Though most of us first heard about Ryan Ferguson when he opened for Switchfoot's 2006 Fall Oh! Gravity tour, he is, by no means, a new artist.
In fact, he has been playing music for longer then some of us have been alive and his former band No Knife has been one of Switchfoot's favorite bands for some time now.
When the Oh! Gravity tour rolled around, we got our first exposure to this singer and his deep, thought provoking lyrics. LOBH immediately contacted Ryan for an interview in order to find out what the man behind the music was like... and we did! So read on!
Land of Broken Hearts (LOBH): We really love getting the "inside" perspective so thanks for doing this interview! Okay first question...how did you meet Switchfoot?
Ryan Ferguson: Being from San Diego, I've known about and respected Switchfoot for a long time. But in all those years, our bands had never played together before. So it wasn't until September of last year when I first met Jon and began a friendship with him. We both played a Hurricane Katrina Benefit show at the Hard Rock in San Diego. Shortly after, we played together up in LA at another small acoustic show. And that's how it got started.
LOBH: And then the Oh! Gravity tour came along...what's it like touring with Switchfoot?
Ryan: Touring with Switchfoot was something that I'll never forget. For me it was exciting on many different levels. First of all, it was my first "solo" tour after having toured with No Knife for eight or nine years. Second of all, it was my first time touring in a bus. The guys were cool enough to invite me onboard. Originally I was going to follow behind them in my pick-up, but Tim and Jon approached me after the very first show of the tour and said, "That's it, you're coming with us on the bus! We don't want you to drive 11,000 miles by yourself in a little truck... we want you with us." And so I moved on the bus after the second gig at The Roxy, and left my truck at my friend's house in LA for five weeks. Pretty cool, huh?
LOBH: Definitely! I can't imagine driving all that way for all those hours and managing to stay awake! So do you have any crazy tour stories to share with us?
Ryan: I guess the absolute CRAZIEST tour story is when Jon, Tim and I got chased by a couple 80 year-old security guards while skating around the mall parking lot in Amarillo, TX. That was absolutely the craziest PG-rated thing that happened on this tour. I could probably remember some funny story for every day we were on the road, but probably the craziest thing was meeting the kid from Hanson in Tulsa, OK. I mean seriously, Hanson?
LOBH: They're still around? Wow what do you know! You have been playing these shows with just an acoustic guitar...and that can't be to easy. What is the downsides and advantages to playing shows like that?
Ryan: Well the upside is the fact that loading in and out of venues every night is really easy. I mean I have one guitar, a suitcase and two boxes of merchandise. That's it! (It's less to lose.) But on the downside, you feel pretty naked up there on stage. I'm so used to playing an electric guitar and singing back-up with a full band, so it's still a bit foreign to me to be up there by myself. Also, I've never really considered myself a true "singer." I'm more of a guitarist/songwriter who happens to sing, so to play completely solo without any additional instruments or vocals, is still a bit daunting to me.
LOBH: Is there one moment of the Oh! Gravity tour that really stands out in your memory?
Ryan: Well, probably the most fun day of the tour was the day we spent at the beach in Jacksonville, FL. Jon rented three surfboards and Chad bought this crazy hydro-ball at Costco that we all took turns using that, that afternoon. (see Switchfoot Podcast #15.) Everyone was finally over their colds, the water was the perfect temperature, we were about 2/3 the way through the tour, and it was just the relief we were all looking for. As for one of the most memorable moments of the tour... it had to be when this kid in Boise, ID asked me to write my favorite bible scripture on his CD when I signed it. I mean I knew Switchfoot was a Christian band, but I certainly didn't expect that! Aside from those two stories though, the ONE overall memory that really stood out to me was the sincere relationship that the members of Switchfoot and their fans have with one another. They absolutely LOVE their fans, and vice versa. I'm certainly not saying that most bands/artists don't like their fans or anything, but there was something different with the SF fans. Something very genuine and passionate. It was very cool to be a part of.
LOBH: It's cool for us fans too. So how long have you been playing music? I know you played in No Knife...I constantly hear the Switchfoot guys mention that band...but how many different bands have you played in total?
