Ryan James Brewer

For Ryan James Brewer, an Australian transplanted to Nashville, the word Tender carries a lot of weight. Tenderness is a virtue, a mood, a motivation, and perhaps the best word to describe the music he makes. On his debut record, which carries that word as its title, he writes and sings songs that collide bruised vocals with carefully crafted melodies, intricate beats with woozy soundscapes. He then intersperses them with curious interludes that blend found sounds and stray noises. But Brewer understands that Tender is also a verb, and he tenders his vulnerabilities the way you might tender a resignation, presenting them to his listener for recognition and approval.

Full of big ideas, intense emotions, and extremely catchy hooks, Tender is a springboard for an artist rethinking how pop music can sound, what it can say, and how it can connect people. “Making this record,” he says, “was definitely a way of working through some things for myself, but I wanted to leave the listener with some kind of insight, something they can identify with and hopefully carry forward.”

Written by Stephen Deusner - full bio available at ryanjamesbrewer.com