Sarah Ryder hits the country mark in her two recent singles “Another Fool”, and “Beat Goes On” and along with some of the most sought out writers, she has invited us into her stories of hope, personal experience, and all-around good country music.
Growing up in Lititz, Pennsylvania music was always in her blood, but was not until her late teens where Ryder took control of the wheel and headed to Nashville.
“I grew up singing in church/school etc., but it wasn’t until heading out on my own that I seriously pursued it. By the time I was 18 I was flying back and forth to LA to write with some amazing folks who took me under their wing and mentored me. It didn’t take long to realize I am country as it gets, and I needed to go to Nashville. Nashville is humbling and inspiring and I am so thankful to work here.”
“Another Fool” is not your typical love song. Just when you think this relationship is heading straight for a breakup, we are hit with the line,
“But why would I leave my fool for another fool I don’t even know.”
Not to mention, attitude. But with every good country song, comes a story. And hearing it straight from the artist gives us an extra personal touch.
“Another Fool came from three married people barely working when they should have been writing! Johnny Garcia, Marc Copely and I were on the topic of marriage and relationships and how sometimes (whether anyone admits it) wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. We quickly all agreed that no, it is not. The grass on the other side comes with its own set of problems. Johnny had overheard Loretta Lynne in conversation once say, “why would I leave my fool for another fool”. He brought up that story then we were off to the races.”
“Beat Goes On” takes on a bit of a different approach. It is vulnerable with a positive and important message tying it all together. It was recorded with a personal experience in mind and with the goal of connecting to us listeners.
“I wrote Beat Goes On with Mike Davis and Mike Meadows. They had brought me that title and concept, and it was honestly an easy one to fill in the blanks (from personal experience and from knowing the experiences of loved ones around me). It’s a message that people forget when they are going through breakups and feel like they are losing everything and can’t go on. Depression can be real during a breakup, and things can get messy sometimes. I wanted to write something that came from a strong voice not only telling herself, but the world that no matter what, the beat goes on.”
As a songwriter, the creative process can be different for everyone, and more times than none, it cannot be planned. The inspiration will simply just strike, and I can only imagine that no two writing sessions have ever been the same.
“I don’t always go into writing rooms planning to write a song for myself initially. We demoed Beat Goes On pretty pop and were ready to pitch it. My producer and I looked at the song more closely and loved the message and the melody. We wanted to take on the challenge of adding western sounding elements, meanwhile maintaining the original energy from the demo. It was a difficult song to nail down, but we were excited about it when it was all said and done. It’s definitely a little different that my usual style, but I really love the song.”
As a country music fan, we hold tight to the songs that help us through a difficult time, or the ones that heighten the happy moments. Sarah Ryder strives to create that feeling while songwriting.
“There are so many things I love about songwriting! Not only do I love writing songs that other artists get excited about cutting, I love creating something that many people can relate to. When someone comes up and says they love your song because they have gone through the exact same thing, there is no better feeling to me.”
With her fans in mind, Sarah does not plan on slowing down any time soon. We do not even have to wait until next year for more music as the singer has some big plans for the upcoming Holiday season.
“We have a couple more surprises up our sleeve for the rest of the year, even a little something for Christmas. Things are going to get really country I will say! I will also be focusing on closing out the year writing as much as possible, not only for myself but for others.”
You can listen to “Another Fool” and “Beat Goes On” below, and be sure to stay tuned for more music soon!ᐧ
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