Artist Spotlight: Ryan Wilkins

By: Austin King  

If you needed one word to describe Ryan Wilkins, although it wouldn’t quite do him justice, that word would be inspiring. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Wilkins burst onto the music scene in 2004 with his debut self-titled release. Four years and three CDs later, he continues to inspire. With a raw, unplugged sound that brings you as close to an artist as you could ever want, you immediately feel the words that Ryan has turned into songs.

On his website, Wilkins explains his hope as: “My songs will cause a heart-level response. Whether that’s to spur new thought, move toward love, or identify with hurt. Music is a reflection of a life. Mine is summed up in this – – I am loved, so I love.” He succeeds by expressing that love through his original songwriting and a voice so full of emotion you can’t help but feel what he feels.  

A member of Granville Chapel, Ryan may be familiar to many in the Ohio area because of live shows he routinely played in. He leads worship for SevenoSeven, a ministry in his hometown.  

All three of his CDs are a musical delight and will surely satisfy your soul. His ability to transition between soft ballads and a light rock sound, while maintaining the same lyrical intensity shows something you rarely see in artists.

“Parts,” Ryan’s first CD, is very worship-oriented and doesn’t disappoint. A single-worthy song off Parts would surely be “Perfect Pill,” with Ryan looking to God’s love as a remedy for his challenging times.

“Beautiful Disrepair” is his second CD and proved to be a change in direction. “It was a lot more transparent, and I had started to move into the story-telling aspect of songwriting. In fact, most of the songs on ‘Beautiful Disrepair’ are some aspect of telling a story,” Ryan told Kevan Breitinger of Suite101. I recommend the hit “Lay Down My Arms.” This song is very catchy and makes it very easy to take his range for granted.

“Good Old Ohio,” is Ryan’s latest CD and takes on a folk sound. The title track which inspired the CD name shows just how much he loves his home and again how easily he can change styles of music.

With exceptional vocal range and flexibility in genres that offers something for everyone to enjoy, it shouldn’t be long before Ryan Wilkins is signed by a major record label. We are all lucky to have someone blessed with so much talent and so eager to share it.

To learn more about this artist, visit: www.ryanwilkins.com and www.myspace.com/ryanwilkinsmusic

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