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Bio

Ryan Joseph Anderson’s solo career began in April 2014 with the release of his debut album, The Weaver’s Broom. The album, engineered and co-produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hooray for the Riff Raff), was hailed as one of the best Americana records of the year. Songs from The Weaver’s Broom made "best of" lists for Daytrotter and Songpickr and were featured in Paste and Magnet. American Songwriter said that Anderson "evokes the open-tunings of Nick Drake as well as the barroom howl of Tom Waits." Before going solo, Anderson was known as the bandleader and songwriter for the beloved Chicago roots outfit Go Long Mule, as a guitar slinger for garage-rockers Rambos, and as a producer, sessions man and sideman for numerous artists. His influences range from country blues to psychedelic rock and are on prominent display in his masterful guitar playing and songwriting. Anderson’s sophomore release City of Vines will be released in the summer of 2017. Throughout his career as a band member, sideman, and solo performer RJA has shared the stage with such acts as:

The Drive-by Truckers          
Dawes                                
Jason Isbell
Shovels and Rope                                                                                                                                                                 Robert Earl Keen            
Alejandro Escovedo     
Honey Honey                                                                                                                                                                           Band of Heathens
Joe Ely
Langhorne Slim
Joe Pug
Charlie Parr
Christopher Paul Stelling
The Deep Dark Woods
Jeffrey Foucault
Caitlin Rose
American Aquarium
David Mayfield Parade
Lera Lynn
Sam Lewis
and many more...

                     

City of Vines album premiere via Glide Magazine!

Like many a confident musician, Ryan Joseph Anderson isn’t too concerned how people define him. With so many genres and sub-genres floating around, categorization these days is far from an exact science. But if there ever was an artist that earns the Americana tag solely and squarely it’s Anderson’s sophomore solo release City of Vines, premiering in full on Glide.

Check out the full interview and stream here

RJA featured in American Songwriter's 5 Chicago Songwriters You Need To Hear

Ryan Joseph Anderson was the former frontman for the beloved Chicago garage-rock band Go Long Mule, which released two albums—2011’s Kissing The Gunner’s Daughter and 2013’s Albion—and carved out a touring niche in the Midwest before disbanding this winter. To record a new solo album, Anderson decamped to Nashville to collaborate with Andrija Tokic at the Bomb Shelter studio. On Weaver’s Broom, Anderson displays his lyrical songwriting gifts in stripped-down settings. The new album evokes the open-tunings of Nick Drake as well as the barroom howl of Tom Waits. A new stop-motion video for “Fortune And Fate,” created by Anderson and artist Jen Donahue (who also sings on the album), is a morbid love song à la “Long Black Veil.” - Davis Inman, American Songwriter

Interview via The Total Scene