Hey! How are you?
I’m doing great! I just got back from soaking up some sunshine and hanging out at the beach in true Skinny Dippers fashion.
For anyone not familiar with your outfit, who are Skinny Dippers?
I’m Ryan, a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. I’m originally from Maine, but have been living in New York for the last 10+ years making music and playing in various bands.
Your genre very much flits between lo-fi and bedroom pop, what category do you feel you fit in with most?
I would say that my songs span a few different genres, but generally lean into the Indie Rock or Indie Folk genres. I definitely relate to the lofi/bedroom pop vibes because I love reverb, delay, and compression and that slightly DIY sound.
Are there any artists that particularly inspire your music?
I never set out trying to emulate any particular artists, but I think my love for acts like The Shins, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, Hovvdy, and Pavement has bled through into this latest album in both a subconscious way and in some of the production choices.
You’ve recently released your new single ‘Home’, what’s the story behind it?'
'Home' is a song I wrote when I first moved to NY and was missing my friends from back home in Maine. I wanted to write something about how easy life seems when you’re surrounded by good company and living in nature. This song is also about avoiding complacency though. It looks back at home with a fondness, but as something that needs to live on as a cherished memory in the rearview mirror in order to grow as an individual.
What did the writing and recording process look like?
Home is one of my oldest songs and there are countless versions from voice memos to other home studio versions that I never released. I first wrote the tune when I was supposed to be writing a paper in college, but told myself I’d play guitar for just a few minutes before I started on my final. Instead I wrote both 'Home' and another song that’ll be on my album next month called 'Big City, Small Apartment' all in ~60 mins.
When thinking about what tracks might be a good fit for my debut Skinny Dippers album, I dusted off the cobwebs and brought it back by jamming on it with my friends and producers from TOLEDO. We recorded ‘Home’ along with the rest of my upcoming 10 track album in their basement studio in Bushwick Brooklyn over the course of a few weekends during Covid.
How do you think your sound has evolved since your debut release ‘Panties’?
‘Panties’ will always have a soft spot in my heart as my first Skinny Dippers release, but I think putting out songs like ‘Home’ and the rest of my singles from 2022 shows that I have a broad palette and can craft a song for every feeling and mood. ‘Panties' was more of an indie pop/synth driven track whereas ‘Home’ and most of the songs on my album ‘The Town & The City’ are all guitar driven and dreamy indie rock songs.
What’s the Brooklyn music scene like? Are there any local artists on your radar at the moment?
There is SO MUCH amazing music happening in Brooklyn right now. It seems like I’m ending up at a show every other night catching friends or artists I like who are passing through town. Some of the artists I’ve been vibing to most recently include my friends in TOLEDO, Vern Matz, Middle Youth, Darryl Rahn, Sarah Elizabeth Haines, Colatura, Almost Sex, and Eighty Ninety.
What does the rest of 2022 look like for Skinny Dippers?
I just dropped my latest single ‘Past Selves’ on Friday July 22nd, and am releasing my full length LP The Town & The City in August. I’m playing my debut show / album release party on August 24th at Rockwood Music Hall here in NY with a full band, and am super excited to bring these songs to life in a live setting!
I’m also in the middle of creating a music video for my track ‘Wedding Ring’ which I have been filming with some friends and should have completed early this fall. Lastly, I’ve got some really exciting super secret collabs that people can stay tuned for…
Lana Williams
@swimdeeplana
Image: Provided by Skinny Dippers
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