Rollin' With Ryan Trey: The Rising R&B Star Speaks
Now that the dust has settled on his fiery Streets Say You Miss Me album, The Culture Crypt sits down with rising St. Louis R&B heart-throb Ryan Trey for an in-depth conversation.
Image: Press
During our conversation with Ryan Trey at the Universal Music headquarters, held in the skyscraping fortress towering over the bustling London metropolis, it was a completely different world for the artist born and raised in St. Louis. Yet we discussed the parallels of St. Louis and London, his hypothetical West London roots, his favourite artist collaborations throughout his career—and most importantly how differently his music resonated in the London scene.
A self-proclaimed homebody, Ryan found solace in London by visiting lowkey spots and staying out of the limelight. Conserving his energy as the opening act for R&B peer Jordan Ward, both for that evening (and the following one) at Oslo Hackney. In the quietude of our discussion, it became evident that Ryan Trey focuses on connecting emotionally with his fans. Encompassing all of this, Ryan Trey bleeds his emotions into music and stays dedicated to himself.
Ryan Trey discussed the intimacy of writing his own music, wholefully believing in his own artistic vision and wholefully—and soulfully—connecting with fans via his music. No gimmicks.
If there's one thing Trey focused on during his career it was emotional candour and staying self-aware, with Streets Say You Miss Me being the most vulnerable project he's released up until this point, contrary to the album title. Since joining the industry at a young age it is imperative to Ryan that music reflected his growth as an artist but more importantly as a person.
A self-proclaimed lover boy, Ryan Trey plays with the quality of openness and honesty in his art and our conversation expressed intentions to practice straightforwardness when writing his lyrics, no mincing words over here. Yet Ryan still radiated a calm and humble nature when discussing how he juggles his emotions, fame and the ever-changing game that is the music industry. Encompassing all of this Ryan Trey bleeds his emotions into music and stays dedicated to himself.
Who is Ryan Trey?
"Ryan Trey is a creative. A loverboy. I'm a fan of music and expressing myself. Expressing myself is how I got into music in general—trying to find ways to articulate what I'm feeling. I've never been able to draw it and I like different forms of art. But I feel like music has just been a good outlet for me over the years."
Let's take it back to your childhood. Talk to us about the kind of CDs your parents were playing.
"Growing up my mom played a lot of classic R&B and House music. Then my Dad played a lot of different hip-hop and contemporary R&B. When I was young, Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill really inspired me. As I grew up, I really started to like Frank Ocean and Drake. I love musicians who bridge the gap between genres you know? I think that's super important and Drake and Frank do it so well."
What's the best advice you've received in music?
"With every project, you should have an extremely vulnerable song written by yourself. No matter what. Something where you're just sat with yourself, your thoughts and your pen. Just one song dedicated to you, because people are always going to want those updates on your life alongside that emotional transparency. We gotta let the world know where we're at. On my latest album, that song is "Redwing Drive". It's extremely personal to me and what's going on with my love life. So that's pretty good, especially for building transparency with my listeners."
Image: Press
What songs do you have on repeat?
"I've been listening to Kaytranada, he just dropped a song called "Lover/Friend" with Rochelle Jordan that I like. Recently I went back to "Rolling Stone" by Brent Faiyaz and I've been listening to those on loop. Also, Naomi Sharon has a song called "Holding In Place" that I've been listening to like ten times a day. I also gotta mention Teezo Touchdown, too. Not any song in particular, just Teezo in general. He's dope, the way he bridges rock and rap is amazing."
What tracks are you enjoying the most on Streets Say You Miss Me?
"Oh yeah, the two songs I've been listening to are "Fuck Tryin" and "More Than Sorry". Those two are the songs I revisit the most."
Have you experienced any creative blocks since you started your career?
"I initially had a creative block when I started working on Streets Say You Miss Me because I was unsure of the direction to take it in. I wanted to be more vulnerable, but I didn't know how. However, navigating real-life situations in my relationships helped me get through it. Unfortunately, pain is easy to turn into art, and it gives me the freedom to express myself more.
Once I had something I was going through, the creative process naturally happened. I've heard that some artists struggle to write about things when their lives are going well, but I don't fear that. I'm curious to know if there will ever be a time when I'm so happy in my love life that I have less to write about."
Tell us how you connect with your fanbase.
"I think the music is always first. There's a lot of work in it. I'm not a gimmicky person when it comes to social media. I post what I like when I feel like it. I go with the vibes. I'm not someone who sets up a whole plan surrounding my work. I feel like my audience are good at seeing through those things. I just kinda like being myself and posting how I would even if I wasn't making music."
Talk to us about the records you had the most fun creating.
"The song "Nobody", has a House and Electronic vibe to it with a really dope bounce. When creating it, I sampled this group called Gorgon City who also make House music. It's funny because when I first pitched the idea to the studio, nobody understood it.
So it was just me, my boy OG Parker, and Atlanta producer Go Grizz; after everybody left the studio three were the only few who heard the idea. Kind of how I imagined it. The result came out good and it's my favourite record on the album, it's also the last song in the project. I think it's the most vulnerable project I’ve put out so I’m excited to see how it connects with y’all in real time."
Out of all the artists you’ve collaborated with in your career, who has been your favourite?
"Chemistry wise? Two people come to mind. Mariah The Scientist and I are from the same planet. We both like the same artists and have been working in Atlanta. Everything with her just fell into place, and I really admire her writing.
I originally wrote a verse for her on "Ain't Even Friends", and she was like 'nah I got it' which was dope. Learning to step back was just as important to me. A lot of people don't do that anymore. When we were putting the song together her idea turned out better than mine. That's rare because I really like my ideas [laughs]. I like that she sticks to her pen, I feel like that is a rarity nowadays.
Vory has a really dope texture to his voice, so I feel like his music is always sonically pleasing to hear, and my fans feel the same way. We have a song called "Cover Girl" that came out recently. That's the first feature I've done where people actively comment on how great he sounds. So I know it has nothing to do with his name, just an extremely distinct tone that works so well with the music."
“I would just say my music is very vulnerable. I don’t ever have a direct word to describe it because I don’t know what box to put it in. I would say it’s about saying what I feel. One thing I am working on is being direct and I guess intentional with writing my emotions.”
How do you feel about London now you've gotten accustomed to things over here?
"I love London. I love it because it's a different scenery from the States, so listening to the album out here is cool because I can hear what I want to work on next. Some of my songs resonate better out here than they would back home. The new environment is quite inspiring. I'm excited to play this music live and get that heartfelt reaction from my fans. I think Streets Say You Miss Me is the most vulnerable project I've put out, so I'm excited to see how it connects with my fans in real time."
Ryan Trey has embarked on a compelling journey with his latest record, Streets Say You Miss Me, as he displays a dedicated focus on musical development and emotional vulnerability bound together by a sharp beat selection. With a creative dedication to lyricism and soulful vocals on the songs "Fuck Tryin" and "Nobody", Ryan's debut LP revolves around a journey of love captured through a coming-of-age-style lens.
Despite managing his growing career and adapting to the music industry landscape—now as a global touring artist—Ryan Trey focuses on serving his personality as a realist. Throughout this music journey, he will channel his emotions into his music, unwaveringly committed to staying authentic to himself.
Ryan Trey's Streets Say You Miss Me is out now.