Coming in hot from Chicago, the Singer-Songwriter, Producer, and performer Ryan Mannebach merges the sounds of Alt-Rock and R&B with his latest emotionally determined single, "Long Time."
Although his solo work is a relatively recent endeavor, Ryan has worked with bands like The Native Woods and Righteous Sound, which landed him gigs on four separate occasions at the House of Blues, Reggie's Rock Club, Bottom Lounge, and The Subterranean. After graduating with an Audio Arts & Acoustics Degree from Columbia College Chicago, Ryan Mannebach felt as ready as ever to release tunes of his own.
Elaborating on his recent release, "Long Time," Ryan stated that the song is his most emotionally determined song to date. Also touching on the 'stream of consciousness' production style he fused into this single, Ryan sings and raps over this tune about the emotional turbulence that the Trump Administration has provided, alongside environmental justice in the era of COVID-19.
Diving into the single, "Long Time" begins with bright and warm piano melodies accompanied by the modernness and vigor of Hip-Hop drums patterns. As Ryan starts singing of experiencing the long political journey we've seen these past four years, he then shifts his delivery into more of a rap that adds incredible versatility.
Rapping of needed change within our government, especially in order to take proper action on the pandemic at hand, Ryan touches on the most vital and relevant topics to keep the listeners engaged. Not to mention the song's groovy and dynamic production that keeps our toes-tapping, we love the modern vibes and tones that Ryan has placed into this track.
Be sure to check out Ryan Mannebach's relatable, passionate, and emotionally charged single "Long Time," as we watch our current times change for the better.
Could you take us back to the moment that inspired you to create your relatable and passionate piece, "Long Time"?
Lately, certain samples or sounds inspire me to say certain things on the record. As soon as I heard the piano sample used in "Long Time" it made me feel joyous. I started building the instrumental around that, and the phrase "It's been a long time" poured out of me. It just felt like the right words to match the sound of the track.
How did you go about creating such a dynamic instrumental atmosphere for "Long Time"? What was your creative process like when merging synthetic and organic sounds?
I can't take all the credit because my good friend Aditya Kamath (alias @ego.mix on Instagram) offered to put some of his production "Sawce" on the stems (individual instruments and sounds recorded for the song). I passed it along to him and he added interesting echo delays, high and low pitch vocal harmonies. Historically, I've been a more real-instruments, live band performer, and studioist, so having his help with this new stylistic direction was a blessing.
As far as synthetic vs organic sounds, everything is synthetic on this track except for electric guitar, bass guitar, and vocals. I really enjoyed messing around with new, "hype" sounds and it brought out a different kind of vocal performance for me.
Why did you want to deliver your lyrics through rapping and singing within "Long Time"? How did your delivery on this single help get your message across?
Great question! I feel like both singing and rapping are interchangeable modes of musical expression. It all depends on what the message of the song is, and how I can best serve it. I take great inspiration from old blues singers. This style of delivery is sermon-like, in which both talking and singing become one and the same. Son House, Robert Johnson, and even Bob Dylan are doing the same thing as Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak is doing. The only differences are the stories they tell and the styles in which they tell those stories. It's all truth-saying, and I try my best to do the same in my songs.
Should we expect more politically charged and relevant singles like "Long Time" with your upcoming releases? Is writing about politics and current events a common occurrence for you?
Yes. As a matter of fact, I am working on an album right now called "Ryan & The Righteous Sound". These songs represent different elements of the human experience. While not all of the songs are overtly political, some of them are. It seems to be something I am naturally drawn to. I have always been fascinated with politics since I was about middle school age. I will say, passionate politics are not something I (or anyone else) can fabricate so I write about politics when I feel like it, and write other songs about completely different subjects as well.
What has been keeping you motivated and inspired to create music? What message do you want fans to take away from your work?
Seeing my friends and family's reactions to my songs always makes me happy. Whether it's positive or negative, it doesn't matter because I know they care about my work and that's what counts. I am also motivated to create music because it is a lot of fun to sit down and write a song. I love listening to great artists and I love making the best music I can. I am also motivated by the fact that live shows will eventually open up again, and that is where I find myself having the most fun. Playing my heart out for a live crowd. Nothing beats live music for me. The companionship and communion of sharing special songs with your loved ones on stage and in the crowd, it's a type of group healing that humanity sorely needs right now.
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