What do you do when you feel like the walls are closing in on you? For L.A. local musician, recently turned solo artist, Ryan LeVine, the answer was simple; write it out in a song. Or five to be exact. Bearing his soul and opening up about the personal ups and downs in his life, LeVine crafts a vulnerable, yet resound debut EP, Good Things To Remember, out now via BMG. A quiet, rumbling collection of self reflective love tunes fit for the wanderlust soul searcher, LeVine’s EP feels like a familiar cross section in one’s life, where the future can seem both open and uneasy with questions that seem to have no clear answers.
Filled with subtly clever lyrics and honest confessional type imagery, this album revels in nostalgia, but not just for the sake of it. Rather, underneath a pleasant, albeit sometimes melody, lies the restless intentions of someone longing for meaning and hopeful, despite recent disappointments, to find it. Regardless of how uncertain or lonely things can be, LeVine writes though it all and lets others know that no one is ever alone in their struggles.
“The songs allowed me to process what for so long seemed overwhelmingly painful and unclear, both romantically and professionally,” notes LeVine. “I had a lot to figure out and I feel like I’ve done that, or at least become more comfortable with the process. I hope that for people listening there’s some sort of connection or catharsis and that it touches them in that way too. I think that’s what music does best—whatever feeling you’re feeling is reflected in a song and that helps you feel less alone. Or it makes you feel it deeper, which for me has always been the first step in healing.”
Sonically, the album falls somewhere between vintage folk rock and modern indie music; that is soft, thoughtful and filled with bittersweet sentiments. Like the simplicity of his music, LeVine partners with Meredith Adelaide to create intimate and wistful music videos for many of the singles on Good Things To Remember. Overall, LeVine’s new EP reminds us that the will to move forward is something that lives within all of us.
In addition to releasing his debut EP, Ryan LeVine will be playing a show at the Hotel Cafe on Dec. 3. Presented by Grimy Goods, the evening will also feature DESURE and Hannah Connolly.
Words: Patti Sanchez
For more on Ryan LeVine, make sure to follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
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