Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Wayne first came to recognition as a founding member and songwriter in the critically acclaimed, award-winning band, The Warped 45s.
In early 2022, after several years away from touring and recording, Ryan suffered two strokes. As part of the healing process, he was drawn back to the music world and began the final production and mixing of a series of self-produced songs with Grammy Award-winning producer and mixing engineer, Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, Daniel Lanois). The record, Crow Amongst the Sparrows, was released in September 2023 to critical acclaim.
Ryan’s new single, “Grand Illusions,” featuring Felicity Williams of Bahamas, is the third release from his yet to be titled new album. This dreamy and psychedelic release melds winding and ethereal guitar and vocal harmonies.
With “Grand Illusions,” Ryan seeks to convey the emotional push and pull between a couple whose story he discovered in a typewritten letter nestled between the pages of a used book of Rilke poems.
The letter, written in the 1950s, details a father and husband’s concerns about his wife leaving the family to donate her time and inheritance to the communist party in New York City. The song attempts to tell that story by stitching together facts and inferences from the letter. – Ryan Wayne
The miles between us have a lot of weight
And I don’t know what else to say
When your grand illusion starts to fade away
I hope you will come back this way
Born and raised in the blue collar town of Oshawa, just east of Toronto, Ryan Wayne grew up surrounded by music. His father is a songwriting truck driver, and Ryan spent countless summer nights singing with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends at the family cabin near Algonquin Park.
During his musical career, Ryan has toured the globe, sharing the stage with artists such as The Drive-By Truckers, The Skydiggers, Elliott Brood, Deer Tick, and many more. Ryan has also done session work and production work with many artists including Dan Mangan.
