Meet Robby Ciganek | Singer / Songwriter for the band Brother Ryan

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robby Ciganek and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robby, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think without any risk, nothing of real value can actually be attained. Whether it be a job, a relationship, choosing a new place to call home, or writing a song that is drawn from the most personal and intimate parts of our being, risk is that chance we take that maybe someone feels the same way we do. Specifically when it comes to crafting a song, often times the only thing we really have to give is our own story or perspective. It isn’t always a new chord or riff that someone will hear for the first time that will move them, I feel like almost every chord progression has probably been played or written, what we have left is our story. It’s always a risk to bare your soul through a song, to tell a secret or a story reserved for those close few in your life, but it is truly what makes it worth it. It’s taking life circumstances, struggles, joys, and everything in between and risking it with a group of people at 9:30 on a Friday night and hoping maybe, just maybe, someone in that room can find a piece of themselves in what you are trying to say. I’m not sure there is any art without risk.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our Band, Brother Ryan has been around since 2018 and we started playing shows around Chicago after our first EP “Forest”. We recorded that record exclusively in a small and beautiful room in West Chicago that producer Kevin Rose transformed into a capable recording studio. From couch pillow dampeners around amps, and a lot of work around getting drums to sound just right in a room with brick walls, we had the best time. It was exactly as I had always hoped recording a record would be. Great friends, bringing their own creativity to the table and making something beautiful. That entire project is a metaphorical take on family and community and still means the world to me. There is a lot of difficult life experiences wrapped up in those songs and it’s special. As we started to play out the music and find more and more stages around Chicago, Covid was just ramping up and most of the venues closed and the shows stopped. This was a very difficult period for us, as it was for so many creatives. In the midst of all of that, my wife and I found out we were going to have a baby after years of IVF. As if that was not enough, we decided it was a now or never time to make a big move we had been contemplating, across the country to Colorado. This coincided with the release of new music for the band and eventually our second EP “Remnants”. The record found the favor of some pretty big playlist creators and seemed to connect with a lot of folks. It is record about time, and marking those moments that leave us thinking about what happened (Eller) or where time is going (Seasons). Broken Love is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written about the mundane of a relationship and the constant question of letting it go, or not giving up, because it’s all broken in some way. After the move, I connected with some friends in Colorado Springs who are incredible artists in their own right, and we have been playing all around Colorado. It’s been really cool to see the music connecting out here as it was starting to in Chicago. It’s been an amazing journey thus far, and the next EP we have working now has me as excited as I’ve ever been about music. If I could say anything about Brother Ryan and what you can expect from us and our songs, is that it will always be authentic, and honest. You can hopefully find a piece of yourself in our songs. Come and see a show! We have quite a few coming up in the Spring and Summer of 2022, all over Colorado!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Colorado Springs is seriously an awesome spot to have friends visit. One of the primary reasons we moved here was because of the access to outdoors and experiencing life so close to the mountains. My first stop would be to take a drive up and around Gold Camp Road on Cheyenne Mountain. Some of the best views of downtown springs as well as the mountain range to the west. I would probably grab some canned cocktails from Lee Spirits and some takeout from T Byrds downtown and watch the sunset up there. For breakfast/brunch, we’re going to Garden of the God’s Market. Such great food and drinks, it’s perfect for any weekend brunch. Probably grab some coffee from Switchback or Loyal coffee roasters for a hike up Crags Trail on the backside of pikes peak. That’s where I saw my first moose, it’s a magical hike. We would have to get dinner back in the springs at the Rabbit Hole, best brussel sprouts and short rib in town, and it’s underground, Alice in Wonderland vibe is super cool. After Dinner we would have to get drinks and finish the night at Icons. Icons houses some of the best singers in Colorado and it’s always such a great time. The next morning we would have to make the short drive to the quaint town of Green Mountain Falls and the best hidden gem breakfast spot, The Pantry. Most mornings in the summer you can find local legend Ted Newman singing all of the americana and classic country you could want. It’s the best of mountain breakfast experiences. Lunch would be at Ivywild which is an old elementary school reacclimated into a brewery, distillery, restaurant and coffee shop. Plenty of places to sit and chat before checking out The Broadmoor which is right down the street. We’ll just say we have a lunch res and enjoy the views. We’ll spend the afternoon at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo which is seriously incredible and finish the evening on my back deck, overlooking the front range and partaking of some delightful Axe and the Oak bourbon. So much more we could accomplish in a week, but I think this would already be pretty memorable. Colorado Springs is exploding and there is always new restaurants to try and new places to check out. It’s a great place to call home!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost my wife and partner, Tiah, deserves so much credit. Not only has she stuck around through some pretty hard stuff, she has been incredible about letting me write about it and share it through song. There are so many others I could recognize who have had immense impact on me as an artist and human, but it’s probably more prudent to share why they had an impact. I’ve always found myself surrounded by folks who were further along than I was, or who I deemed better than me, and they always brought me in. I’ve felt very lucky to been in situations where I could gleam and grow from some really talented friends and feel free to fail or bring ideas that I wasn’t sure about and get honest feedback. I’ve always found the best songs start with an idea and grow as you bring community around it, and that has always been my formula. Brother Ryan has always been a conglomerate of really great, creative people, being willing to bring their skillset and their perspective to the table and it’s always led us to art we could all be proud of. I can only hope to return the favor of all the kindness I’ve been shown to others starting their journey into music and songwriting.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my brother, Ryan, who has been very kind to let me use his name and role in my life as a band name. Most people just assume my name is Ryan. He is a special man and brother. Most importantly, my cohorts in this Brother Ryan Journey. In Chicago, Jack Rose, Kevin Rose, and Phil Parker. Each were as close as brothers and each one remarkable in their creativity and what they have given to this project thus far. In Colorado, Carson Smith and Ben Dudek. It’s as if we’ve been playing together for years already. They are true artists and Brother Ryan would not be what it is without them.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brotherryanmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrotherRyanMusic/

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hTEhz38M1qf4X981PNcLy?si=5WkQ_tjNR7aVcugHYbn3MA

Image Credits
Kevin Rose Tiah Ciganek Carson Smith