The sit down with ryan hurd
Ryan Hurd has released his sophomore album this week - Midwest Rock & Roll, via Big Machine Records. Co-penning all 12 tracks on the new project, Hurd provides listeners with a cinematic snapshot of heartland dreamers, paying homage to his midwestern roots and exploring the aftermath of leaving his home behind in chase of a dream. In anticipation of the album's release, Hurd performed an acoustic show at The Lower Third in London on February 10, 2025. This marked his first UK performance in nearly seven years and we sat down with him in London to find out more about the album and returning to our shores.
Welcome back to London. Have you had a chance to explore this time around?
I'm always exploring. I love it. I love the pub culture here. I like the cask gales, all those, the pulled pints, that's my favourite stuff. We had a jet lag day yesterday, which is always an adventure. But yeah, so todays our first real day. I feel good.
What was your first pint you had then?
Oh, a Timothy Taylor's, I think. I know we had a couple of Nicholson's Pale Ales from one of those pubs too.
So, you're in London for effectively one night only. Is it quite exciting just to come in to do the one show?
Well, yeah. I mean, the show is actually ancillary, we're going to do some work at Abbey Road the day after, tomorrow which was the reason we came, and we thought, while we're here, we might as well do a lot of promo and play a show for fans that we haven't seen in quite a while. I mean, COVID really made it hard, that's the reason that I haven't really been back to play. Just having the opportunity to go play music for people that know it and love it is really special.
Is it exciting to come with some new music as well?
Yes, it's very cool. I'm really proud of the album. I'm really excited for people to hear it in five weeks. Touring is not a big part of my artist life anymore, I think it will be again someday, but I don't know. I think for me, I'm more worried about remembering the words than anything else. It's a special trip, and I'm here with my producer who I grew up with, and so we're going to play the show together tonight. We don't usually play together, so we're just going to figure it out together. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Will it be good getting to play some new songs as well as mixing in old songs?
It'll be nice. I've never sung most of these songs ever, so the day I wrote them is the last time I sang most of them, so that's weird. There's some parts that I'm nervous about, but I'm excited that people care that I'm putting another album out. I'm really proud of the music and the work, and I'm proud that we took our time doing it. I'm proud of having a new label and a new management team. I'm really just excited about a lot of things in my artist life.
Welcome back to London. Have you had a chance to explore this time around?
I'm always exploring. I love it. I love the pub culture here. I like the cask gales, all those, the pulled pints, that's my favourite stuff. We had a jet lag day yesterday, which is always an adventure. But yeah, so todays our first real day. I feel good.
What was your first pint you had then?
Oh, a Timothy Taylor's, I think. I know we had a couple of Nicholson's Pale Ales from one of those pubs too.
So, you're in London for effectively one night only. Is it quite exciting just to come in to do the one show?
Well, yeah. I mean, the show is actually ancillary, we're going to do some work at Abbey Road the day after, tomorrow which was the reason we came, and we thought, while we're here, we might as well do a lot of promo and play a show for fans that we haven't seen in quite a while. I mean, COVID really made it hard, that's the reason that I haven't really been back to play. Just having the opportunity to go play music for people that know it and love it is really special.
Is it exciting to come with some new music as well?
Yes, it's very cool. I'm really proud of the album. I'm really excited for people to hear it in five weeks. Touring is not a big part of my artist life anymore, I think it will be again someday, but I don't know. I think for me, I'm more worried about remembering the words than anything else. It's a special trip, and I'm here with my producer who I grew up with, and so we're going to play the show together tonight. We don't usually play together, so we're just going to figure it out together. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Will it be good getting to play some new songs as well as mixing in old songs?
It'll be nice. I've never sung most of these songs ever, so the day I wrote them is the last time I sang most of them, so that's weird. There's some parts that I'm nervous about, but I'm excited that people care that I'm putting another album out. I'm really proud of the music and the work, and I'm proud that we took our time doing it. I'm proud of having a new label and a new management team. I'm really just excited about a lot of things in my artist life.
