OurStage

RYAN SCHMIDT Performing: "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell You're 19 years old. What do you know about the '80s? I remember watching "The Neverending Story," "Labyrinth," and "Sixteen Candles." My favorite TV shows were "Fraggle Rock" and "Thundercats." So I'm an '80s kid. When did you first hear "Tainted Love"? I was about 6 years old, riding in a Nissan Maxima, and that song was blaring. I just started singing it even though I'd never heard it before. I remember confusing the words, thinking it was "Jane's in love." You don't really understand love songs when you're that age, anyway. The "Tainted Love" video is full of men in togas. Is that the style you're going for? I'm not exactly sure what I'll be wearing - probably a Karate Kid T-shirt, leg warmers, and a Starter jacket. Where do you a buy a Starter jacket in Boston these days? You don't. You actually have to have one up in your closet. I have the New England Patriots one, and I wore it for real in '93 and '94. It was a hand-me-down from my cousin. Club Passim's '80s tribute night starts at 8 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $16 at www.clubpassim.com or 617-492-7679.

"Ryan Schmidt’s performance at the NH Edge Music Series @ Dover Soul was amazing. His blend of soulful lyrics, rooted in the teenage angst of growing up in the 21st century, and creative songwriting, provides the listener a passionate and sometimes funny look into his life. With songs ranging from a found love letter about his mother’s high school sweetheart, to experiences dealing with life’s challenges, and one of my favorite songs 10 days which has an introspective look at his life. Ryan’s music will capture your heart, your mind, and make you hold on throughout the entire journey of his performance. Ryan’s live performance is nothing less than inspired and you would be hard pressed to believe that this emerging new artist is only seventeen years old, his music and songwriting is far more mature than his years. Keep your eye on Ryan Schmidt as he is definitely going places. Not only did I enjoy Ryan’s performance, but felt he is one of the best solo artists I have heard to date." Scott M Harris Producer, NH Edge Music Series nhedge.com "I have been running open Mic's for over 20 years. Ryan has been the first singer songwriter who has walked through the door a complete package. He can play the guitar write a great song and sing it with passion. Ryan has a natural charisma with the audience. He has what it takes. I wish him all the best" Paul Prue Host, The Grog thegrog.com

"Ryan is a talented young River Rising star, featured on 92.5 the River's Homegrown Showcase." Rita Cary, River After Hours Host, 92.5 the River, Boston's Independent Radio.

It was a really tough decision as all of the artists were unique and extremely talented. Ryan Schmidt won the online votes powered by Goombah and was also the OurStage artist of the night. Congratulations to Ryan for these dueling accomplishments. 18-year-old High School senior, Ryan Schmidt, impresses with his powerful vocals.

