Ryland Moranz On the Making Of “The Hell Of This Town”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "The Hell Of This Town" and the story it tells?
“The Hell of This Town” is a love letter to my wife and the beautiful home we've built together. It's tricky balancing a healthy home life, being a good husband/partner and having a career built on being away all the time. The song really came out of a moment of emotional growth for me in that respect. I've spent my entire adult life touring in one band or another and have always found the transition between tour life and home life to be a bit turbulent for the first few days on either end. I began to realize it was mainly due to my excitement for what was coming next, home or otherwise. I often find that whenever I'm home I'm looking forward to my next tour, and alternately whenever I'm on tour I can't wait to get home. “The Hell of This Town” came out of my conscious attempt to be content in the here and now; which is one of those things that sounds like it should be way easier than it is. My wife and our two cats are my best friends and I had such a hard time understanding why coming home could be difficult sometimes. What I eventually arrived at was that I actually wasn't letting myself enjoy any moments at home or on the road because I was always living in the past or future and never in the present (a good practice as a songwriter but not a good way to live in real life).
I'm better at it now. Still not great all the time, but it's a lifelong practice. Writing this song helped me come to terms with a lot of things, and helped me refocus my priorities. Now I get homesick everytime I sing it, but that's the point and I'm glad for it.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "The Hell Of This Town" to life?
Everything about how this song was recorded landed in just the right way. Leeroy Stagger produced the album (better/worse) and did a phenomenal job. He's so great at finding the emotional crux of a song and teasing the perfect colours out of his musicians. John Rahm (Afterlife Studios Vancouver) engineered it and was kind enough to come to Barnhouse Studios in Qualicum Beach. Barnhouse is a giant wood barn (not just a clever name) and the place sounds great. Leeroy had us record everything live off the floor, vocals and all! I think the take on the record is the second take, it was magic and John captured it perfectly.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
I made the video with my sister, Gillian Moranz, primarily in east Vancouver. She's got a great eye and is such a great artist in whatever she does. Working with her and getting to shoot in her neighbourhood on Commercial Drive really allowed me to feel comfy and safe to try some things artistically and was so much fun! She has a cameo, too. It's in the third verse at the cocktail bar and it's my favourite part of the whole thing.
Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you're particularly excited about?
My new album ‘better/worse’ comes out on November 15 on Tonic Records and I'm very excited about that. I'll come with a new single and video for a tune called "A New Civil War". I'm currently on Tour in Australia and New Zealand and will be here for about 7 weeks or so. Next year I'll be in the UK a couple of times in January and in March/April. I'm also finishing up a collection of Bach cello suites on the banjo, but that's a story for another time.
What is the best part of being a musician?
It's a life of extremes. And while that's not always a "best part", it affords the opportunity to to live an experience rich life. I can't say what the best part is all the time, because to me it's always in flux. Sometimes the best part is a great show, or a new friend, a new song, or surviving a hard day, or learning to be wrong, or experiencing a truth in a contrary opinion, or finding a beautiful place, or recording the past, or writing the future, or settling the present, or leaving for new frontiers, or coming home to your sweetheart.
Or maybe that's it; maybe the best part of being a musician isn't one of those things, but all of them.