When releasing a project, it may seem easy, and even tempting, for an artist to release music as it is recorded; keeping the songs fresh for both the artist and listener alike, as a steady stream of releases flows. And while the urge to offer music so quickly and consistently may often persist, many artists seem to wait until a full project is complete before unloading it all at once.
Western Canada native Ryan Lindsay chose the former strategy, releasing two new singles to coincide with each changing season for nearly two years, culminating in the release of his aptly titled album, Seasons, at the end of March. With hundreds of thousands of combined streams on the album’s nine tracks, Lindsay’s listeners prove that they’re enjoying the unique journey he promises with the album.
We chatted with Lindsay all about Seasons, as well as his success at Texas radio, touring the Lone Star State and more!
Pro Country: You began releasing songs from your new album, Seasons, in 2021 with your Fall double single, and continued to release a new dual single to coincide with the changing seasons. What did you like about having that release strategy and keeping a steady string of releases?
Ryan Lindsay: I enjoyed the process of releasing the project two songs at a time as they were being made. Each season, we recorded two songs and released them. It kept me from holding onto the songs too tightly, which as an artist, sometimes I have a tendency to do. Releasing it this way felt like a throwback to releasing old 45s with an A-side and a B-side. Sometimes the B-sides did better than the A-sides, and that was really interesting to see play out. Sometimes the songs that do well aren’t quite what you initially expect. Releasing more than just one single at a time really helped the release feel more like a connected body of work, and allowed me to play around with the depth of music that I was putting out; that’s something that I feel gets a little lost if you only release a series of singles. I didn’t want it to feel like a compilation album at the end of it all. It still felt like a connected body of work, and that was something that I felt was really important for this project: my hopes for how a listener would experience the music.
PC: After playing the long game with the release of Seasons, how much were you looking forward to releasing the album as a whole and having one cohesive project that listeners could listen through?
RL: It was exciting to realize that the body of work was complete. We had actually planned on including one more track. The goal was to have two bonus tracks on the final release to make a 10-song album, but when we recorded “Summer Wages,” the ninth track, it gave me a feeling of closure on this project. We did record track 10, and it already was feeling like a chapter had turned in my creative journey, so that was a signal to me that we were beginning the next album already with that song. Something about these nine songs felt like they fit together like a chapter of my life; a little snapshot in time. This album took me through a journey creatively, and it is exciting to get to share that as a timeline in one cohesive listening experience.
PC: “If Your Heart Ain’t In It” was featured on the Fall double single and has earned nearly 300,000 streams on Spotify combined. As you were beginning your release strategy, how encouraging was it to have “If Your Heart Ain’t In It” come out of the gate to that response?
RL: It was very encouraging to have that kind of response out of the gate. It also made me nervous in some ways because I knew the follow-up release was going to be different. Creatively, I was trying different things each season, and I didn’t know how that would go over with listeners. The follow-up release for Winter had more of a slow burn kind of response. “Heart of a Troubadour” off that release has now become my most actively played song, but it was one of those singles that took some time to pick up steam. You can try to plan as much as you can for these release strategies, and I’ve got a good team around me that has helped me do that, but ultimately, each release gets received differently, and that is completely out of our hands. It’s up to the listeners to decide. That can be really interesting to watch play out.
PC: You released a live, acoustic recording of “You, Me and the Mountains,” which was also originally featured on Fall, with Lizzie No, which has since become your most-streamed song on Spotify. What did you enjoy about bringing Lizzie on to the song, and what do you think it has been about the song that’s allowed it to continue to resonate with people?
RL: That song felt like such a big creative risk for me. I had never done anything like it. Lizzie No and I met up in Toronto with two friends from The Fretless, and we did a string-section rendition of “You, Me and the Mountains,” which we recorded completely live on the floor. We all sat in the same room, so there was so much bleed on the mics, there was no way to edit it. It’s a pretty raw performance, but that’s what I love about it. I think it really highlighted Lizzie’s talent as well. She is a great harp player, and I love her voice on the song. It was fun, and I really like getting out of my comfort zone in the studio to try new things. I am so glad it was received in the way it was. I think when you do something just for fun and don’t worry too much about what people are going to say about it, that’s sometimes the song that can really resonate with people. That was a good lesson for me to learn as an artist.
