Ryan DeSiato is an artist who has experienced many stages of metamorphosis over the years. In line with this journey, his current soulful acoustic blues sound has taken many stylistic twists and turns on the road to its current expression.

He began creating music and learning guitar at 15 by playing along to Nirvana’s Unplugged record. In Ryan’s words: 

“I played acoustic guitar along with the record in my mom's garage after my parent's divorce like I was a band member. Music took my mind off of my emotional pain and started to build the fundamental guitar skills I use today.”

 “I would set up my boom box in front of me in the center of my mom’s garage and get lost in the flow of the live performance. The reverberations of the music bouncing off the concrete walls and the sound of my guitar blending in with the band was such a joy to me.”

His ability to play guitar and sing in high school connected him with other musicians, and he started an alternative rock band. 

“We had fun mostly, but we opened for a few large acts, Big Wreck, Creed, and David Garza. The experience was wonderful, and I learned much about live music performances during this time. After my first band experience, I launched into my twenties and pursued a more acoustic, solo-based sound. Something about the acoustic guitar always called to me.”

When Ryan was 19, he wrote and recorded his first acoustic album, “I AM,” in San Antonio, TX. He recorded the entire 12 songs in one take as a live performance. 

“I knew very little about studio recording then. Throwing myself blindly at a challenge indicated how, for better or worse, I’ve learned most about the music industry.”

Continuing through his 20s and 30s ryan recounts:

 “I was quite prolific during this time. I amassed a catalog of 200-plus songs. Many of which I have yet to record and look forward to recording when I feel called back to revisit them.”

During this period of high output in 2004, he branched back into the alternative rock genre and recorded his first solo record, “EP 2004.” Along with the recording, he produced a music video for the single "Make Believe," which won Best Video at the 2004 Austin Music Network awards.

2005 Ryan recorded the follow-up to “EP 2004” titled “Double Edged.” “This record represented a return to a fusion of music styles mixing rock and my acoustic aesthetics.” 

Ryan recounts:

“I was being called back to my roots.”

Digging back into his roots, experiencing notable creative output, and beginning to receive broader attention, including label interest, Ryan reveled in his work and felt empowered.

With all of this momentum and excitement in 2005, Ryan, unfortunately, had to put his music career on hold following a traumatic surgical operation that went wrong. 

Soberly recalling the season, Ryan explains:

“This was the beginning of a long period of depression and substance abuse that presented me with an opportunity to face it and grow or to allow it to distract me from my purpose. At that time, I chose to run from my pain and past traumas and gave in to a victim mentality. I fell into the darkness of depression and addiction. I still played various gigs, but not with the same spirit that was born into me when I began my music career. I allowed myself to become a victim of the circumstances & my refusal to take responsibility for what I could change kept me from growing, personally and artistically.

The effects of this experience began to change how Ryan perceived his work and, further, how he navigated life choices. Thankfully, the story continued beyond this dark season. He noted:

 "Years of playing music with this attitude slowly distanced me from my love and passion for it; at times, I felt like giving up music completely… Something in me drove me on, and after a long run of poor choices and even a brief land in jail, I started climbing out of the hole I had dug for myself… With the guidance of some great teachers and the grace of God, I began the work that needed to be done to recover physically, spiritually, and emotionally from my old victim narrative.” 

 Ryan began to recover his previous passion for music and, through personal discipline and incremental growth, embarked on this rebirthed, current chapter of his musical journey. He is pressing forward with new expressions and forms alongside his well-worn familiar contexts.

Along with fulfilling his dream of creating music for film through a 2020 commission of a theme song for a short film entitled “Perdition,” Ryan wrote and recorded a theme for the “Luminations” art exhibition at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

The theme was released later in 2020 as the instrumental single “LUMINATIONS.”

The following year, what was a dream fulfilled expanded even more as his original song for ‘Perdition’ - “DOWN TO THE RIVER” won Best Score at the Wild Bunch Film Festival. 

Continuing with his revitalized work, in 2021, he recorded and released his original version of the classic spiritual “AIN'T NO GRAVE.” In addition to this release, Ryan was again asked to record an original song for an exhibition at the LBJ Wildflower Center. “He, in turn, released this new single called “SKIPPING ON THE PLAYGROUND” in February 2022.

Most recently, Ryan was excited to complete the single “PICK YOUR HEAD UP.” In part, this single was a response to the difficulties of the COVID pandemic, and yet it contains a hopefulness that has been a marker of Ryan’s new season of life and work. Ryan expresses his thoughts on the project in the following way:

“PICK YOUR HEAD UP” is especially dear to me because it embodies the encouragement I’ve felt from God and my teachers over the past few years. It’s a message of hope, compassion, and strength that brings me a great deal of joy. I look forward to sharing more of my growth journey as it unfolds.

Lastly, On May 24, 2024, Ryan will release his first album in five years, "ALL GOOD THINGS. "All Good Things" is Ryan's latest album, featuring a collection of new songs that are his most authentic work yet. The album highlights his most vital attributes: powerful, soulful vocals, incendiary blues, acoustic, and rock guitar. It showcases his powerful lyrics and songwriting skills, making it a must-listen for new and old fans of his music.

With Ryan looking forward to what is ahead, the journey will continue to be filled with richness, good work, and good stories. No matter the roads ahead, it should be a great ride.