Conversations with Ryan Craig

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

Hi Ryan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Ryan Craig, I am a Singer-songwriter from Peotone Illinois, who is chasing dreams in Nashville, Tennessee. I first started my music journey a little over 3 years ago when I first picked up my uncle’s hand-me-down guitar. I swore that thing collected dust for years until I decided to give it a try and learn some cords. Like all musicians or anybody whos ever tried to play guitar at first, it can be frustrating! I remember once I learned G, C, and D, it started to come together. Thanks to the countless YouTube tutorials out there, I learned songs quickly.

From there, I would attempt to do my first open mic and sing in front of people with only a handful of songs. I never have been more nervous in my life before doing that! Open mic got me hooked, I felt reborn and began to like that nervous feeling of playing covers and originals in front of a crowd. At the time, I was a college graduate and was working three jobs, that barely paid anything but I always found a way to make it to open mics at local bars. It was common for me to only have two hours’ worth of sleep before waking up to work my daytime shifts.

Eventually, a booking agent in the Chicagoland area wanted to land me a gig at some bars around the suburbs. I started to play my original music out during this time and it seemed to get the crowd’s attention. My gigs started to expand quickly from there and I was playing at venues, I used to watch my favorite country artist perform at!

I decided to give Nashville a try and attend Songwriter shows around town. I was coming to Nashville consistently and started to write with talented friends down in the area. What once was a hobby began to manifest itself into something I loved doing. Writing songs is my passion, I love creating a story. I find myself getting caught up in songs that paint a picture and bring you back to a memory.

Lastly, I would like to say I have an amazing group of friends and family that support me along the way. Without their support, I probably wouldn’t still be doing this.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There has definitely been a lot of challenges along the way and many more to come. From learning the guitar, finding my voice, and completely botching a set, it’s part of the ride.

I believe obstacles/challenges along the way, perfect your craft. Cue the Rocky Music haha!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a singer-songwriter and I perform cover sets around Illinois and Tennessee. I have a following that is called “Rowdy Crowd” which is an attitude/atmosphere I try to bring to all my shows. I am most known for playing Rock & Country music, and my influences are Kip Moore, John Mellencamp, and Kenny Chesney. My proudest moment is playing in music city (Nashville Tennessee), I am grateful that my journey has brought me this far.

What sets me apart I think is being genuine. I don’t try to knock your socks off vocally, I don’t rip a solo on the guitar, I’m just me. I write songs that try to relate to everyone and have a good time.

How do you think about happiness?
Music and sports make me happy. I love everything about sports/music and the joy it brings. I was raised on playing sports at a young age, I think that’s what really mended my competitiveness and drive. I was lucky to have played every sport under the sun as a kid, from football, boxing, to even figure skating… yes I put on the skates.

Music of course is also what makes me happy. I mean come on, who doesn’t sing their lungs out in the car, shower, or concert any time their jam comes on? Haha.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @ryan_craig_music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanCraigMusic
• Youtube: Ryan Craig Music