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

Ryn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

A creative is who you are, artistry is what you practice. I would say I’m happiest and most comfortable as a creative and I use my artistry as a vessel for it. Some people would rather die than give up their artistry–the classic starving artist persona we see trotting around on Gallatin Ave. As for me, I very much like to eat. It’s a really harsh world out there. Some people I know who technically do music for a living, do not have it all figured out and sometimes don’t know when their bills are going to be paid.

I don’t currently do music for a living, so I know what it’s like to have a regular job. Do I love what I do for a living? Not particularly, but I will say that it keeps me humble and real. I deal with a lot of rich and famous people in my “regular” job, some of whom are so out of touch with reality.. I don’t plan on working like this forever, but I will always appreciate where I come from. There is beauty to be found beneath the mundane.

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?

Hey y’all, I’m Ryn Eckert—a 27-year-old independent Pop and R&B singer/songwriter. I’ve been living in Nashville for 15 years now, spending that time really finding my voice and shaping my sound. After a ton of growth and reflection, I finally feel like I’m making music that is truly me.

This past year, I wrote and recorded my debut EP, Bitter Butterfly—and I couldn’t be more excited to finally share it. A bitter butterfly is exactly who I am. This project dives into what it’s like to navigate early adulthood—grappling with self-doubt, criticism, and addiction. The songs might sound polished on the surface, but if you listen to the lyrics, you’ll find a lot more going on underneath.

That’s what sets me apart—not just from other Pop and R&B artists, but particularly in a scene where it’s easy to lean on image to sell a track. I don’t rely on shock value or sex appeal to get people’s attention. I focus on my voice and my words alone. I’ve been in Nashville long enough to know that a great song should be able to stand on its own, period.

My music isn’t just for the outsiders—it’s for anyone who’s still trying to figure out who they are. I’m definitely not perfect, but this project is a snapshot of the lessons I’ve learned and the areas I still want to grow in. I’m so excited to see where this EP takes me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is getting on stage, pouring my heart out, and feeling the whole room go still—where you could hear a pin drop. That kind of presence, that connection, it’s rare. As artists, we live in our heads a lot. We all have those moments where we record a voice memo, listen back, and cringe like, “Wait… I sound like that? Ew.” But we do it anyway. We record cringey voice notes to then get up on stage and open ourselves up to complete strangers. It’s one of the most vulnerable things a person can do.

Just the other night, I performed some brand new songs I had written about my ex. I’d only ever played them in my bedroom, so I had no idea how they’d land. But the audience was visibly moved. Complete strangers validated my grief—just because I was willing to be real with them.

Being an artist reminds me of when we were all kids, finger painting in class. Every single kid joined in—some traced their hands into turkeys, others swirled paint around until they stumbled on a color they’d never seen before. That’s creativity in its purest form. I truly believe everyone is an artist deep down. Some of us just find our way back to that fearless, messy joy later in life. In my humble opinion, we all should.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Growing up, I was glued to the voices of fierce, resilient women—Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, JoJo, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey. They were powerful, unapologetic, and their music was simply a safe space for me. Whenever life felt too loud or overwhelming, I’d pop in a CD on my portable player, put on my headphones, and let their voices drown everything else out. Listening to them gave me hope—that there was more to life than this and I just hadn’t discovered it yet.

That’s what I hope to be for someone else. I want to be the artist a little girl turns to when she’s picked last for kickball or sitting alone at lunch. I want my music to remind her she matters, that someone out there sees her and what she’s going through. I’m doing this for all the girls—and for the little girl who still lives within me, too.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ryneckert
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryneckert/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryneckert/videos?app=desktop
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ryneckert
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6te37Bft4TNWGzEUkyvZDP?si=-sGB_ebeS36GA81APzju6Q

Image Credits

Dallas Jack