RYAN HAYS 'THE PRAYER'
Ryan Hays pursuit of music began in a different way than most. At the age of 8, he began to develop a stutter which affected every sense of his being. This major change would begin to mold him, and his mind leading him to discover his musical talents. Ryan has performed in Woodstock, London, in Paris at the legendary Notre Dame Cathedral, and places such as Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ryan also managed to serve a total of 8 years in the United States Army. Now fully pursuing his music, Ryan has written and produced multiple songs including his two first solo singles, "I'm coming Home", and his debut album titled "Beautiful Stranger" which was released May 14th on all streaming platforms. His music truly can not be put into one genre, but instead is simply a combination of stories that will take you on a musical journey of reflection and emotion.
The Prayer Everything we know Will change before our eyes force us to grow And learn to find our way We'll have to show A strength beyond the words that we could say Why wait till tomorrow for today This is the prayer all our lives we prepare To hold on We gotta keep strong Cause life ain't easy You can rise up or you can fall Am I ready Be better than I ever was before Hold on to faith please hear my prayer This weight is getting hard to bear Am I ready Am I ready To give it all To give it all I can only imagine A world without pain Leaving only compassion in our hearts and in our minds The souls interactions with another slips away Due to every distraction as we try and find our way This is the prayer all our lives we prepare To hold on We gotta keep strong Cause life ain't easy You can rise up or you can fall Am I ready Be better than I ever was before Hold on to faith please hear my prayer This weight is getting hard to bear Am I ready Am I ready To give it all To give it all A world without pain and without shame Is a world we can only hope to gain In a place where we can all be seen the same A place we see past titles and past names This is the prayer all our lives we prepare To hold on We gotta keep strong Cause life ain't easy You can rise up or you can fall Am I ready Be better than I ever was before Hold on to faith please hear my prayer This weight is getting hard to bear Am I ready Am I ready To give it all To give it all What are your favorite lyrics from your latest single?
I honestly have to say the very first statement in the song sets the tone for not only the song, but life in general. The line "Everything we know will change before our eyes force us to grow, and learn to find our way" is as true a statement as you can get. I fully believe many of us come to this realization that things change so fast and we don't even realize. It's why I feel it is so important to take in the moments and try to truly embrace the time that we have. What kind of pull did you feel about making the single?
"The Prayer" came from a culmination of emotions and life experiences. The last "nail in the coffin" as they say, was when my father passed away in November of 2021, while I was finishing my debut album. At that moment, I truly had to come to terms with so much heartache and sadness while being in the middle of the most exciting time of my life. I have dealt with many different things in my life, had my own demons, and struggled through my disability which also added to the emotions behind this song. My father (John Gunnar Hays) passing away though, was when this song began to form. I wanted to create a song that could be universal and speak to an emotion that I believe everyone feels. This track isn't about a religious belief, but instead it is simply about realizing that life is going to always throw things at you, and sometimes it's going to feel impossible to overcome. "The Prayer" was my way of releasing my own frustrations while also understanding there is beauty and hope in even the darkest moments. Are all your writing sessions collaborative or do you go off on your own? Do you have a preference?
When it comes to lyrics I more so go off on my own to write. To me the lyrics have to come from your own life experiences and your own truth. I am always open to working with someone but I just prefer as of now, to make every word come from my own heart. Do you ever compare the work you bring to the table?
I am not understanding this question fully but I can say that I never compare my work to anyone else's and I never compare one song to another. Every song I create comes from a totally different place or emotion, and I try to make sure each song grabs you in a very different way. What is standard practice when it comes to if the song is really finished?
It's definitely hard for me to ever walk away from a song and say that it is done. Sometimes I need to do test runs with letting a specific few listen and if none of them see something they would want changed I run with that. If I don't have that option, then it really just comes down to my gut and heart. "The Prayer" I knew was done the moment we wrapped the studio session. Everything just felt right and even before mixing we all knew we had a really powerful song. However that is certainly not always the case as I am a perfectionist when it comes to music and the sound I am looking for. What was the goal for making the latest track?
This was probably the easiest thought process I have had on any of my songs because it came from so much honest emotion. The goal was to share that emotion with the world and remind anyone who needed it that there is hope and to always keep pushing forward. This song was to give people a chance to reflect on their own challenges in life while hopefully finding some sense of peace. "The Prayer" allows us to acknowledge that life can be a rough road and we need to remember to find the light when it seems it's all been removed. Challenges to the new music that no one would know about?
Whenever you are working with live instruments there is always more of a challenge than digital sounds. I truthfully have to say that the only challenge in making "The Prayer" was getting the sound I heard in my head as close to perfect as I could. I trusted my musicians which allowed them to play more of what came to their minds rather than me dictating to them what to play. This allowed for creativity to flow and more ideas to flourish which created less challenges overall. Favorite memory in the making of this music?
I would say just being able to work with the incredibly talented musicians that surround me. It's truly a blessing when you have a good group of people who believe in what you are doing which only makes the music have more soul. I would have to say overall the live recording sessions as a whole were pure magic and being surrounded by creativity is a home away from home. Is there anything off the table when it comes to bringing yourselves into your music?
I believe being vulnerable makes for the best lyrics and best music all around. With that said I stand by the belief that if you are going to write about something then let it all out and leave it all on the page. If you are not fully invested in what you are telling people then how will they ever be able to become believers themselves.
Leave us on a high note! And share some good news!
The music is growing in popularity both nationally and internationally. I truly never dreamed that I would have fans from all over and that I would have the support I have been shown up to this point. Recently I retained the company Bsquared to join me on this journey and so far love what they are all about. I have begun working on my next album which is exciting and currently involved in the OPEN ACT competition for the Hollywood Bowl. If you want to vote for me then please click the link in my Instagram BIO which I'll share below for more details on that. I also have shows all over NYC this year and the dates for those shows can be located on my website which I'll also share below. I am just blessed and truly grateful for all the opportunities that are coming my way.
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