PC: “What If I Just Left” is the only song on Seasons that you solo-wrote and is a song that examines other avenues of life should music be left behind. Can you take us in your head when you wrote the song and talk about how it came together?
RL: Man, I think it was just one of those moments when I was feeling the grind. I was on the road traveling to a show and feeling a little burnt out. I think when you dive into anything heavily enough in life, you will push yourself to those points where you start to question yourself a bit. I guess it was me imagining what I would do if I ever left this music life for a little while. I’ve done some sailing before, so maybe I would just move to the coast and pick up some work fixing up boats. Maybe I’d find an old beat-up schooner that once was someone’s dream and fix it up for myself; give it a new start. That sounds like a nice picture to me. That’s kind of where the song was coming from.
PC: To coincide with the release of Seasons, “Rich Folks” is your current single at Texas country radio. Why did you and your team feel that “Rich Folks” was the right single to bring to radio as the album was released?
RL: We actually ran the whole album by a few program directors, and the overwhelming response was for “Rich Folks.” We just rolled with it, and that single has done really well. I think being a spring release was a good time of year for that song, and it’s got a fun, light energy, which often sounds good on radio. It’s been a blast to play on tour as well. I love doing that Travis-style picking. I think we really need to bring that back in country music.
PC: As we write this, “Rich Folks” has just entered the top 40 on the Texas Country Music Chart. What has it been like to see the song’s continued momentum as it continues to climb the charts in Texas?
RL: It’s been really cool, and I meet people out at shows who know about my music through their local radio station, so I am so glad we have been able to promote it to Texas radio. The song has had its own momentum, and I said “yes” to every single radio interview possible, which has helped a lot. It’s been a blast to get out there on the road and meet folks from all over the Texas region to talk about this release.
PC: The final song on Seasons, “Summer Wages,” is a cover of recently passed Canadian artist Ian Tyson. What drew you to record the song and pay tribute to him in that way?
RL: I really admire Ian’s songwriting. When I was growing up in Alberta, Canada, Ian was based there. He lived on a ranch in southern Alberta, loved writing about the natural world and his travels. He definitely had an influence on me. Doing a rendition of “Summer Wages” felt like the right way to wrap up this album. It’s a seasonally-themed song and so well-written. When Ian passed, I dove into this song and really worked out my own interpretation. I wanted to make sure I highlighted the elements that are central to making the song what it is without feeling like a cover. I wanted it to be more of a rendition. We got a great band together and just tried to get out of the way of the songwriting and let the words speak for themselves.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from Seasons after listening all the way through?
RL: Everybody is going to have their own unique experience listening to it, but I hope folks get some enjoyment out of listening to it front to back. That’s the way I intended it to be listened to, and I hope by the end, a person feels like I have taken them on some kind of journey. Seasons tells its own story, and I hope if you listen close enough to the words, you find a little piece of yourself in it.
PC: You’ve recently been touring Texas in support of Seasons. How much have you enjoyed your time in Texas and bringing your music to that audience?
RL: Texas is my favorite place to tour right now. I can’t stop coming back here. There are so many iconic venues throughout the state, and the music culture here is incredible. Folks love listening and engaging with the music, and that’s why I do what I do.
PC: What do you have planned for the rest of 2023?
RL: I am heading back home to Canada for the summer, and then I’ll be right back down in Texas in the fall. We have some more out-of-state shows planned in the US that we are excited to announce as well. I’m just trying to get my music out as far as people will listen to it. I’ve been enjoying being out on the road as much as I can this year.
*Ryan’s music is featured on The Best of Pro Country playlist!*
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