Forget Me Not is a husband and wife duo from Seattle, Washington. Ryan and Amanda Cariker are an eccentric indie/pop, electroacoustic group. They specialize in diverse instrumentals, spectacular acoustics, powerful bass beats and vivid melodies. Ryan Cariker focuses his raw energy into lead vocals, production and guitar. Amanda Cariker’s vocals are harmonically-rich and the perfect contrast alongside Ryan. Amanda is also an accomplished songwriter. Forget Me Not’s second EP titled “Drama” delivers heartfelt lyrics and expansive sounds.
The first song on the EP “WidowMaker” is a hypnotizing and catchy piece. The composition of multi-layered sounds have me blown away instantly. Ryan’s strong vocals compliment with Amanda’s soft and beautiful sound perfectly. “I’ve got the devil on my shoulder but the angel hasn’t spoken for days” is my favorite verse in “WidowMaker” because it’s delivered so delicately but holds so much weight. The upbeat arrangement has me tapping my feet while Ryan sings “Dig me a shallow grave”. “WidowMaker” is ironic and brilliant.
“Drama” is the second song on the same titled EP. It’s a more melancholy and intoxicating piece but still keeps up with the vibrant electroacoustic sound that Forget Me Not are known for. We hear a softer side to Ryan’s voice in this song. Amanda’s vocals are consistently polished and timeless. “Drama” is about the drama and ups and downs after a breakup. Amanda recites “You won’t find me running on back to you” to get this message across. When Ryan sings “And do we still meet when you dream? Making nightmares in your head” I got chills! The lyrics are haunting and alluring. I really enjoy the orchestral aesthetics in this composition, it’s chilling and transcendent and over all beautiful.
For the third and final song on the EP “Drama”, Forget Me Not calibrated the entrancing “The Business Of Drowning”. In Amanda’s introduction she says “Submitting this for the approval of The Midnight Society, I call this tale The Business Of Drowning” and all of my Are You Afraid Of The Dark flashbacks came to life. “The Business Of Drowning” is not quite a horror story though. It’s fresh and melodic and boasts an indie/pop love anthem vibe. The guitar in this song is breathtaking, the vocals are once again flawless and the overall audio production is seamless. Ryan Cariker and Amanda Cariker have created something so exemplary and finely-calibrated. The chemistry between them is delightful and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this dynamic duo, Forget Me Not.
Check out the album "Drama" here. Read more with Ryan and Amanda below!
When did you two start working together?
R: We got serious about writing together in 2016 after I left the band I had been in for years. I wanted to start making music that I was passionate about.
A: In 2017/18 we started performing our songs and we’ve since released two EP’s together.
Who are your musical inspirations that have helped share (shape?) your careers in the music industry?
R: I love music that expresses emotion in extreme/different forms and the first ones that come to mind are Knocked Loose, Wu Tang and Enya.
A: I’d have to give a heavy nod to Led Zeppelin, TSwift & all 90s hip/hop, R&B
Would you ever consider expanding Forget Me Not a larger group? Why? Why not?
R: I spent the first decade of my music career writing and touring with other musicians. But now that I have the perfect tour mate & partner to share it with I can’t imagine anything outside this duo.
A: Yeah, nothing beats doing what you love with the one you love.
Can you tell us the message behind each song on this EP and the overall theme?
A: ‘Drama’ was just something I really wanted to sing. Once the guitar was laid down we built melodies quickly with lyrics we felt were as easy going as the song itself.
R: Amanda really inspired this one, I laid down guitar and she sort of did the rest.
R: WidowMaker was a track we started writing on our first tour together. What we are doing together is special and important, but it doesn’t come without its hardships. This song speaks to those darker moments, but in a persevering kind of way.
A: I’m personally obsessed with this song. It became one of my favorites after we rearranged it a bit over the last few months. Ryan really brought this one to life multiple times and in proud of where we landed.
A: The Business of Drowning is a actually one of the first songs Ryan wrote in respect to Forget Me Not. It was the summer after our wedding and he was off on a pretty long tour with his band at the time.
R: it was 4th of July years ago, I’d been on the road for over a month, people not getting along and just a lot of partying - and not the fun kind where you want to be there. I really missed my wife. I think this song was a mix of coping with everything but also discovering that making my own music made me incredibly happy.
Who would you compare your sound to?
Hard to say, we really pride ourselves on being a sound not easily defined. Postal Service meets Alkine Trio Or imagine Enya decided to insert some nasty bass beats and male vocals into her songs.
What's next for you through 2019?
Always writing and always performing. We’ll be playing the Northwest Folk Life festival in Seattle on Memorial Day and releasing our latest music video for ‘Drama’ this spring.
Stay connected with Forget Me Not on social media!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/conductedbyforgetmenot
Facebook: www.facebook.com/conductedbyforgetmenot