Americana & Rock N'Roll Artist | Songwriter
I was raised in a small town in Kentucky, in a little place called Lawrenceburg, on a tobacco and beef cattle farm. I had the typical upbringing of someone from that area, helping on the farm, playing sports, spending lots of time in church, etc. That was pretty much the bones of my story until I decided to pick up a guitar at the age of 14. It didn’t take long after I started playing for me to decide that music is what I wanted to do with my life. Eventually, one of my bands, Poor Mans Riches, inked an independent record deal and got some great opportunities as touring support for some larger bands in the Christian Rock world. We proceeded to tour the country and have some moderate radio success throughout 2004 and into 2005. I eventually got to a point where I wanted to get out of the Christian music world and start writing songs that were a bit broader in their subjects and to just have some more life experiences that I couldn’t otherwise. That pushed me to load up a haul trailer and drive myself out to Los Angeles in 2005 at the age of 20. From there I spent my 20s playing in several bands, doing studio session work, and having some decent licensing/publishing success with some of my music. Then fast forward 10 years, and I decided to focus my time on my own music. I then started writing and putting my band together to get The Believers off the ground. Now we have our sophomore release coming and I couldn’t be more excited.
What were the biggest initial hurdles you faced and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest hurdles in a place like Los Angeles is getting shows that make sense with your music. To overcome this, I just began putting on my own shows so that I had control of the curating. This has helped me to build shows with like-minded artists and to become a part of a larger community. I have been throwing a monthly residency called Small Town Friday Nights, here in Los Angeles for 5 years now that showcases some of the best independent country/Americana/roots music artists in town. It has helped me to build lifelong friendships, and important business contacts, and provided a platform for me and the other artists doing this type of music in Los Angeles.
What advice do you have for young people locally and internationally who are just starting out in their careers or pursuing their passions?
Write all you can and get out there and play every chance you get. Take advantage of open mics, jams, etc. There is nothing that will prepare you for a music career more than having a large repertoire of songs and having real-life experience playing in front of people. These things will also help you to start finding your perspective and voice. That is what is gonna help you stand out from the pack.
Photo Credit: Miles Terry From the bourbon hills of Kentucky to the Hollywood Hills, Americana/Rock N' Roll band Ryan Hahn and the Believers craft honest, insightful stories rooted in Americana/roots/country. With their dynamic sound, Ryan and his believers have played alongside acts such as Charley Crockett, Billy Bob Thornton, and Robby Krieger. Hahn also runs a monthly residency at The Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles that has become an integral part of the Americana/Country/Roots music scene there. Ryan is committed to spreading his story to a much bigger audience and helping elevate the independent roots music community in Los Angeles. The latest EP, "From The Country To The Concrete”, is set to release later this year, leading with the sliding riff and lazy swing of the first single, “Alright", releasing March 17.
LISTEN TO ‘ALRIGHT' HERE
With it’s sliding riff and lazy swing, ‘Alright’ conjures feelings of a walk in the city. The song is positive and light with an underlying emphasis that we live in an imperfect world, but we are in charge of the people and the energy that we surround ourselves with.
Hahn states, "This song is a sort of motto that helps keeps me focused on the good things in my life and not to spend time dwelling on my perceived failures, or the bad things going on in the world around me. I try to keep the scale always slightly balanced towards positivity. Things may not always be "Amazing", but if we can do that, then i think we can always at least be “alright” .
Ryan and his believers have played alongside acts such as Charley Crockett, Billy Bob Thornton, and Robby Krieger.