Meet Ryan Lau

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Lau. 

Hi Ryan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started playing music as a teenager as an emotional escape. I was obsessed with creating sounds and noise. I started off on guitar and played in bands and churches. When I graduated college, I moved from South Carolina to Nashville so that I could be a part of a bigger music community. At that time, I was primarily playing guitar for bands and acting as a “Gun For Hire”. The tour life was fun, but there was something unfulfilling about playing other people’s music “as-is” and the continual repetition of the same songs and schedule. 

I had a deep desire to create with those around me. Before the pandemic, I started to move towards music production and tour less and less. When everything shut down around us, all my tour dates were canceled and I was left with a wide-open schedule. So naturally, I put all my time into producing via Zoom. Doing that for a full year with numerous people opened my eyes to how fulfilling it was to bring people’s dreams, creativity, and visions to life. I was hooked completely. I officially made the move to come off the road and started producing and writing music full-time. 

If I’m writing with an artist, I’m so excited about getting to tell their story in a real way. If I’m producing an artist, I’m excited about getting to bring that story to life! 

I currently work with numerous artists and genres in my home studio in Hendersonville, TN, writing and producing. 

I’m forever grateful for the chance to be a part of other people’s art. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have absolutely been challenges. The first challenge is getting people to want to work with you. Especially on the production side. They have a song that is dear to them and they don’t want to trust it to just anyone. It’s a long road to build that trust with people, to say “I’m going to serve your vision, and help you bring this to life in a way that is honorable to you”. Even within that, another challenge can be that as a producer, you see where the song should go, but the artist is on a completely different page. 

To me, a win in production is having a song that you’re proud of, draws people in, and still serves the artist’s vision. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I write and produce music for people, as well as write for TV/ Sync. I specialize in the Pop genre, but I’ve done everything from Mainstream Pop, Lofi, Rock, Country Pop, to Christian/worship. I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve made with people I write and produce for. I honestly just love to create. The creative community around me is a reminder of how much more I have to grow. We push each other and that always excites me. 

What sets me apart- Man, that’s a tough one because I always have a tendency to feel like there’s nothing special about me! But I think my strongest quality is that I listen. Not just to the music, but to the people involved as well. 

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory actually has nothing to do with music. I used to always go to my Grandparent’s house as a kid. They would let me sleep over and occasionally take me on trips. I would sleep in their camper on a blowup mattress. We’d watch baseball or a movie before bed while eating popcorn out of the tin. When they were home in the Fall, we’d rake leaves and have a small fire in the evening. I reflect on that time with them with real fondness. 

Contact Info:

• Email: ryanlmusic@gmail.com
• Website: ryanlaumusic.com
• Instagram: @Ryan_Lau_

Image Credits
Grant Aumiller
Treá Allen
David Noone
Andrew Poston