Yeah. I loved working at Sony. They were really nice to me on the way out, and I'm just really proud of all the work we did with Randy Goodman and Taylor and Ken and everybody at Sony Nashville. I've been a writer at Big Machine for a really long time. I've known Scott Borchetta for as long as I've been writing songs in Nashville, and it was really just a seamless transition for me to just walk across the hallway and talk about putting this album out. The album was done before they ever were involved, and so it's been really cool to play the music for Scott and have him love it enough to want to be a part of it. Beyond that, I don't know. I think I've been doing music professionally for 12 years, and I'd say it's not lost on me. It's something I don't take for granted at all.
You co-wrote all 12 songs on the new album, is that still such a buzz for you after so long of writing, getting to release your own music?
Yeah. I mean, a lot of songs on my previous projects were outside cuts. I mean, I don't need a lot of help to write the music, but when I hear something great that somebody else did, it's fun to record it. But this album was a touch more personal, and it just worked out that I wrote every single song on there, and I'm proud of that.
You've been gradually releasing the music since the middle of last year. Was that always the plan to gradually release this project?
Oh man, you asked. No. No. I thought this album was going to come out in March of last year. We released Midwest Rock and Roll probably about three or four months after we intended and then a lot of things happened in my personal life that people probably saw, and that pushed it back a little longer. We released the first two tracks independently with the idea that we'd take on a partner for the third, and it took a second to get onboarded with the record company. I think what I want people to know is this record was written before any of the things that happened in my personal life happened. I just thought I deserved, and this album deserved, to come out the way that I intended to have it. Like the way I wrote it. There's some awkwardness maybe if you hear a love song that might mean something different now. But I think for me, it's a time stamp in my life. Those are great memories for me - it's a special sentiment. I'm really proud of those years too. I don't know what comes next after this, but I think that getting the opportunity to put this album out in its entirety the way that I wrote it was really important to me. I'm really thankful that I have someone like Big Machine to support that vision and not really ask any questions! I'm just really proud of the partnerships, really proud of the music and grateful for the opportunity to do it the way that I hoped I could.
Well, I'm very glad you didn't decide to just put it in the bin, I must say. Thank you!
I would have thought to at one point. But I'm really grateful to just still be doing it!
You co-wrote all 12 songs on the new album, is that still such a buzz for you after so long of writing, getting to release your own music?
Yeah. I mean, a lot of songs on my previous projects were outside cuts. I mean, I don't need a lot of help to write the music, but when I hear something great that somebody else did, it's fun to record it. But this album was a touch more personal, and it just worked out that I wrote every single song on there, and I'm proud of that.
You've been gradually releasing the music since the middle of last year. Was that always the plan to gradually release this project?
Oh man, you asked. No. No. I thought this album was going to come out in March of last year. We released Midwest Rock and Roll probably about three or four months after we intended and then a lot of things happened in my personal life that people probably saw, and that pushed it back a little longer. We released the first two tracks independently with the idea that we'd take on a partner for the third, and it took a second to get onboarded with the record company. I think what I want people to know is this record was written before any of the things that happened in my personal life happened. I just thought I deserved, and this album deserved, to come out the way that I intended to have it. Like the way I wrote it. There's some awkwardness maybe if you hear a love song that might mean something different now. But I think for me, it's a time stamp in my life. Those are great memories for me - it's a special sentiment. I'm really proud of those years too. I don't know what comes next after this, but I think that getting the opportunity to put this album out in its entirety the way that I wrote it was really important to me. I'm really thankful that I have someone like Big Machine to support that vision and not really ask any questions! I'm just really proud of the partnerships, really proud of the music and grateful for the opportunity to do it the way that I hoped I could.
Well, I'm very glad you didn't decide to just put it in the bin, I must say. Thank you!
