Q&A: ‘On The Marsh’ is Nostalgic, Intimate and Deeply Human in All the Best Ways
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SULLIVAN JORDAN ☆
RYANN ROSS REACHES FOR NEW LEVELS OF EMOTIONAL INTIMACY AND REFLECTION—with her latest EP On The Marsh. It’s a project brewed to perfection with a minimal instrumental composition and vocals that comfortably wander through a landscape of personal, yet familiar feelings.
A stirring production built through the sweeping live instrumentals of cello, piano and acoustic guitar create a rich atmosphere for Ross’s tender and thoughtful vocals to expand, explore and ultimately find an intimacy entirely her own. Her delivery is warm and resonant, like she is whispering secrets and truths to a younger version of herself. She reflects on the equally exciting and nerve-wracking experience of being in your early twenties.
“Blubird” is Ross’s wish for time to stop and stand still; to go back to simpler days at home, but also her wish to make peace with the inevitable ebb and flow and contrasts of life: “But honey I don’t like the cold/Or my parents growing old/And my bedroom hasn’t changed/But honey I don’t feel the same.” Throughout the project, Ross reflects on change and the evolution of her deepest emotions. Springy instrumentals echoed throughout On The Marsh reflect a distinctly bittersweet quality to Ross’ musical expression and storytelling. Every aspect of Ross’s artistry is beautifully intentional, human and honest.
Luna had the chance to chat with Ross in an email interview about the process of making On The Marsh and her personal approach to songwriting.
LUNA: Congratulations on the release of your debut EP On The Marsh! You create a beautifully delicate blend of dreamy vocals and intentional instrumentals. The project is touching and feels incredibly personal and unique to your songwriting process. Can you tell us about the process of bringing these tracks to life and some of your musical inspirations that helped shape the EP, both sonically and lyrically?
ROSS: Thank you! I wish I could tell you there was a specific inspiration outside of my actual life, but there really wasn’t anything that shaped this record in that way. The main driving force was honesty. I don’t listen to music while I’m writing because it always seeps in subconsciously, and I end up making something that doesn’t feel fully authentic to me.
That said, I do love the textures and instrumentation in the Poor Things soundtrack as well as The Nightmare Before Christmas. But I wouldn’t say there was anything actively pulling me in a direction. It was more about following what felt truthful in the moment and letting the songs become what they needed to be.
LUNA: “Blubird” is one of my favorite tracks from the EP, and I love the music video as well. The song finds you reflecting on the challenge of accepting change and simultaneously wanting everything to stay the same, but acknowledging that evolution is an unavoidable part of life and growing up. Was the music video filmed at your childhood home? Can you tell us about the process of bringing the song to life through the music video?
ROSS: Yeah, “Blubird” is a special one. I hadn’t lived at home for a while. When I would go back to visit, I found myself sitting in the room that raised me, feeling like the walls were staring back at me, asking who I was, like I was almost unrecognizable to myself. I have half siblings that are much older than me, so I basically was an only child growing up. It would just be me sitting in these rooms alone when I got back from college or living abroad, and I didn't have anyone to talk to about the experiences I just went through…. you know? I think I craved the intimacy that siblings close in age have with each other and I would have to find that with talking to myself.
That was the home I was raised in. I actually switched rooms a few years ago so that’s not my childhood bedroom, but close enough. I wanted to film in my home town and house before my parents eventually decide to sell it, just so I can always have it in some sort of physical form. I wanted it to feel like a home video you would watch with your family 15 years later. I’m really grateful I made it when I did, especially because I was able to capture moments with my nana. She passed away two months later. She was an amazing woman.
LUNA: Thank you for sharing that. The song and music video are incredibly special and something that you and your family will surely cherish for years to come. The track “Sleep Talk” features dreamy, almost operatic vocals from you, which are reflected in the cinematic string instrumentals throughout the song. This song demonstrates your impressive ability to merge classic and modern songwriting and instrumentals. Can you tell us about the process of making “Sleep Talk” and how you balance classic and modern instrumentals?
