Ryan Oyer on the Charms of Chattanooga
While many up-and-coming musicians make a beeline to Nashville, just Southeast sits another strong music scene: Chattanooga. We talked to singer/songwriter Ryan Oyer about his movie-inspired third album Pin Up Queens and Silver Screens, and how this town down by the Tennessee River is about more than just Ruby Falls and choo-choos.
Tell me quickly about how you got from the small town of Ringgold, GA to the stages of Chattanooga?
Ringgold is right on the border of Tennessee, and I’ve been living there for the past four years. I started out with open mics, and eventually people got to know me. Dustin, who owns Tremont Tavern in Chattanooga asked me to play a gig, and I was like, “You’re going to pay me to play music?” [Laughs] That was the start of it. We just started playing a lot of venues based off of people hearing about me. It all came back to the open mics.
Do you use these open mics to test out new material?
After I first write a song, I’ll try it out at open mics. I typically start with Tremont Tavern. Their open mic has been going since 2008. It’s a really welcoming atmosphere. It’s kind of based off the The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. A lot of the local talent who play weekly are phenomenal. I’ve recently started hosting an open mic on Wednesday’s at The Honest Pint. I’ll see what everyone thinks about the songs and work them into a set at one of my shows.
You’re currently working on your third album called Pin Up Queens and Silver Screens. When can fans expect that?
Because it’s Pin Up Queens and Silver Screens, we wanted to focus on the movie vibe. I actually wrote a song for it last week—a “Let’s Go to the Lobby”-type of song that sits in the middle of the record. We’re almost done with it. This last little bit was a piece that was missing. We’re aiming for a Christmas release, and I think we’re on track to do that. I think I’m going to put out a 12-13 song record, and then put out an EP of the B-sides eventually.
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