I would have thought to at one point. But I'm really grateful to just still be doing it!
There's 12 tracks on the album. Is it always tough as a songwriter to pick those final 12 that you went with?
No, no, because it's a very fluid process. It's not like we had a bunch of songs and then picked them. I knew when I wrote Die For It that that's what the record was going to sound like. Then we wrote Midwest Rock and Roll and then I knew that was what the album was going to be called. At that point, it's sort of like putting your football lineup on the field and fitting pieces where they fit! I always know when it's a Ryan song. If I show up that day and I want to write that specific title that I know is going to be on the record, that's how you do it. All the titles I had before they were written, I could have written the track list before I wrote the songs. I think it ended up being pretty close to what I wanted. I would have grinded on it for another two years if they'd let me. But you got to, at some point, it's just time to let it go. So now's the time to let it go.
What made you decide March 2025 is the time to actually put it out there?
Otherwise, I just would never come out. Otherwise, if everyone had gotten so sick of me, they would have just been like, all right, man, never mind! I do have like a lot of music I want to make. I want to keep going. I want to make records still. This is only my second full length, but you know, life happens and you think about like, what does music look for me going forward? I really do want to keep making records and writing songs. And the day I stop making track lists in my head is the day that we don't record music anymore.
You are at Abbey Road tomorrow. Is there going to be a tourist pose outside?
Yeah. I have to. I'm a tourist. I'm going to do the touristy thing. I wrote a song for this album called Paul about meeting Paul McCartney at the Grammys. When I signed my record deal, they're like, well, what do you want to do? And I was like, I want to do Paul live from Abbey Road. Everyone got excited and I'm going to keep doing this till someone tells me no, then here we are. Nobody ever figured out how to tell me no! We're going to go in there and cut Paul live from Abbey Road and tell the story of that. The cool part about that song is it's more about like my musical origins. My dad played Let It Be on a 45 record and that's how I fell in love with the guitar and the piano was listening to that. He had that Randy Travis CD with Forever and Ever Amen on it and I remember listening to that and being like, what is this? He's like, this is country music. My mom was there when I met Paul, my sister, my whole family is kind of like weirdly connected to this piece of music that I made. It's just a special memory and then to get the opportunity to go do this little thing at the most famous recording studio on the planet, I don't know, I just feel really blessed to have this opportunity.
No, no, because it's a very fluid process. It's not like we had a bunch of songs and then picked them. I knew when I wrote Die For It that that's what the record was going to sound like. Then we wrote Midwest Rock and Roll and then I knew that was what the album was going to be called. At that point, it's sort of like putting your football lineup on the field and fitting pieces where they fit! I always know when it's a Ryan song. If I show up that day and I want to write that specific title that I know is going to be on the record, that's how you do it. All the titles I had before they were written, I could have written the track list before I wrote the songs. I think it ended up being pretty close to what I wanted. I would have grinded on it for another two years if they'd let me. But you got to, at some point, it's just time to let it go. So now's the time to let it go.
What made you decide March 2025 is the time to actually put it out there?
Otherwise, I just would never come out. Otherwise, if everyone had gotten so sick of me, they would have just been like, all right, man, never mind! I do have like a lot of music I want to make. I want to keep going. I want to make records still. This is only my second full length, but you know, life happens and you think about like, what does music look for me going forward? I really do want to keep making records and writing songs. And the day I stop making track lists in my head is the day that we don't record music anymore.
You are at Abbey Road tomorrow. Is there going to be a tourist pose outside?
