(bright music) - [Announcer] Okay, stand by.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] This week on "Inland Sessions."

♪ I had to keep on moving upward ♪ ♪ Find the strength ♪ - [Announcer] Spokane songwriter Scott Ryan delivers a powerful performance of his original music on piano and guitar.

(upbeat music) - Hey, everybody.

My name is Scott Ryan.

It's my honor to get to hang out with you a little bit today.

I'm gonna play some music for you.

If you're home, working from home, hanging out with your kids, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I don't know.

But either way, welcome to the show.

I'm gonna play a few songs.

And so I'm actually gonna start out with something that's pretty much brand new.

I've only played this song one time for a real kind of small group of folks.

And I wrote this at the beginning of the year.

And funny enough, this is sort of a song about processing trauma.

The year before this year, our family went through some difficult things after my wife was diagnosed with cancer.

And so we kind of were working through treatment and, you know, all kinds of things related to that and emotions and feelings.

And so it took me about a year to kind of process through enough of that to feel like I could actually write some songs about it.

And so earlier this year, started just writing and ended up kind of writing a group of songs sort of about that experience.

And it's interesting playing it now because it feels almost more appropriate for kind of the year that we've lived through.

And so I'm gonna open with this tune.

This is called "The Ladder."

(gentle guitar music) ♪ I had this dream ♪ ♪ Where I was building a ladder ♪ ♪ And climbing as I nailed on each new rung ♪ ♪ No idea ♪ ♪ Where I was climbing to ♪ ♪ Just tools in my hand, song on my tongue ♪ ♪ As I ascended ♪ ♪ The wooden staircase I assembled ♪ ♪ The planks along the ground ♪ ♪ Started catching fire ♪ ♪ As they began to burn ♪ ♪ I had to keep on moving upward ♪ ♪ Find the strength to build that ladder ever higher ♪ ♪ And I had shortness of breath ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ Nearly froze to death ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ Never stopped to rest ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ When I had nothing left, still I climbed ♪ (gentle guitar music) ♪ Relentless ♪ ♪ Futility and fury ♪ ♪ I'd add a rung for every one ♪ ♪ The flames devoured ♪ ♪ Smoke in my lungs ♪ ♪ Choking tears back as I wondered ♪ ♪ If I'd ever touch the ground again ♪ ♪ And leave this tower ♪ ♪ And I had shortness of breath ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ Never stopped to rest ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ I nearly froze to death ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ When I had nothing left ♪ ♪ Still I climbed ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) ♪ And now we take ♪ ♪ Steps from lobby to exam room ♪ ♪ They're using words that sound like good news ♪ ♪ I'm relieved ♪ ♪ When I close my eyes ♪ ♪ Still see that dancing light, so violent ♪ ♪ And feel the flames exhaling at my feet ♪ ♪ Well, I had shortness of breath ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ I nearly froze to death ♪ ♪ As I climbed ♪ ♪ I'd do it all again ♪ ♪ Build that ladder ever higher ♪ ♪ To keep this one I love ♪ ♪ Out of the fire ♪ ♪ To keep this one I love ♪ ♪ Out of the fire ♪ (gentle guitar music) I kind of taught myself to play at the beginning.

That was something I really wanted to do, and so just picked up guitars and started to kind of learn whatever I could from whoever I could.

But I did attend school for music.

I went to Azusa Pacific University in Southern California and studied music there.

And some of that was a wonderful experience.

Learned a lot of things.

Some of it was a little bit soul crushing because there's things about music that you learn that maybe you didn't want to learn, you know, the kind of nuts and bolts.

But through the process of it, I think you kind of go on a journey of it taking the magic out of it and then slowly kind of putting the magic back into it, because you kind of learn to do things on purpose is kind of how I always put it.

You know, these things that used to seem accidental when you were playing music, now you have sort of a toolbox that you can pull from.

All right, so I'm gonna play something that's a little bit older.

I think I wrote this song, recorded it around 2007, 2008, something like that.

And this is kind of about the challenges of being in a sort of long distance relationship with somebody.

(gentle guitar music) ♪ When I lived ♪ ♪ Next door to you ♪ ♪ You'd sneak out of your house ♪ ♪ And we'd climb up on the roof ♪ ♪ Catch our breath ♪ ♪ In a jar ♪ ♪ And say for days ♪ ♪ We just couldn't breathe anymore ♪ ♪ But now I strain to hear ♪ ♪ Your voice through this ink ♪ ♪ 'Cause these letters have grown cold ♪ ♪ Your affections are too weak ♪ ♪ Maybe it's the distance that's to blame ♪ ♪ To lose this now just seems like such a shame ♪ ♪ So don't relent ♪ ♪ Don't change your mind ♪ ♪ What we've got is much too hard ♪ ♪ To find ♪ ♪ Now, don't you ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ My own sign ♪ ♪ Is too small ♪ ♪ This little window ♪ ♪ One of many in the wall ♪ ♪ Let's go back ♪ ♪ To where this began ♪ ♪ Our heads in the clouds ♪ ♪ Time on our hands ♪ ♪ What if I'm only stringing you along ♪ ♪ It's like trying to fly a kite ♪ ♪ When the wind is long gone ♪ ♪ Or maybe it's the distance that's to blame ♪ ♪ To lose this now just seems like such a shame ♪ ♪ So don't relent ♪ ♪ Don't change your mind ♪ ♪ What we've got is much too hard ♪ ♪ To find ♪ ♪ So don't you ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Leave me behind ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ "Don't Leave Me Behind."

