Interview with Ryan Shupe – Former Country Chart-topping Artist Turns to Rock

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Utah-based singer-songwriter, Ryan Shupe.  Ryan shared the pros and cons about moving on from being a major label country artist to a completely independent rock-pop artist. With seven studio albums and a slew of national tours under his belt and an eighth full-length album set to release this November, this Billboard-charting artist has no signs of stopping now!  Read more below…

AMERICANA LADY:  I see you’ve had quite a career so far! As a former Capitol Records artist, what were the biggest a pros and cons transitioning back to being independent?

RYAN SHUPE:  Well, one of the biggest cons is not getting free clothes anymore… haha.  Actually, being on a major label was really great for me.  A lot of great things happened while we were on the label.  However, some team members that really believed in us left the label midway though our project.  So, that was a bummer and a con to being on a label that you can’t control.  However, that is the good thing to being independent… you control your own destiny.  And, you really have a pulse on what you are doing and how things are going.

AL:  Having had Billboard success as a country artist, what made you decide to release a more rock-pop album this time around?

RS:  I think there are a couple reasons for this… I felt like our sound always leaned toward the rock side of the spectrum.  The instrumentation has always had that acoustic side to it, but the songs have always leaned toward a rock sensibility… Of course, some songs more than others.  One of the other reasons is that I feel like the music world has shifted beneath our feet.  Really I have stayed pretty true to what I am as an artist… it just so happens that the rise of bands like The Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons, and more pop driven acoustic bands like American Authors it seems like we end up more on the Rock side of the musical world more than ever.

AL:  Has the genre shift effected your songwriting process at all?

RS:  Well, this album is the most focused of all the albums I have done.  Past albums were like 5 albums in one… part Rock, Bluegrass, Gospel, Humorous, and Singer/Songwriter.  So, I really wanted to focus on this album.  It was a little difficult because I think I’m a bit ADD or ADHD… whatever it is.  But, I really focused and I feel like this is a real cohesive album.  More so than any of they others.  And, I really think this is the best album I’ve made to date.

AL:  What can fans expect from your live show?

RS:  Oh, the live shows are fun.  We get the audience involved and have a good time.  I love performing.  I think it’s a 2 way street with the fans.  We need to give a little and listen a little.  So, we’ll play some of the crowd favorites and then throw in some new stuff they haven’t heard yet.  Also, we like to jam on songs more than on the albums.  So, no two shows are the same.  

AL:  I see that you play a number of different instruments, including the violin and mandolin. Do you have a preferred instrument you like to perform live with ? 

RS:  Well, I’m best at the violin.  I’m a 5th generation fiddler and I’ve been playing it since I was 5.  So, I’ve only been walking 4 years longer than I’ve been playing the fiddle.. haha.  But, since then I’ve picked up a bunch of instruments and I like them all for different reasons.  They all have a voice of their own.  When I’m writing songs, if I sit down to the piano for example, I will come up with different ideas than if I am writing on the guitar or mandolin or banjo, etc…  But, In a live situation I think I can really rock out on the fiddle best.

AL: With 7 albums already released, what makes your forthcoming album different from your previous ones?

RS:  This album is more focused and more rocking.  I feel like the songs are stronger than any of the other albums.  And, I produced the tracks and played most everything on the album.  So, this album has a different vibe and sound than the rest of the albums.  Sometimes, I felt like a mad scientist just making music in my home studio.  I never knew exactly what I was going to come up with, but I would just keep experimenting until it felt right.   It was a lot of fun and a lot of work.

AL:  Besides the new album, what else can Ryan Shupe fans look forward to?

RS:  World Domination!  Haha… Well, We’ve been working on some new videos.  We already have two videos for “The Sun Will Shine Again” and “We Rode On.”  I really like making videos and thinking of ideas for them… it’s a lot of fun.  Aside from that, we hope to be touring to a bunch of different places nationally to get the word out about the album.

For more info on Ryan Shupe’s upcoming tour dates and new album, We Rode On, go to:  Shupe.net

Here’s Ryan’s latest music video, “We Rode On”: