The coolest thing about working at Sonicbids is hearing an artist say, "it was a total dream come true" about one of the opportunities they found on our site. It makes us all warm and fuzzy inside, and we want to hear more. So, we caught up with Ryan Tanner, the 2010 American Songwriter Lyric Contest Grand Prize Winner and got to know a little bit about him, his experience winning the contest and what's in store for him next.Your music is fantastic -- how long have you been writing for? What (or whom) encouraged you to begin writing?
I have been writing songs for about 10 years. I took a creative writing class in college, and the professor had brought in some songs to illustrate some good writing. One of those songs was "Sinaloa Cowboys" off Bruce Springsteen's Ghost of Tom Joad record. I can pinpoint to that day why I started writing songs. That record changed my life. I have been writing ever since, trying to write a song that good. It's what keeps me going.
How did you hear about American Songwriter?
I spent a week in Nashville last year during the Americana Conference, and in the registration gift bag there was a copy of American Songwriter. I have always been aware of it, but had never had a subscription. I noticed inside that they had a lyric writing contest that coincides with every issue, and had seen their postings on the Sonicbids site. I typically have shied away from the contests, but saw that one of my all time heroes, Jim Lauderdale, was the grand prize co-write so I could not resist.
What happened after you won the first round? Did you know that you were entered into the running to win the co-write?
I found out in October that I had won the first round and in February found out that I had won the grand prize. It really was a total dream come true.
How was writing with Jim Lauderdale? I listened to "Learning to Listen" online – it is absolutely fantastic. Can you describe the how the writing process went for the two of you?
Just talking with Jim and having him show me around Nashville a little was amazing. The co-write was great. I don't write with other people much, so this was really new territory for me. It was really inspiring to see how he approached songwriting and how thoughtful he was. I have been a fan of his for so long. I’ll count it as one of the great experiences of my life just to sit and work with him. As far as the American Songwriter folks, they are some of the finest people I have met. There is something about southern hospitality. Caine, Jamie, Rachel, and all the other folks there are doing such a great thing. I can imagine that running a print publication can be very challenging these days, but I think what they are doing every issue is something that is completely unique and there is not another magazine that I know of that is writing about such a vast collection of artists and performers.
In terms of exposure, what have the results been for you since winning the contest?
The exposure has been great. It's hard to pinpoint what success you get from things, but my EPK visits and song plays are hundreds more monthly than they were before. The American Songwriter folks were kind enough to put one of my songs on their digital sampler last issue alongside some of my all time heroes like Buddy Miller and Charlie Louvin. Really great exposure for me.
What cool festival/gigs do you have coming up?
I am performing at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase (which I also booked through Sonicbids) this month, and I was selected for an evening showcase at the 12th Annual Americana Music Festival in Nashville in October. I can almost guarantee that was indirectly because of the American Songwriter contest.