Yeah. I have to. I'm a tourist. I'm going to do the touristy thing. I wrote a song for this album called Paul about meeting Paul McCartney at the Grammys. When I signed my record deal, they're like, well, what do you want to do? And I was like, I want to do Paul live from Abbey Road. Everyone got excited and I'm going to keep doing this till someone tells me no, then here we are. Nobody ever figured out how to tell me no! We're going to go in there and cut Paul live from Abbey Road and tell the story of that. The cool part about that song is it's more about like my musical origins. My dad played Let It Be on a 45 record and that's how I fell in love with the guitar and the piano was listening to that. He had that Randy Travis CD with Forever and Ever Amen on it and I remember listening to that and being like, what is this? He's like, this is country music. My mom was there when I met Paul, my sister, my whole family is kind of like weirdly connected to this piece of music that I made. It's just a special memory and then to get the opportunity to go do this little thing at the most famous recording studio on the planet, I don't know, I just feel really blessed to have this opportunity.
Well, it's even better for us because we get the show tonight as well. Just to top it off, even if you're a little bit nervous for it.
It'll be great. I just really do want to remember the words. It's been a while. Some of these songs I haven't sung in a while, but it'll be fun. Sometimes it's great to forget the words. It's endearing. We just have to play it off if it happens. I think for the most part, I want to play songs that people have. I mean, we have a good set - we have 15 or 16 songs on our set list. And I wanted to play What Are You Drinking? I want to play Chasing, I do want to play Paul and Die For It. We're going to try to do Midwest Rock and Roll but those are hard songs to do acoustic! We had to rearrange them a little bit, but mostly we'll do the staples, the old stuff - stuff people know. I don't want people to come to my show and hear a bunch of songs they've never heard before.
Well, we always get told that London fans seem to know all the words to every song. So you should be fine if you forget anything!
It's a very special audience, man. It really is. Plus it is cool to come over here and see all of the growth, like just as I saw Corey Kent this morning. And I write, written a lot of songs for Corey. Carly's over here touring. Jordan and Mitchell and Luke are out in Australia. It's so weird to be like, you know, we live around the corner from each other and here we are just being international!
Well, we're definitely not complaining over here, because we now get a lot more live shows.
Well, yeah, C2C is one of the things that is 100% worth it. You will never be disappointed if you buy a ticket or you go play C2C. It's that special. The Bluebird Cafe is similar, I promise you will love going to the Bluebird Café and you'll love playing it. It’s the same with Stagecoach, just the sheer size of it. You just don't see that. I think playing here in London and playing at C2C are in that category. It is a very special thing and as an artist, if you get the opportunity to do it, you have to go do it.
Listen to Midwest Rock & Roll HERE
It'll be great. I just really do want to remember the words. It's been a while. Some of these songs I haven't sung in a while, but it'll be fun. Sometimes it's great to forget the words. It's endearing. We just have to play it off if it happens. I think for the most part, I want to play songs that people have. I mean, we have a good set - we have 15 or 16 songs on our set list. And I wanted to play What Are You Drinking? I want to play Chasing, I do want to play Paul and Die For It. We're going to try to do Midwest Rock and Roll but those are hard songs to do acoustic! We had to rearrange them a little bit, but mostly we'll do the staples, the old stuff - stuff people know. I don't want people to come to my show and hear a bunch of songs they've never heard before.
Well, we always get told that London fans seem to know all the words to every song. So you should be fine if you forget anything!
It's a very special audience, man. It really is. Plus it is cool to come over here and see all of the growth, like just as I saw Corey Kent this morning. And I write, written a lot of songs for Corey. Carly's over here touring. Jordan and Mitchell and Luke are out in Australia. It's so weird to be like, you know, we live around the corner from each other and here we are just being international!
Well, we're definitely not complaining over here, because we now get a lot more live shows.
Well, yeah, C2C is one of the things that is 100% worth it. You will never be disappointed if you buy a ticket or you go play C2C. It's that special. The Bluebird Cafe is similar, I promise you will love going to the Bluebird Café and you'll love playing it. It’s the same with Stagecoach, just the sheer size of it. You just don't see that. I think playing here in London and playing at C2C are in that category. It is a very special thing and as an artist, if you get the opportunity to do it, you have to go do it.
Listen to Midwest Rock & Roll HERE
