About Ryan Ryan Traster is a Minneapolis-bred singer/songwriter currently residing in Portland, but the restless troubadour has spent the better part of the decade traveling the world making music on stages and in studios. He has had the privilege of recording or performing with members of The Jayhawks, Golden Smog, Jonathan Wilson Band, Ozma, The Elected, Old 97′s and Chris Pureka. He was also a key member of Small Towns Burn A Little Slower, a Minneapolis buzzband that made a mark on the emo/post punk scene in the mid 2000’s. Ryan has been releasing solo material for the last 4 years, folk rock songs influenced by icons like John Phillips, Dennis Wilson and Graham Nash, and his upcoming album, Get Easy, is easily the best material the writer has penned to date. Writing the bulk of this album over the course of a year while living in a guest house in Echo Park, CA after a turbulent and truly hedonistic period of his life. “I became fascinated with a lot of these late 60′s and early 70′s records that came out of LA. They were these tales of depraved lifestyles and addiction hidden under a veneer of sunshine and an insouciant lifestyle. I feel like this was my way of creating something in homage to that time.” Working with Producer Joe McGrath (Ryan Adams, Morrissey, Green Day), Get Easy was recorded in the short span of a week, bringing in a crew of great musicians, recording live and with few takes, aiming to capture meaningful and true performances. ”Many of the parts were recorded live with few takes, to keep the sound loose and sincere. We kept the sound fairly dry and tried not to bury everything in reverb. Overall I’m incredibly pleased with the outcome and feel like it really captured the time it was made and the feeling that went into creating it.” Get Easy will be released on July 8th by LoonVault. What Others Have Said: “Catchy, classic folk-rock tunes” -NPR’s The Current “A folk-country gem teeming with wanderlust and impeccable vocals” -Vita.mn “Get Easy cuts straight to the chase, brushes cheeks with brashness, and makes no apologies” -City Pages (Voice Media) “Traster delivers a harmonious hook that’s reminiscent of the good stuff from the 90′s” -Mp3.com “A hip, smooth-voiced singer/songwriter from Minneapolis… whose debut EP evokes comparisons to Grant Lee Phillips or Josh Ritter…” - Minneapolis Star Tribune “An extremely impressive slice of americana.” - My Old Kentucky Blog “A wanderer in spirit, Traster’s music is grounded with twangy instrumentation, swoon-worthy tenor and mournful Americana melody.” - Metromix.com “Warm, folk-influenced pop that’s likely to appeal to Jayhawks fans…” - St. Paul Pioneer Press