Meet Ryan Jewel | Country Music Artist & Songwriter

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

Hi Ryan, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I believe that when you start working for yourself, or in my case, pursue a career in country music, your “balance” has to be put on the back burner for a little while (or as long as it takes to get where you want to be). You must exhaust every ounce of desire to succeed and having a “plan B”, in my opinion, only distracts you from your ultimate goal. When I first started my music career, I was a fresh college graduate from Clemson University, class of 2013, and had a “day job”. But between booking shows, writing songs, practicing, band practices, social media content, designing and keeping up with a website, staying on top of emails, travelling to my shows, setting up/breaking down equipment, driving/flying to Nashville, designing merchandise, recording songs, repairing sound equipment, meet and greets, and making sure I “leave no hand un-shook” while playing my shows, it was becoming overwhelming. Plus, I had to be up the next morning at 4 a.m. so I could go drag a** at work for 10 hours.
I knew that something was going to have to give because I was burning both ends of the candle at an extreme rate, which you’ve got to do at times, but still eventually need to find a common balance where work, play, and day-to-day tasks can all coincide with one another. I’m a big outdoorsman, and have been since I was a young boy. If it involved hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, biking, snowboarding, gardening, farming, etc, you name it, I was doing it. But I found myself shying away from all of those things because I was so wrapped up in my music career. My career needed my undivided attention but I was losing the happiness that it once brought me. At that moment, I knew I needed to take a step back and reevaluate my approach to this whole thing. Not only did I want/need career happiness but I longed for life happiness, too.
At first, it was a struggle trying to find the proper “balance” because for me, it was all or nothing for the sake of my career. There were many sacrifices that I made to continue the success of my career; I missed a lot of birthdays, family events, holidays, my favorite hobbies, and simple downtime with family and friends because of it (but that’s all part of it, right?). However, I started planning A LOT more.. daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, 2-5 year goals, and writing all of them down so I could revisit them everyday to remind myself that this “race to success” isn’t a 100 yard dash but rather a marathon. Burning myself out wasn’t going to win my race, however, a properly planned, well prepared, and consistently executed attempt would lead to much greater success than an all out sprint to the finish line (finish line is a relative term and is different for everybody). This prepping and planning was an adjustment that took persistence, but that persistence eventually lead to the establishment of a routine.
Now don’t get me wrong, my routine is ever changing, but the overall consistency of prepping, planning, and following through with that plan is a tool that can be used for success within your career and in your daily life, alike. Daily goals are key to keeping the balance between work and life.. Knowing which days you need to buckle down and get stuff done and knowing which days you can hook the boat up and head to the lake to fish are both equally important. This will pave a more organized pathway to your ultimate goal of success (another relative term). Like anything though, there will always be speed bumps, hiccups, wrong turns, and curve-balls being thrown at you along your journey, but if you have proper balance within your life, work, career, and day to day tasks, those curve-balls won’t be as hard to hit the next time they’re being pitched.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Plain and simple, I preach the country music gospel in the form of writing songs and singing them! I’m a mix between Josh Turner and George Strait. Old school style with modern day production. My voice is also unique and sets me a part from a lot of other artists, which I am forever grateful for. I am a baritone vocalist but have a 4 octave range so that allows me to go all over the place with my vocals! I am excited for the future, for sure. I am working on my third album as we speak, too, but the future is always exciting! The songs I haven’t written yet, the people I haven’t met, the records I haven’t recorded, the stages I haven’t played on, the states I haven’t played in… all make for very exciting times!
