Call & Response: Ryan Necci
(9 min)
Ryan Necci is a songwriter by trade… and a damned good one at that. His masterfully crafted songs have the honesty of John Prine, the impact of Jason Isbell, and the darkness of Bruce Springsteen. No exaggeration. He currently works in Nashville as a full-time songwriter, writing for his alt-country band Buffalo Gospel and in regular sessions with labels and co-writers. Necci chats with us about his process, how writing shouldn’t be a chore, and the creation of some stellar LMNTL Records singles we recorded together at the historic Blackbird Studio. Pay attention, folks, his songs are incredible.
Lab Notes (LN): If you had to boil your musical journey into one sentence, what would it be? (Run-on sentences accepted and encouraged.)
Ryan Necci(RN): A passionate and failed drummer for a passionate and failed cover band went to college and found the perfect group of like-minded "hippies" to form a blues/rock/jam band that would ultimately achieve some form of mild national "success," only to be torn apart by strong wills and differing musical tastes/personal life situations, finally finds what it is he was looking for all along when he picks up a guitar, tunes and plays it incorrectly, while attempting to write country songs about death and despair.
LN: Many of us first got to know you through your band Buffalo Gospel. For those unfamiliar with that music, how do you describe it?
RN: I call it "alt-country" when somebody asks. I don't really think about a genre when I sit down to write - I just write what comes naturally, unless I'm writing for an assignment or for somebody else. "Country music" can leave a bad taste in folks' mouths these days, so I tend to avoid that. "Americana" is alright but it seems to be getting thrown all over the place, lately. What I write tends to be heavily lyrical-driven. I really consider that to be my instrument and the guitar is something I use to convey those ideas to the folks that can actually play. I'm not a guitar player - I'm a songwriter.
LN: Tell us a little bit about the day in the life of Ryan Necci as a songwriter.
RN: Most days, if I'm not in town co-writing with somebody, I'll try and sit down in the late morning and put an hour or two of work in on some sort of idea. It might be a line I've had stuck in my head for a while or one that came to me in the middle of the night. It might be something I've put some work into recently or something I dig up from a few years ago. Regardless, I try and put in at least that much time every day. If things are going well and I'm feeling the spark, I'll keep going until they take a turn. I don't really like to leave songs unfinished but sometimes you have to be able to tell when you're headed down the wrong road and cut your losses. I'd say 10am to 1pm and 12am to 3am are my wheelhouses for finding something worth working on. That said, I've become a firm believer in the idea that if you're not exercising that writing muscle regularly, the results won't be great. I'm not sure where the ideas come from but I am sure that if you're not putting yourself in a good space to receive them, they're not going to come.
I'm not sure where the ideas come from but I am sure that if you're not putting yourself in a good space to receive them, they're not going to come.
LN: When did you start writing songs?
RN: I started really trying to get serious about writing in college. I, finally, got really serious about writing last year.
LN: How do you approach songwriting?
RN: I don't try and force anything that doesn't want to reveal itself. When you do it enough, and fail at it enough, you start to see where the path of least resistance is for a song. That's the path you should follow. Some songs take a long time to write because they aren't ready to be written. Some songs come in 15 minutes because they've been ready for a while. It is songwriting - it shouldn't be a chore or daunting. If it is, you probably shouldn't be doing it. Writing and creating is supposed to be fun - even the sad ones.
LN: Can you describe what it’s like writing by yourself as opposed to the Nashville style of “get a bunch of writers in the room and crank it out” mentality? Do you have a preference?
RN: There's a quality vs quantity debate that's been raging in the songwriting world for a long time and probably isn't going away. The more you write, the more chances you have to get something cut. Some believe that the faster you write, the harder it is for something to be high quality. I can see value to both approaches but tend work on the slower side of things - by Nashville's standards, at least. I definitely like writing by myself because I can work at my own pace and write whatever I want. However, I'm starting to really enjoy writing with others as it can help spark something that wouldn't normally be there. I also like seeing other writers' processes and how their brains work. I feel like even if we don't come out with something we're particularly happy about, I can still learn a great deal from everyone I sit down with. I have been lucky enough to find a circle of folks down here that have styles similar to mine and aren't afraid to work out an idea that doesn't have a great deal of radio-play potential. Sometimes just writing a good song can be rewarding enough.
LN: As the writer and vocalist behind LMNTL singles “Win Some Lose Some” and “On Your Heels”, can you tell us about what that experience was like, from writing the tunes to recording at Blackbird Studio in Nashville?
RN: Recording at Blackbird was a dream. A top-notch and storied space filled with the best gear. It's tough to beat. Working with Daniel is always a thrill and to have him in more of a producer role for those sessions was a wonderful experience. The band he pulled together was full of Nashville heavy-hitters and with Shani Gandhi handling the engineering duties - that's a real strong team. I just felt lucky to be in the room, much less have everyone working on songs that I'd written.
LN: How does it feel when you hear another vocalist on a song you wrote/co-wrote on a song like “Dancing With The Devil”?
RN: I love it. It's a real honor to hear other people sing what I've written. I'd love to do more writing for others. Writing and singing a song is an intensely personal thing so letting another person into that process can be difficult. I was thrilled Liv agreed to sing “Dancing With The Devil.” She's got a fantastic voice and really nailed that one.
LN: What inspires you? What gives you hope these days?
RN: People are still finding new ways to say things that have been around forever - like love, death, heartbreak. Just when you think there's nothing else to say about these gigantic, universal themes, somebody drops a line that just destroys you and you think "damn, I wish I'd written that."
LN: What music are you listening to right now?
RN: RIGHT now I'm listening to my dog snoring. I've been listening to a lot of 40s and 50s country music at night. I also love a lot of pop music - Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kesha. All really great writers and performers. I also try and keep up on what's going on in the country/Americana-verse.
It shouldn't be a chore or daunting. If it is, you probably shouldn't be doing it. Writing and creating is supposed to be fun — even the sad ones.
LN: What do you do when you’re not creating music?
RN: I enjoy woodworking, being outside (or anywhere, really) with my wife and dogs, working on our home, cooking, the occasional video game, listening to music, watching movies... etc.
LN: If you were trapped on a desert island, what 5 albums could you not live without?
RN:
1. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
2. John Prine - John Prine
3. Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw
4. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
5. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
LN: What are three things about you that wouldn’t want left out of your Wikipedia page?
RN: Dog lover. Long liver. Hug giver.