When it comes to love it’s often difficult to put our emotions into words. Stephanie Ryann does her best to put words the often indescribable phenomenon known as love, with her newest single Never Enough. Ryann began writing Never Enough with thoughts it serving as the first dance song for her and her husband. While the song wasn’t complete at that point, Ryann knew that she still wanted to put words the feelings she was having, and that is how Never Enough came to be.
Recently, we had the chance to chat with Ryann about her musical background, journey, and new single!
Worlds of Country: When did you know that you music was the thing for you?
Stephanie: Probably when I was just a little girl. I’ve been singing since I was probably three. And I’ve been in every kind of chorus that you could possibly be in. I’ve done something with music all of my life. So I would definitely say when I was a kid, that would be that would be when it all began.
Worlds of Country : So when did it become something that you knew you could pursue seriously?
Stephanie: I always wanted to, but it was a challenge to try and figure out who who to meet and work with network with people who had similar interests. Growing up, where where I grew up, there wasn’t a ton of live music. I mean, it was in Manhattan, but I lived outside of Manhattan. So just trying to meet people in network was a bit of a challenge. I knew, probably since I was 14 or so that I really would love to pursue music full time. It i9was really just trying to get in touch with people. And I worked with a few people in my teens, and those didn’t work out quite well, just because, you know, some people just have other agendas. And, you know, I tried out for American Idol and star and the voice several times trying to figure out if that was an avenue, that would be well worth it for me. And unfortunately, that didn’t work out. But then through the years, I was able to connect with a lot of different songwriters and musicians that have been able to help me get to the place I’m at today.
Worlds of Country : So when did you find that group of people that you can trust?
Stephanie : That was around 2015 16. Across the hall, from my apartment, was a Elliot Lewis of Hall & Oates And he is an amazing musician, awesome person, we hit it off right away. And he introduced me to a lot of his musician, friends, and then I was kind of able to get linked up and find my tribe of people to really pursue music full time. And I wrote for a man been writing for a long time, but I wrote specifically for two years to try and get music together to put out my EP, which I did in 2018.
Worlds of Country : So how would you describe your musical style for people that haven’t heard your music?
Stephanie: I would say I’m kind of a mix between country pop, and rock, sometimes a little folk in there. I tried a little bit of everything. I Love traditional country, but I also love its progression. So I really, I follow you know, what, what everybody else is doing and figuring out, you know, what makes sense for me as an artist, to, you know, put myself out there in the best way that that showcases who I am.
Worlds of Country : Growing up where did your love of country music come from?
Stephanie : I grew up listening to a lot of different music, my mom would sing around the house all the time, with no music on she would just be saying, walking around cleaning and like doing everything my grandmother saying and you know, we listened to everything between like Celine Dion, and like Marilyn Manson, because my brother loved more of like rock and, and grunge and all that stuff. So there was a wide range of things, but I grew up listening to, you know, Shanaya and faith and Sarah Evans, and, you know, all of the all of them amazing 90s country pop, female artists so, you know, gave me gave me a love for that type of music. But then, you know, fast forwarding through the time listening to other artists like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban and you know, more people coming out to the forefront of music. It just seemed like that was that was where my my heart lied with the the music that had stories behind it. And it wasn’t just what’s popular at the time, it really had, you know, meat behind it.
Worlds of Country : Can you tell us the story behind your new single, Never Enough?
Stephanie: Yeah, so I, I got married a little over two years ago, and I really wanted to write a song for our first dance. But at the time, I just really couldn’t find what, in my opinion, the perfect words to really embody what I’m feeling and you know how I want how I want that to go. So I ended up choosing a different song, but I had started the song back then. And one of my girlfriends Sarah Faith, who’s an amazing songwriter, and artist herself, she I came to her With the song I said, Hey, you know, this is this is my idea for the song. I’d love to write it still. And then maybe hopefully somebody will use it for for their wedding moving forward. So we sat down, wrote it in, we wrote it actually, February 11 2001, in one. February 11, yes to exactly a year. And that was not done on purpose. It just so I picked a date. And then I looked back probably a month before the song was gonna come out, because I was like, Oh, when did we write this? And then I saw the date. And we both were kind of dumbfounded, like, well, it was meant to be
Worlds of Country: When you chose the release date for it, you had Valentine’s Day in mind?
Stephanie: People usually put music out on Fridays. So I was like, alright, what Friday makes the most sense. So it was the fourth or the 11th. And me thinking about it, and just the time crunch of having to upload songs, a certain amount of time before they come out. So that, you know, everybody gets notified that you’re putting out music. So I went with the 11th. And it just, it just worked. But yes, Valentine’s Day was definitely in mind. You know, for people to put it on playlist for their, you know, love day. It’s not just like a wedding type song. It’s just a love song in general that people can use for all different reasons, and I don’t live in Nashville. No, I, I go back and forth between Nashville and Maine.
Worlds of Country: What challenges does that pose?
Stephanie :Well, it’s, it’s harder to be part of the community, like the music community, just because I’m not here all the time. But I think it also is really beneficial. Because although I’m not here, all the time, I get to have a little bit of a different story. I I’m doing all the traveling, so I’m going back and forth, and I living in a different place. And, you know, that gives me the ability to maybe have some more experiences that people might not have if they are living here. Full time. So I it’s a you know, it’s a benefit. And a consequence, I guess you’d say to could not live down here. I would love to at some point have a place down here. So I split my time now. But to be able to do that a little bit more would be great.
Worlds Of Country 