Getting where I am today took genuine effort, a love and passion for music, long days and nights of hard work, dedication, sacrifices, and a will to succeed and not settle for “Plan B” (which I never had so I could never fall back on). Even with all the setbacks that presented themselves, perseverance overcame all of the hurdles. Knowing that everyday won’t be easy but that one day, all of the work I put in will come back around full circle, kept the drive going (Not every day is easy but one day, it’ll be easy everyday).
There are tons of lessons to learn along the way, if you pay attention to the signs. Be good to people and generally, they’ll return the favor. Help someone when they’re in need, whether it’s a couple bucks or if it’s simply being there for someone who is down and out. Keep working hard and keep the end goal in your sights, no matter how hard it gets to be.
I want the world to know that my music is genuine and is a reflection of me, my life, my upbringing, and the man I am. What you hear in the songs i’ve written are things i’ve went through, going through, or had a connection to. You never know what someone else is going through so if I can positively relate with a complete stranger, through my music and songs, then in my opinion, I have completed my task. Also, if this little ol’ no-namer from small town Front Royal, VA, can make it big time in the music business, rest assure, you can succeed at WHATEVER you have your sights on. Keep going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
WELCOME to Front Royal, Virginia! Located in the Northern region of the Shenandoah Valley, and it’s a gorgeous place might I add! The northern entrance to the Skyline Drive is located right here in my hometown and is a gateway into the Shenandoah National Park! We have a quaint main street and have tons of mom and pop places to eat, shop, and hangout. Mom’s country cookin’, LDee’s pancake house, or the Knotty Pine are some hometown favorites for breakfast. There are plenty of things to do for the outdoor adventurer during the day; hundreds of miles of trails to hike, mountain bike, or ride on horseback, in the George Washington National Forest or three local state parks in the surrounding area. We can go fish the Shenandoah River or surrounded tributaries for smallmouth, largemouth, trout, or panfish. If it’s during the fall season, WE’RE GOING HUNTING (if you’d like to, that is). I have a few farms where the deer are over abundant and the views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains are just as plentiful. Once the night settles in, we can head back into town and visit one of the local breweries such as the Virginia Beer Museum or Vibrissa Beer Company. Plenty of libations paired with great food, too. If a more sit down meal is in store, Element Restaurant, The Mill on Main Street, Flint Hill Public House, or Paladin Bar & Grill are where we’re headed! Great eats in a casual and comfortable environment. Plus, I know all of the folks who work at these places so they’ll add a little extra whiskey to your old fashioned! After dinner, we can catch a movie at the local theater, hit up the bowling alley for cosmic bowling, go shoot some pool and darts at On-Cue Sports Bar & Grill, or just opt to head back out of town and keep some of America’s favorite past-time’s alive, like cow tipping or back road riding. The option of heading back to the farm, lighting up a bonfire, and inviting over some buddies is always available, too! If none of those activities click, we can go shoot out some road signs… Don’t worry, i’m good friends with the Sheriff!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to first give credit to the man upstairs for blessing me with my voice and musical abilities and allowing me to share it with the world! My mom, dad, and family, who have pushed me to always follow my dreams no matter what. My friends, who tirelessly encourage me to continue to pursue my music journey. My fans (I have a hard time saying that because I think of them more like friends) who continue to support me, listen to my music, come out to my shows, and spread my name to their friends and family. I personally want to thank Chris & Krissy Boucher, Tom & Teresa Callaway, and Michel & Janet Lynn Rogers for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to record my first and second albums! My grandparents, for showing me what love really looks like and for the opportunity to go to college. Kaylie Roth for promoting the heck out of my latest single “Toasted”. All of my Nashville songwriters.. Lord knows we’ve written four or five #1 hits! My older brother, who is at U.S. Army basic training as we speak (we all appreciate and are proud of you, Nick). My little brother, who has continued to pursue his fitness and personal training dream. And YOU, the reader, for getting to know me a little bit more and possibly becoming a of listener of my music.. THANK YOU!

Website: WWW.RYANJEWELMUSIC.COM

Instagram: @ryanjewelmusic_

Facebook: Facebook.com/ryanjewel870

Youtube: RyanJewelMusic

Image Credits
Ashley Paige Photography (1-5) Rebecca Boone Photography (6-8)