That's on a record called "The Coldest Room in the House."

That and a bunch of other music you can find online.

If you look up Scott Ryan music, you can find it on Spotify, on Bandcamp, all the usual places.

As a songwriter, I mean, I've gotten to write little bits and pieces that have appeared on television.

I've gotten to write and score some short films, write songs for a couple of other bands that I play in, one that's called Super Sparkle which I write with a couple of other people.

And then just co-write, you know, find ways to collaborate with people, which is I think just a really fun and really cool way to, you know, be really vulnerable with another person with your ideas and then watch how they kind of shape them and give them back to you, and ultimately make something that is better because of that other person's input.

So I'm gonna play another newer one.

And this is one that I'm hoping to record soon for an album, you know, when things settle down in the world.

But this is a tune called "Sick Day," and this is kind of just a song, it's not about snowboarding.

Is that even a word that snowboarder still use, they call tricks like really sick?

I don't even know.

But this is kind of, I think, a song more about how sometimes it's okay to just kind of like admit defeat and set things down and just, you know, basically pray for tomorrow to be better.

So I'll play this for you.

♪ Dancing in the abstract ♪ ♪ Living in concrete ♪ ♪ It's the ladder that breaks ♪ ♪ Your face when you fall ♪ ♪ Somewhere in between ♪ ♪ What remains ♪ ♪ Circling the drain ♪ ♪ Between holding with knuckles white ♪ ♪ Failing to grasp it tight ♪ ♪ I keep telling myself ♪ ♪ This'll be the year ♪ ♪ Stop singing songs no one will hear ♪ ♪ It rings false as it leaves my lips ♪ ♪ And it's too late ♪ ♪ The artwork's up to print ♪ ♪ With that off my chest ♪ ♪ Even then I couldn't have guessed ♪ ♪ Twists and turns in the course ♪ ♪ We'd be driving toward ♪ ♪ My God, you tried to warn ♪ ♪ Us before ♪ ♪ It would cost more than we could afford ♪ ♪ Dropped on this track we didn't want to be on ♪ ♪ Oh, I can't lie and say ♪ ♪ I'm not afraid of what's beyond ♪ ♪ How much hope have you got ♪ ♪ An inexhaustible supply ♪ ♪ 'Cause I'm on the other side ♪ ♪ Oh, this dream and I are running dry ♪ (mellow guitar music) (mellow guitar music) ♪ When it comes, don't be afraid ♪ ♪ When you finally fall on your face ♪ ♪ When you bend and your back breaks ♪ ♪ Lay your burdens out ♪ ♪ And pray the new day won't bring fresh hell ♪ ♪ La, la, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪ (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) It always starts with an idea sort of, you know, whether that's melodic or lyrical, just kind of that kernel of something that you wanna say, or even something that you just hope that someone will feel.

You wanna kind of get to that place where you're making someone feel something.

And so with these songs, because they tend to be a bit more personal, they take a lot more time for me to kind of percolate on things.

I'm not very prolific when it comes.

Some people just pump out songs all the time.

You know, it's kind of this like, I've heard people describe it, like breathing.

It's not like that for me.

I'd say it's more like breathing after going for like a long run, it's very, it feels like, you know, a labor of love.

So I'm gonna do one more for you today.

And I moved over to the piano.

And I'm gonna play a song that, I actually wrote this song a couple years ago for my wife for her birthday.

And so I really wanted to make this like just an extra special tune, just throw in all of the special sauce on this one.

So this is a tune called "Invisible Inkling," and it's kind of an anthem for just hanging in there.

And so for everybody watching at home, hang in there.

Enjoy the song.

(gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) ♪ Heard that angry tooth ♪ ♪ Got the best of you again ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Aching in the root ♪ ♪ Turned to pressure in your head ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Suffer in your fools ♪ ♪ A meaningless means to the end ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ In and endless loop ♪ ♪ Until you finally pass the test ♪ ♪ When all of your turning has left you ♪ ♪ Lost at the heart of the maze ♪ ♪ I'll be reaching out ♪ ♪ A steady hand ♪ ♪ We've always been best as a balancing act ♪ ♪ And if we are found ♪ ♪ On pages blank ♪ ♪ Together we'll find the invisible ink ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ That when they will drop in eaves ♪ ♪ Thinning out the thieves that stay behind ♪ ♪ We had nothing to lose ♪ ♪ Live and lean together ♪ ♪ Oh, we could have both to find ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ So when your house is burning ♪ ♪ And you just don't know what to save ♪ ♪ I'll be reaching out ♪ ♪ A steady hand ♪ ♪ We've always been best as a balancing act ♪ ♪ And if we are found ♪ ♪ On pages blank ♪ ♪ Together we'll find the invisible ink ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ We'll search for invisible words ♪ ♪ Through shadows distorted and blurred ♪ ♪ Next act in a story obscure ♪ ♪ Never seen you back down from a fight ♪ ♪ And watched your strength give birth to new life ♪ ♪ I know that with your hand in mine ♪ ♪ We'll be just fine ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ So come on, put your hand in mine ♪ ♪ I know we'll make it out alive ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪ ♪ La, da, da, da, da, la ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (gentle piano music) Thanks for watching, everybody.

I'm Scott Ryan.

Check out some tunes online.

Have a great day.

(upbeat music)