ROSS: “Sleep Talk” is one of my favorites, and honestly I don’t even know if I could break down exactly how it happened. It started very intuitively, more like chasing a feeling than trying to build something specific.
The operatic, dreamlike vocal approach just kind of came out in the process. I wasn’t really thinking about it technically, I was just reacting to the music. The same goes for the strings; they shaped the world of the song in a way that felt natural rather than planned.
The biggest thing for me when writing is not limiting myself to what music is “supposed” to do. I don’t really care about structure, or timing, or what needs to be repeated or what’s catchy. I care about what feels right in the moment, and I trust that if something feels right, it belongs.
LUNA: The EP captures a lot of your emotions and personal anecdotes from your early twenties, a time where many people are learning to embrace who they are and discover how they want to live their lives. How has this project helped you navigate and reflect on this time in your life? What have you learned about yourself throughout the process of making the EP?
ROSS: I learned to be gentle with myself while also holding myself accountable. I’m not, and never was, a perfect little angel who has done everything right in her life. I’ve been mean, selfish, and manipulative, just as I’ve also experienced that from others.
I’ve learned to forgive myself, and to extend that forgiveness to other people as well. It’s all our first time here, and it’s not realistic to expect yourself to do everything right all the time.
Through making this EP, I also learned a lot about what I actually want for my life. When you’re young, you think you want to be rich and famous. You look up to people without really knowing what their lives are like. But after experiencing a version of that world, I realized it’s not what I want, it’s actually suffocating. Especially when it doesn’t feel like something you’ve built on your own. A constant state of being hyper-vigilant, distrustful and self-focused.
Money is a means to live, but not something to live for.
LUNA: What is one of your favorite memories from writing and recording the EP?
ROSS: Hearing the project all the way through for the first time.
LUNA: What was one of your biggest challenges while making the EP and how did you overcome it? How do you think this experience will inform how you approach future projects?
ROSS: Trusting myself. When I started this project, I had lost all faith in myself. I couldn’t tell if I had written something truthful or meaningless. Over time I gained my sense of self through trial and error, building my confidence. My collaborator, Levi Roth, who started this project with me, helped guide me. I think when I fall back into pockets of uncertainty it’s really important for me to trust whoever I’m working with to pull me out of it. It took me a long time to find the people who understand me so deeply they are almost extensions of myself. A new limb. Almost becoming me. And they are able to make sure the work is coming from the purest place possible. That person for me right now is Julian Dobson. Him and I have such a beautiful unspoken language, I would trust him with my life. I don't really experience that sense of discomfort anymore, but when I do I know I’m safe because of who I’m working with, or I go outside and come back to reality.
LUNA: What are some other creative outlets that you turn to when you need to step away from making music?
ROSS: A martini? Kidding… Kinda. There's really nothing I can do but let time do its job. I do find movies and books to be inspiring, but the best thing for me is to sleep and live my life, occasionally creating chaos. Experiencing the human experience.
LUNA: Can you tell us about how you initially found your love for music? How would you describe your evolution as an artist?
ROSS: When I was really young my dad and I would have singing competitions in the car and my mom would be the judge. Those are sweet memories. My dad loved taking us on long car rides.
I experienced a choir teacher when I was about 12 to 13 that put music into perspective for me and taught me how appreciative of it I should be. I think I took it for granted at the time.
Then when I was a teenager I started writing and fell in love with words. There’s so many ways to tell a story. I would write to YouTube beats because I couldn’t play an instrument or produce so that was my way of making something.
I think my evolution as an artist has been more sonic than lyrical. Lyrically, I’ve always been honest (good or bad haha), but for a long time I don’t think I was making music that actually sounded truthful to me. It took me a while to figure out what my world was supposed to sound like. I was too concerned with what I should sound like and how I was being perceived, instead of just letting my body do what it wanted.
LUNA: For listeners who are new to your music, how would you describe your sound and the way you approach songwriting?
ROSS: It’s always changing, there’s no method to the madness. As for describing my sound… I’m curious what the listener would say.
LUNA: What do you hope listeners take away from this EP and your music in general?
ROSS: I just hope it makes people feel something, even if they can’t fully explain what it is.
