Credits
Erin McKenzie – Promo photo Aaron Kellium – Live photos