Applying to college has served to make me hyper-aware of teenage prodigies: black belts, novelists, full-fledged scientists, all at the age of 18. A self-taught composer at 12 and current regular on the New Hampshire and Massachusetts club circuits, newcomer Ryan Schmidt most definitely belongs on that ever-so-daunting list, however much of a complex that may give me. Burning Bitter Years, Schmidt’s debut EP, is a promising, five-song slice of downbeat rock, all lovelorn lyrics and smooth delivery à la John Mayer with a raw edge that is all Schmidt's own. Album opener “Going Dark” is a solid launching point, an unabashedly catchy track with shimmering bursts of guitar and anchoring drums. Despite the cynicism of lines like “There is no happily ever after / Happiness is only found with an eight-dollar movie ticket / And love is only captured with a steel frame and a dying rose / And love is just an endless sea, a sea of dreamers anyway,” the song unfolds with an almost jaunty, resoundingly indomitable spiritedness. My only caveat with this song is a few instances where the lyrics devolve into clichés or general cheesiness (“The lights are on but nobody’s home,” and “I’m sometimes hard to read / Like a book written in Chinese,” for example), a disappointing contrast to the aforementioned moments of vibrant imagery. Next up, the EP’s title track begins with moody, fuzzed flickers of guitar and brooding vocals: “Burning bitter years / You can do anything, anything at all,” Schmidt croons as the instrumentation slowly builds to its fiery climax. This track is definitely a winner, a fine-tuned, resonant depiction of the raw struggle to succeed. “Ten Days” rambles along with a folksy feel to it, the pulsating guitars of the previous two songs swapped for acoustic strumming and piano chords, as the events of, you guessed it, 10 days are recounted. The lyrics grow progressively tenser as the days unfold, until Schmidt is left lamenting, “Two days left and I’m starving, starving from what I can’t decide / Will my hunger fade with the sunset of and the rising tide?” “Sleepwalking Days” is more toned down, though still brimming with spurts of guitar jangling and lush harmonies, while final track “Life Is News To Him” is stripped down to Schmidt’s warm, endearing vocals and accompanying acoustic guitar, a quiet, introspective gem that serves well to round the EP out. Singer-songwriters have it especially tough when it comes to traversing new territory in a genre where everything has seemingly already been said and molded into winning metaphors; nevertheless, Schmidt puts his spin on the tried-and-true busker conventions, and with well-crafted lyrics and solid instrumentation, he has more than made his mark on the music scene.

Ryan Schmidt Burning Bitter Years At just 18 years of age, Ryan Schmidt has already recorded and released two EPs, toured the northeast, and earned the honor of being the Starbucks Music Makers Critic’s Choice. The self-taught guitarist displays both a pop sensibility and a risk-taking side that allows him to warp guitar riffs and play with lyrical turns of phrase. There are no frills on this EP; Schmidt instead decided wisely to stick to warm vocals over solid acoustic guitar-driven melodies. Lyrically, Schmidt plays with turns of phrase with all the aplomb of youth. On “Going Dark,” Schmidt gets literal (“I’m sometimes hard to read / like a book written in Chinese”), shows his history know-how on “Ten Days” (“four score and seven years ago / our founding fathers had a desire to know”), tackles optimism/pessimism on “Sleepwalking Days” (“he was a half-hearted, glass empty kind of guy”), and references the school system on “Life is News to Him” (“he knows that high school is fake / can’t carry the baggage all those girls take with them”). Schmidt is a refreshing dichotomy – talented beyond his years and mature enough to keep his lyrics as fun and free-wheeling as he should be at 18. www.myspace.com/aboutschmidt

Artist: Ryan Schmidt CD: Burning Bitter Years Home: Atkinson, New Hampshire Style: Acoustic/Alternative Quote: "Ryan Schmidt is definitely an artist that knows what he needs to do." By Darryl Gregory The power of Burning Bitter Years is in the words that 18 year old Ryan Schmidt has offered up to his listeners on this 5-song EP. With a smokey voice reminiscent of John Mayer, Schmidt sings songs of quiet desperation as seen from the point of view of a boy transitioning into a man and the angst at the end of the high school years. The best track on the CD is definitely the title track. With a sound and feel borrowed from the likes of Chris Isaac, Schmidt paints a dark picture of having and wanting something that is not his to have or keep: As I lie awake, it's your smile I take in and I know it's wrong because it doesn't belong to me. When there's a price to pay, for your love to stay I just might give up all I have. So listen when I say this fourth night of insomnia is cause of you ... "Life Is News To Him" is an intimate comment on understanding that you don’t know everything, especially when you’re 18. Wanting all that he can't have to day And knowing, just knowing, Life is news to him ... Ryan Schmidt is definitely an artist that knows what he needs to do. He’s writing and performing and listening and this will be reflected in his songs and his vision as artist. He’s also starting to surround himself with people that can help – this CD was co-produced by Kris Smith and Ed Valauskas at Q-Division Studios – people with connections to the wider palette of sonic disruption than just what is heard on the radio today. This CD is definitely pointing Ryan Schmidt in the right direction. I’m looking forward to hearing more in the near future.