Ryan
Mark, an established singer and songwriter in the Goan music circuit, is shedding his
skin and baring his soul with his debut self-titled EP release later this year.
Ryan Mark is establishing his musical prowess as a multi-instrumentalist across
the rock n’ roll gamut. As a founding member of bands such as Raagas to Riches
and Alpha Code 7, Ryan Mark aka Ryan Mark Mathias was also a member of the band
Forefront and is one of Goa’s leading musicians.
He is a multi-instrumentalist and
vocalist, who plays guitar, keys, drums, and pretty much anything that makes a
sound. He also writes all his own lyrics. “I started my career at the Don Bosco
Shrine, Panjim playing the keyboards since 1990 and then I got into bands in
1992. I started composing music in 1999. I have been singing in bands since
2003 but most of the time I played in cover bands. I didn’t have the space to
create music till this year. In June 2019, I decided to pursue what I had
dabbled with since 1999,” says Ryan, who is the founder of AVL Pro Global,
Goa’s pioneer in world-class sound solutions for commercial and residential
spaces.
‘Hold on Now’ is just the first of four singles to be released
this year as Ryan Mark works towards releasing his first full-length album. The
track, like all others to come, has been written, composed and recorded
entirely by Ryan Mark, while mixing and mastering has been done by a team in
Mumbai and the US. “‘Hold On Now’ took a few hours to write while music
production and mixing took about a week and mastering another week. It was
almost three weeks in total with some air to breathe in between to create this
wonderful single,” says Ryan.
This debut single is a punchy jive number that starts strong and
holds up through the just over 3 minutes of airplay. Being the defining
introduction for Ryan, the song shows the artiste’s fun side, keeping the
lyrics light and breezy, with a nod to Goa’s quintessential party vibe.
Speaking about the success of his debut single, Ryan says, “I
feel happy, for sure. Some of my most precious comments would be from the music
industry, as it’s hard to impress a fellow mate. Every comment will help me
improve and encourage me to compose and sing more.”
Building up to the 4-track EP is the release of his first
single, ‘Hold On Now’, a punchy Rock N’ Roll number that dares any listener to
grab a partner and hit the dance floor. In your face guitar riffs, smooth
vocals and an infectious drum track round off this worthy debut. The music
video features some familiar faces at some familiar places and sets the tone
for an exciting new era in international music.
Ryan Mark’s main intention with ‘Hold On Now’ is to make people
dance. Featuring the perfect jive beat and rhythm, this foot tapper is guaranteed
to get you up and dancing. The recording features legendary Goan musicians Joe
Ferrao on bass, Elvis Lobo on lead guitars, Delroy on keys and Aurville
Rodrigues on drums. Additional recording tracks were done at Audio Masters,
Margao, and Reena Gilbert worked on the audio edit, mix, and mastering.
A great song needs a better video. Shot entirely in Goa, the
video for ‘Hold On Now’ features a simple storyline that recants Goa’s
favourite weekend plan – heading out to party.
The video was shot over two days at popular locations like Como
and Cohiba. The lead parts are played by Goa’s premiere dancers Cecille Lee
Rodrigues and Darryl Dsouza, supported by Ketaki Thanki, Nicole D’Sa, Preston
and Roy Pravin.
Behind
the scenes, the team from Sunset Catchers was responsible for catching the fun
times on film and making it pop. Avit Psy Rush took on the roles of DOP and
Editor, while Jules Goes handled Cinematography and VFX. The entire project was
directed by Arvin Vaz based on an original script provided by Ryan Mark. Hair
and makeup were done by Seerath Mystique and Atika, while Naeem Syed handled
Ryan Mark’s styling and the arranging of the models.
