Troubadour, renaissance man, virtuoso, singer-songwriter…there are a million ways to describe Vancouver Island’s Ryan McMahon. First making a name for himself with his folk-rock band, Lion Bear Fox, and now as an accomplished solo performer, Ryan McMahon is one of the hardest-working musicians around.
Ahead of his two concerts in Sidney, BC on July 8th and 9th, 2021, Tyson Elder and Ryan sat down (at their respective computers) to chat about pandemic life, paddleboarding, creativity, and the trials & tribulations of livestreaming concerts.
Tyson Elder: Ryan, it’s great to finally get a chance to chat. It’s been a minute. How have you been keeping?
Ryan McMahon: Hey, I’m ok! My family had a trio of challenges to wade through during the past few months, but we’ve come out the other side with a resolve to be happy, peaceful, and productive.
TE: I’m glad to hear that you and your family are happy and healthy after some troubling times. I think it’s almost impossible to talk to anyone these days without asking how they’ve been coping with the pandemic. It’s like we squeezed several years into 16 months. Any newfound hobbies? Have you perfected a sourdough recipe?
Ryan: With the weather back in our favour again, I’m on the water as much as possible, paddleboarding & just being out in it. It’s a peaceful way for me to pass the time, and I always come away from the water feeling better than I did before I went in. I’m not a strong swimmer, so being out on the board has helped me conquer that fear of open water that I had as a kid.
TE: This nice weather has truly been a blessing. I’ve also been out in the water lately…unfortunately I don’t think I have the balance or Zen required for paddle boarding. Conquering that open water fear is a tough one. Jaws kept me out of the water for years, especially the ocean.
TE: Throughout all of this it’s been a struggle at times for me to find the energy or drive to create and do things I love. I know that’s not an uncommon thing with us creative types. How has your creative process been?
Ryan: Like almost everyone I’ve connected with, I found myself fairly aimless and filled with apathy for a few months there. It still comes & goes. I drank by a fire in my backyard for two months before I cracked a songbook and started putting my muddy mind to the page again. Now, I’m happy to report that I’m currently riding a wave of 5 songs written over the past couple of weeks, which is a lot for me these days. I feel good about it.
TE: Five new songs! Sounds like the making of a new EP to me. That COVID slump was a killer for a lot of us. I think a couple of months of drinks around a backyard fire could be pretty great too.
TE: Watching your social media over the past year has been a lot of fun especially when you turned what looked like your living room into a home studio. How much home recording do you generally do when you are making a record? Was this just for demos? How’d the family cope with having to bob and weave around your gear and guitars?
Ryan: Well, I’m happy to say that my living room was never used in that manner. That would drive me crazy more than it would the rest of my crew. I have a little workshop with lots of couches and antique lamps in my home. I’ve been recording demos here for years, and have even released a few tracks outta here during the pandemic, namely “Are You Alright?,” an A/B single “I Still Want You” & “Middle of History,” and two cover songs: one by Fred Eaglesmith and another by Pete Townshend. The more music I make at home, the more I get better at it, and with the help & encouragement of some friends that have more know-how that I do, I get the job done.
TE: You really embraced the livestream concerts. If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t the last one something like a 50 song set spanning your entire music career including material from your band, Lion Bear Fox? How have your experiences been with livestream concerts? Do you think it will continue to be a viable option once concerts start to open up?
Ryan: I’ve usually capped out at around 35 tunes max, but who’s counting? I didn’t enjoy doing them at first. It was really sterile and hard for me to sink my teeth into playing songs into my computer with no audience energy coming back at me. I almost tried the Side Door method – where the show is basically a Zoom call where you can see/hear/communicate with folks – but I never got around to it. The Facebook live events seemed to reach folks that follow what I do, so I stuck with that. After about 5 of ’em, I adapted and really started enjoying the online shows. I loved the fact that I could play as little or as much as I wanted, so I’d craft a different setlist every time out; I’d take requests and do my best to get through all of them. I don’t think it’ll continue as much once things open up, but I’m certainly open to doing them once in a while, just to reach friends & fans that are on the other side of the earth.
TE: Speaking of concerts opening up – you have a couple shows coming up at the Mary Winspear Centre in early July. It must be exciting to get out and play in front of people in person instead of on a computer screen.
Ryan: I’m thrilled to be doing a couple of headlining gigs over there at the Winspear. The crew there are all so good to me; I’ve opened for countless acts there over the years — Burton Cummings, Buffy Ste. Marie, Aaron Pritchett, Barney Bentall, and quite a few more — so to return to that space & have a couple of gigs on my own feels right. I’ve been rehearsing a lot of new material to debut at these shows. I can’t wait to get the new songs up on their feet.
TE: Last year was a strange year for me. Normally I see hundreds of concerts but in 2020 I only got to see a handful. One of which was yourself and Barney Bentall at the Mary Winspear Centre. It was a fantastic night of live music in turbulent times. You had a fairly short opening set then, what can we expect from your headlining shows in Sidney?
Ryan: I’ve often said that when you’re the opener, you’re standing between the audience and the reason they’re there. It’s a tough spot to be in, but over the years I’ve absolutely relished that role. I like the challenge of trying to win folks over in 20 minutes or so. In this case, I get to stretch out, settle in, tell some more stories and really reach out to the crowd & establish that connection some more. There’ll be some new material, like I said, but definitely some songs that the crowd will have heard from me before.
TE: Personally I have to commend the Mary Winspear Centre and their staff for making concerts possible again. There was no point during the few social distanced concerts where I didn’t feel safe. How did you find it from the performing side of things?
Ryan: They have handled it all with aplomb. Everything is totally dialed there, from the moment the audience walks in, to the final song. I’ve attended limited seating / physically-distanced shows there, and I’ve also performed, so I’ve been able to experience those evenings from both sides. They’re a wonderful crew that all care over there.
TE: How can people find tickets to your two performances in Sidney?
Ryan: Head on over to the Mary Winspear box office, or check out their website.
TE: Thanks for chatting with me, Ryan. It’s going to be my first concert of 2021! I’m really excited.
Ryan: Thanks very much, Tyson. I sure appreciate your time.
Ryan McMahon will be playing two safe, socially distanced and intimate concerts at Sidney BC’s Mary Winspear Centre on July 8th and 9th, 2021. Tickets are $36.75 and still available through the Mary Winspear’s Box Office.