Amy Ryan Band – Interview – “Thanks for Asking”
Written by Staff on March 18, 2024
Amy Ryan Band – Interview – “Thanks for Asking” – by Liam Sweeny.
RRX: Who are you? Not, like, philosophically, but you know, who are the members of the band, who plays what? Describe yourself in one sentence (it can be a long sentence.)
ARB: We are a 5-piece, Capital Region-based soul blues band playing original music and select covers, I’m the lead singer (Amy Ryan), Richard Green is the lead guitarist, Ed Stein is on keys, and our rhythm section consists of Mark McKay on drums with Dave Imbarrato on bass.
RRX: Do you have anything out right now that people can enjoy, and if so, what’s the best way for them to get it?
ARB: We put an album out in 2021/22 – Shake and Shimmy which is on on Spotify and Bandcamp. Also come to one of our live shows and get a free copy of our CD!
You can also check us out on our YouTube channel, see links below for ways to see and hear us:
Website: https://amyryanband.com
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/AmyRyanBand/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@amyryanband4048
https://youtu.be/RpxOnJ2yFbE
https://youtu.be/Gob41dIbf0s
RRX: We do this for the fans. For the blisters also, but mostly for the fans. Who’s one your best fans? Without necessarily giving their name, what are they like?
ARB: We literally have the biggest fan, lol, who stands about 6’4’’ tall, has a really big beard, big smile, and he has one of the biggest hearts too. He and his wife travel in their RV around the country, they pulled up one time one of our shows several years ago, and ever since any time they are in this area they make a point of coming to as many of our shows as they can. They have become really good friends as well.
RRX: Is there a favorite time of year? What time of year does the band have the most shows? Is there a recurring thing in the year that’s particularly memorable?
ARB: Our shows tend to ramp up in the summer months. However, one of our favorite gigs is our monthly residency at Firefly in Lenox, Massachusetts. That one’s an exception to the summer ramp up role as we play there from November through May (they focus on the restaurant aspect of their business during the summer Berkshires tourist season).
RRX: What do you think is the most poorly understood thing about music, or the music you play?
ARB: That I am a songwriter, as well as the lead singer. Richard and Ed are songwriters too, and we have collaborated on several songs, sometimes it seems that there is not a lot of understanding on how much effort it takes to write songs, perform them and record our original music.
RRX: Playing out is tricky because you never know what’s going to happen when you get there. Sometimes a few factors team up and hit you in the face. What was your worst show like?
ARB: Probably our worst show was when we attempted to play a benefit for a young girl with cancer. We started setting up our gear at a Gazebo where the event was taking place but there were serious problems with the electrical wiring which blew some of our equipment, that was a bummer! And sadly, we couldn’t resolve the issues so we ended up not playing!
RRX: How can people keep up with you? What’s coming up, soon or eventually?
ARB: They can follow us on Facebook or Instagram they can get on our mailing list or they can check our website: www.amyryanband.com.
We were nominated for the upcoming Eddy’s award ceremony in the blues artist category. We are excited that we got nominated and we’re looking forward to attending the event April 21st! Also, we are in the midst of recording our second album of original music. By the end of March 2024 we will be releasing a single and video of our song “Won’t You Tell”* written by Richard and then by early summer 2024 the full album will be released!
*The single “Won’t You Tell Me” will be posted on all social media accounts and web page.
Thank you so much for asking us these questions!
Much love,
Amy and the band-Richard, Ed, Mark and Dave
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