Exclusive Interview: Why Singer Ryan Robinette Will Leave You Wanting More

Ohio grown, Ryan Robinette, is rising to the top. With a new album, an EP, and two singles, it is clear his fans just keep wanting more. This pop/country singer, songwriter and recording artist, pours his heart and soul into every lyric. I was lucky enough to talk with Ryan, where he spent some time answering a few questions for his fans. Check out my interview with Ryan, and watch his new music video, For Awhile, below!

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Your dad had a lot to do with your passion for music, what is your favorite song that he exposed you to when you were younger and why? 

The most important songs he exposed me to were the ones he wrote. He introduced me to music at an early age. Because of this, I grew a strong passion and got a lot of joy out of creating music. I could not wait to follow suit.

Who inspires you most and why?

If we’re speaking in generalities, it would for sure be my father Keith Robinette Sr. He raised my two brothers and me on his own. Not only that, but he did whatever he had to do to provide for us as a family. He taught me how to love, how to be kind and how to be compassionate. He showed me how to feel empathy for others too.

If we’re talking about musical influences that inspire me, Sam Hunt would be the artist I look up to the most. He has helped break walls in genres and that is inspiring to me. Just knowing that you can create music you love, even if it’s outside of the box, there will be an audience for it somewhere.

Before college, you somehow managed to juggle both sports and your love for music. If you had to give your fans a piece of advice on balancing it all (like you did), what would you say to them?

Wow, I wish I could give a great piece of insight, but I’m not even sure how I did it. (Haha!) Honestly, I think there are people doing this everywhere all the time. I don’t think there is any one way to balance all of it in its entirety, but I believe it takes a certain type of person to achieve it. I think you just really have to love something enough to make time for it. Sometimes it is at the cost of sleep, relationships, etc. It definitely wasn’t easy, but it was definitely worth the struggles.

How did your first performance in front of a crowd make you feel?

Of course, it made me nervous as ever, especially because I believe I was 14 when I gave my first solo performance. I still get some nervous excitement when I go on stage, but there is a high energy that follows that is almost incomparable to anything else.

What was the best part about releasing your first recorded EP Coming of Age?

I think the best part of releasing that was learning the work, money, and time that goes into creating an EP/Album. Learning the whole process and truly learning what good producing entails, helped me be able to envision what I wanted songs to sound like when I would write them. So putting out “Progression,” my latest album, was really a progression for me (hence the title.) I took everything I learned between writing, singing, life, love and hurt and poured it into my next album. I cannot wait to continue to grow.

What song of yours means the most to you and why?

If I had to pick one song, it would be “Halfway Whole.” It is a song I wrote with a buddy at Sony, Murphy Elmore. The song was about my uncle passing away, and our family’s struggle with his death. More specifically, my dad’s struggle with losing his brother and his best friend. We wrote it with the idea of the very hard stage of trying to move on after a death, without feeling like you’re “forgetting” someone. It truly is a special song to me, and I am so glad I had an opportunity to put it on the album.

What is your favorite instrument to play and why?

I play one instrument, guitar. I only learned guitar so I could starting singing, writing and performing. I still want to improve as a guitarist and eventually learn piano.

Who do you enjoy working with most and why?

If we are talking about in my circle, it has been incredibly awesome to bring on a couple childhood friends to help me with this journey, Nick Box (drummer) and Jarad Barr (manager) have been friends of mine since we we’re in grade school. It has been a wonderful experience to have them be a part of this journey with me.

Talk about the experience you had while filming your first ever music video in LA, would you tell me about it?

It wasn’t my first time going to L.A. I had played a couple shows out there in the past. The music video was slammed between some shows, so I actually flew out to L.A. on a Saturday morning with only a few hours of sleep. We filmed that entire day into late night/early Sunday morning. I was up 24 hours straight before I was able to get a little sleep and filmed a couple more pieces Sunday. I actually had to meet my manager with my camera crew in car, so they could run me to the airport for my return flight… haha! So you can definitely imagine it was exhausting, for not just me, but everyone. It was well worth it in my eyes because at this point, the music video has racked up over 660,000 views in only two months! My next trip to L.A., and my next music video, will surely not be that rushed.

Where can your fans find your music?

You can find my music and the official music video for “For Awhile” on:

Youtube.com/RyanRobinetteVEVO

 Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Pandora, Apple Music, and pretty much every major online music retailer out there.

If you could perform anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

This may seem silly to those who are not familiar with the music festival, but I grew up in southeastern Ohio where Jamboree In The Hills was the biggest musical event for us. My friends and a lot of the surrounding area take off a week of vacation to go to Jamboree In The Hills. I’ve dreamed of playing there since I was young.

If I had to choose another stage to perform on though, I would say The Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. I have only seen pictures of it, but the amphitheater seems like it would be an amazing venue to watch a concert in, let alone play there.

Most Ohioans don’t like the state they live in because of the weather, but if you had to pick one thing you loved about the Buckeye State, what would it be and why?

Hands down, Football. I grew up playing the sport, and eventually, I was given the opportunity to coach. Plus, Ohio State football is huge throughout the state, and through that, I have developed a love for it. Also, there is the breathtaking country part of it all with nothing but trees, fields, and good people. I grew up in a very rural area, and it gave me the chance to grow a love for nature.

When can we see you live on tour? 

This winter and spring, I will be meeting with a few different booking agencies to open my music up to bigger venues, more shows and possible touring.

Watch Ryan’s new music video below:

 

If you would like to keep up with Ryan and his music, you can follow him here:

Instagram: @ryanrobinette

Twitter: @robinettemusic

Snapchat: @Robinettemusic

Musical.ly: @RyanRobinetteMusic