Singer/songwriter acoustic rock accentuated by catchy melodies, powerful vocals, and honest lyrics.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Acoustic, POP: with Live-band Production



Details:
When Ryan Ahlwardt (pronounced âall-wertâ) emerged from Bloomington, IN, home of his alma mater Indiana University, in the spring of 2003 as a 22-year old singer, he was unaware of the various places his musical talents would take him over the next three years. After an exciting tour of the world performing onboard luxury cruise liners, Ahlwardt returned to Indianaâs familiar environs to hone his crafts as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist. With an intense touring schedule and word-of-mouth promotion from a loyal fan base, he was able to take one of the nationâs largest college towns by storm and rapidly expand his reach throughout the well-connected Midwest acoustic circuit.

âI returned to Bloomington to get reconnected with world-class musicians and venues that were friendly towards songwriters,â said Ahlwardt in a recent interview. âWith all the time to write out on the ocean, I came back with a sense of anticipation to begin performing, create a following, and record my album. Eventually, as the songs caught on and took shape, I realized how quickly my audience base was growing and word was being spread.â

Now 25-years old and touring in support of the release of his debut album, I Can See Forever, Ahlwardt has performed across the nation and shared the stage with such artists as The Beach Boys, Gabe Dixon, Ben Lee, Martin Sexton, Will Hoge, The Spin Doctors, The Temptations, and Shania Twain. With a guitar-style akin to âJames Taylor-meets-John Mayer,â as Ahlwardt describes it, powerful vocal ability, catchy hooks, and conversational lyrics that his audiences can relate with, this Indianapolis-based songwriter is equally impressive and entertaining to watch perform, something easy to do with his busy tour calendar.

With influences ranging everywhere from Sam Cooke, the Beatles, and James Taylor to CSN&Y, Edwin McCain, and John Mayer, Ahlwardt has huddled next to such recent up-incoming singer/songwriters artists as Ari Hest, Dave Barnes, and Marc Broussard in the iPods and car stereos of frat boys and soccer moms alike. âI was fortunate enough growing up to have my parents and grandparents season my musical palate with all kinds of quality music. Once I started playing guitar, I taught myself all those tunes, which is really when I began writing. Itâs still second nature for me to pull out James Taylorâs âGreatest Hitsâ to get me back on track when Iâm in a writing slump or John Mayerâs âRoom For Squaresâ when I need inspiration,â Ahlwardt reminisced.

With "I Can See Forever," which he co-produced with Indianapolis-based engineer/drummer Darnell Perkins and Chicago-bred bassist Eugene McGhee, Ahlwardt claims that he is âjust getting started.â