MUSIC & LIFESTYLE

Decisions, decisions

It’s been nearly two years since  Sean Ryan  has played live music in Monterey. He has a loyal following of fans in Monterey and the lines are often blurred between fans and friends because he has the ability to turn audience members into instant friends. So we took the opportunity to catch up with Sean during his brief visit in July, 2021.

Sean Ryan & Rose Rodriguez

Sean Ryan is decisive. His career is built on decisions. He made the decision to leave Monterey, after making a living from his music by playing and writing songs locally for a number of years, to work on the art of creating music. The decision to move to Nashville has paid off in a number of ways, and he has built a fanbase that includes music lovers from around the world, been featured on national radio, released an album and EP to great reception and written and produced for successful fellow artists/musicians in the Nashville area. 

Sean Ryan is a transparent soul and that’s what sets his work apart. Most songwriters will use a personal event and broaden the scope so that it has just enough of their personal thoughts to invoke emotion without baring their soul. But not Sean Ryan. He goes deep and writes about personal experiences as they happen and explains the songs’ meaning at every gig, during interviews and on social media. 
So Sean Ryan is as simple to understand as one, two, three … he lives his life, writes about it and then explicitly explains the meaning behind his music.
In “Graduation Day”,  his original song released during graduation season in May of 2019, he told us that the song represents new phases in life as we are all constantly evolving and growing. He uses his annual return trips back to Monterey to gauge how he has grown and changed. 
With the 2020 pandemic and the halt in live music, we haven’t seen Sean Ryan in Monterey for nearly two years. It’s July 2021 at this writing. He is in town for a private performance and one public gig. His last time performing in Monterey County was in early October of 2019. So we did not get to hear the annual update for 2020.
We took to opportunity to ask him to fill us in. 

Rose Rodriguez & Sean Ryan

Question: Sean, it’s been a long year and live music was among the hardest hit of all industries. Will you please tell us how things have changed for you since your last visit to Monterey, for yourself and for live music in general? 
Sean Ryan:
Oh man what a good question.  
I see the world change after the pandemic by being a little more sincere on their connection to music. People want to feel happy and carefree and I think what they listen to represents that. 
As far as myself, I’ve learned to feel comfortable in my own shoes. After the experiences I’ve  witnessed,  I am more relaxed in any environment since I have been in it before and more importantly,  I know who I am as a person.  My “lines” have been etched in my soul and my spiritual compasses are aligned to what’s good for me to be around. There was Heartbreak in between, when I was searching for the Heart of Gold, but I learned a valuable lesson that my life is defined only by my own experiences and I can find that Heart of Gold in many other things. Again, happiness is within and I am beyond grateful I found a slice of it 
Question: will you talk about the new opportunities … what good has come out of the past year for you? 
Sean Ryan:
I learned to be happy. Nothing really changed. On the accolade side, I wrote a song for another artist that was a big hit, I have become brand ambassador at Jimmy Buffets signature establishments, release new music, etc., but again for me it was finding that bit of happiness

King of Wishful Thinking

It’s rare for a decisive individual to be called a wishful thinker but that’s the title of Sean Ryan’s latest EP. He released part 1 on June 5, 2021, which includes two highly-anticipated singles that both embody his trademark style.
“She Moves Me“, was written near the California coast and is simply about a beautiful woman passing him while playing a live gig. His trademark 70’s style comes through as well as his ability to appreciate and illuminate a simple moment in time. Best experienced live in the California sun, but the single makes the lyrics stand out.
The second single is simply entitled “Okay“, and is an encouraging message. It is a collaboration between his girlfriend, Rose Rodriguez and is a reminder that in the midst of chaos and stress, we can rest assured that we’re going to be okay. It is Sean and Rose’s hope that this encourages people to make the decision Sean has made in the past few months – to be happy and know it’ll all be okay.
One public performance only: at Hahn Winery on July 11, 2021 from 12-4 pm. 

Following local musicians allows fans to watch as new songs evolve. We posted the video in late 2019, well before the June 2021 release. Watching and supporting local music is a rewarding experience. 

 

When you support local musicians, you often get to see new music before it’s released. In fact, you may see it evolve quite a bit before it’s final release. Enjoy this song before you can buy it. Recorded via iPhone in September 2019.

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 Monterey Rocks

A blog about music in Monterey County to encourage support and inspire community

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