Ryan: I've been playing music since about the time I was in the seventh grade. A couple buddies of mine and I formed a band called The Extinct. We were terrible. We wrote a few of our own songs, but we also played a bunch of Cult and Clash covers. I picked up the bass first, then the drums, and then eventually the guitar. I played drums in a band caled Bldg. 14 all through high school and we were really into U2 and The Cure. Which meant that every song we wrote sounded a lot like U2 and The Cure. I joined No Knife when I was 19 and played until we called it quits in 2003. Now I've been talked into doing my own solo thing, so I guess that makes it 4 bands total. But that doesn't count my old high school rap band Phunk Doozer and my fantasy art-punk band Bionator. (ha, ha)
LOBH: What's your song writing process?
Ryan: My songwriting process tends to vary here and there. But typically I begin with a simple melody that I'll usually have stuck in my head for some time. Usually it's a musical piece as opposed to a vocal melody. I remember coming up with the chorus to "Remission" while at a baseball game. I didn't want to forget it, so I hummed the tune into my cell phone and recorded it. I do most of my writing while driving actually. Don't worry, the streets are safe. But being isolated in a vehicle allows me to sing as loud as I want, as many times as I want without bothering the neighbors. I always keep a digital recorder in the glove box, so I never forget any melodies that I may want to use for future material. In most cases though, I typically begin with the music and get a good feel of the direction of the song before I begin with the lyrics. The mood of the music usually tends to dictate the subject matter I write about. But like I said, the process tends to vary. There is no true formula for writing a song. I remember writing "Suddenly" in about 20 mins - the whole song. I wish it was that easy all the time.
LOBH: What is your favorite song from your repertoire?
Ryan: "Remission" and "In the Sea" are probably tied. "Remission" is a very powerful song for me to sing every night because it's about my cousin and her battle with Leukemia. (She passed away in July, shortly after I recorded the song.) And every time I sing that song I obviously think of my cousin, so it's very close to my heart. As for "In the Sea", it's a happy Beach Boy-esque tune layered with haunting, dark overtones about the ocean and it's healing powers. I enjoy playing that song partly because it's new, and because I love to sing it... a definite crowd favorite.
LOBH: Can you tell us a little bit about the overall feel/theme of your latest album?
Ryan: My new full-length is titled "Only Trying to Help" and it's a collection of pop songs centered around various experiences my family, friends and I all went through in the last few years. I'd say the overall theme is that of both helplessness and hopefulness. It deals a bit with self-evaluation. And although the songs are poppy, much of the content is fairly dark. I touch on troubled family relationships, broken hearts, death, disease, loneliness, identity theft, and of course the darkest of all... love. But despite the subject matter, it's a very positive record. I write about trying to make the best of unfortunate situations. And that's all you can really do when life throws you of it’s endless unintentional curve balls.
LOBH: What are your future plans?
Ryan: I plan on getting this record out as soon as I can, so I can get back out on the road and tour. I also need to continue writing new stuff. Jon and I are working on a couple of tunes right now actually. I just have to keep busy and stay focused. I have a pretty good feeling about 2007.
LOBH: Latly we have what we call the LOBH Three which we ask everyone we interview:
1. What is one question you've never been asked, and the answer?
Ryan: Are you an alcoholic? Nope.
LOBH: 2. What is the best advice you've ever been given/heard?
Ryan: Well my personal advice is, "Don't ever fool yourself." I've always had a good sense of who I am and what makes ME who I am, and therefore I feel I know myself really well. So I know when I'm in the wrong or when I'm in something for the wrong reason, and I need to confront that (whatever it is) and make it right. I mean if you're not happy in your relationship or with your lame job, why fool yourself into thinking that's all there is? Get out! Re-establish yourself and correct things. So many people are so unhappy and aren't doing anything about it... I've never understood that. Communication is another big thing of mine. If you can't communicate with people, especially the ones you love, then you're gonna have some real big problems down the road.
LOBH: 3. What is one song you wish you had written?
Ryan: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. That song, alone, changed the commercial radio world forever, redefined rock 'n roll for a generation and helped establish an entire genre completely by accident. It opened the door and paved the way for hundreds if not thousands of bands and their music to be heard one way or another. I know people are sick of hearing it now, but when that song first came out, it really gave a lot of musicians and music-lovers some genuine hope. Besides, I'm sure those royalty checks would be pretty nice.
LOBH: Ha ha yes they would. Well thanks Ryan for your time!
Ryan: Thanks for the interview.
To find out more about Ryan and his music, visit his website here!: http://fergusong.com/
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