BIO

Ryan Maier is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Taking a new musical direction and away from the usual amplified domains, Ryan now finds himself writing as a solo musician with just an acoustic guitar. Rooted in an intentionally interdisciplinary approach, Ryan fuses elements of fingerstyle folk, blues, jazz, and soul, while using the slide to forge bits of each into a unique musical vocabulary. Listeners will notice distinct or obscure stylistic reflections of The Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, Jason Isbell, Warren Zevon, and Sonny Landreth (plus many more) among Ryan's diverse musical influences.

Ryan has performed/recorded with the electric guitar for many years. Back in the early 2000s, for example, Ryan was a guitarist in roots-rockers ‘Chris Goertzen & the Hazy Pilgrims’ and even an on-call leadman for Winnipeg blues legend Big Dave McLean. About Ryan’s work as a Hazy Pilgrim, check out the patterned descriptions found in various press reviews:

          “Ripping slide guitars […] Ryan’s sliding sounds sometimes rough and raw, at other times controlled and subdued.” –           Rootstime Magazine, Belgium

          “Wailing slide guitars” – Bruce Leperre, Winnipeg Free Press

          “Moaning slide guitars” – Winnipeg Sun

Following some hard personal times and some lean musical years, Ryan returned to the acoustic guitar and started writing. And, honouring the dictum ‘write what you want to hear,’ Ryan enjoys a well-crafted song that recombines traditional elements, highlights emotive melodies, and plays games with dynamics and words. The slide-work then plies the limbic system. 

In spring of 2024, Ryan released his first demo EP of songs ('Sturm und Drang'), followed by a second in 2025 ('Ellipsis'). The music is dark, but fun, and with plenty of genre-bending slide. And the productivity and refinement continues: Ryan is currently in the midst of finishing his next record - set for a summer 2026 release.

Since the fall of 2024, Ryan first started playing at numerous open mic nights in and around Winnipeg, Manitoba. While performing at all sorts of cool joints (places like the Listening Room in Lac du Bonnet, MB, Gordie's Coffee House, the Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club, and Songwriter's Night at the Royal George Hotel), numerous unrelated audience members have described Ryan's songs as "musical theatre."  As Ryan starts bringing full sets of music to feature performances in Winnipeg and beyond, audiences can expect skilled guitarwork, with plenty of soaring slide, and all while spreadin' the word of the absurd.

For more videos and updates, check out Ryan's Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanmaiermusic/ 

 

    

Cover art by Sunera Maier

Music

photos

Photos by BNB Studios

Photos by BNB Studios

Photos by BNB Studios

Video

Inquiries