Ryan Wayne is a Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He first came to recognition as a founding member and songwriter in the critically acclaimed, award-winning band, The Warped 45s (Pheromone Recordings). In early 2022, after several years away from touring and recording, Ryan suffered two strokes. As part of the healing process, Ryan was drawn back to the music world and began the final production and mixing of a series of self-produced songs with Grammy Award-winning producer and mixing engineer Malcolm Burn, who has worked with artists such as Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, and Daniel Lanois. The record, Crow Amongst the Sparrows, was released in September 2023 to critical acclaim. Ryan is set to release a follow-up album, Functioning Dysfunctionals, on May 9th, 2025.
With a new album just around the corner, Wayne releases the moving and poetic Americana ballad, “Lion In The Wall.” This is not your typical Americana ballad; it is the modernization of the genre’s tropes blended with the artist’s ever-evolving and vibrant perception of the music he creates and the world around him. Wayne quickly separates himself from his peers with a purity that comes across as innocent, but dig deeper into “Lion In The Wall,” and you’ll learn it’s anything but. The latest preview of Wayne’s upcoming LP takes you on a mystical and emotional journey from a bird’s-eye view of a delicate situation. The way Wayne delivers his lyrics is careful yet loose at the same time, almost as if he is battling with an inner hesitancy to be so vulnerable. Thankfully, Wayne’s honesty cuts through his doubtfulness and aims directly for the listener’s soul. The artist delivers a moving performance over twangy minimalism, as the arrangement juxtaposes the complex writing with cinematic simplicity. Functioning Dysfunctionals is just weeks away, and “Lion In The Wall” hints at an LP that is set to be a refreshing piece of heartfelt Americana.
“While bartending in Toronto years ago, I met film director John L’Ecuyer, who shared with me a deeply personal and haunting story—a tale of addiction, failure, and the fragile thread of redemption,” explains Wayne when asked about “Lion In The Wall.” “In it, a father, nearing the end of his life and eased only by morphine, finally sees his son’s addiction through the mirrored lens of his own pain. In that final reckoning, compassion emerges where judgment once lived.”
“I brought this story to life with the help of longtime collaborator Annelise Noronha, who added harmonies, mixed the track, and contributed additional production,” continues Wayne. “Tim Vesely produced the vocals, while a circle of friends helped shape the sonic landscape: Brian Kobayakawa on bass, Hamal Finn Roye and John Bridgens on harmonies, Denis Holt on drums, and JP Desaulniers, whose haunting violin lines carry the emotional weight of the song.”
