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12.23.03
Things are looking good for Ryan Cabrera. He's
about to release his first full-length album as an Atlantic
Records artist, he's got a network of stellar
support, and he's enjoying life. We chatted with
him about his rising career — check it out!
 It
all started with an old guitar. Ryan Cabrera would pick
it up and begin strumming, but he never thought he'd
make it this far.
"I started playing guitar in like, 8th grade,
I think," said the 21-year-old Texas native. He
never wanted to play, though. He picked up a guitar
at his best friend's house and would recklessly
play for fun. It wasn't too long before he taught
himself to play for real, and formed his band, Rubix
Groove, while he was still in junior high school.
But Cabrera didn't want to be the lead singer,
either – something he kind of got thrown into.
He admits he "sucked", which is why it was
onto vocal lessons as young Cabrera went through high
school and realized he wanted to be a musician.
His vocal teacher opened things up for Cabrera, when
she notified her friend, Joe Simpson, about Cabrera's
potential. Yes, kids. If the word Newlyweds comes to
mind, we're talking about the same guy.
From then on, it happened rather quickly, recalls Cabrera.
He was playing a solo gig in Dallas, and Simpson came
to watch. Thoroughly impressed, Simpson signed Cabrera
to his artist management company that night.
With stars in his eyes, it was then on to shop for
record labels, Cabrera said. For the next four months,
he took to the major labels and was met with rejection.
A lot.
 "Unless
you have this hit song, nobody's gonna listen," Cabrera
recalled the label shopping stint.
Simpson, however, opened the doors, and Atlantic Records
later invited them in.
"It just happened," said Cabrera.
Five months before he was set to record, Cabrera said
he literally locked himself in his room to write songs.
While in New York later on with his publicist, they
were knocking around names to work with. As a fan of
the Goo Goo Dolls, Cabrera's first choice was
John Rzeznik. But he was shocked when his publicist
agreed to set up the partnership.
"I was just joking around," laughed Cabrera.
 Soon
after, he was practically living with Rzeznik in his
Los Angeles home for a month where the two produced
his album, Take It All Away. He also worked with singer-songwriter
Shawn Mullins.
"I thought it was really cool," Cabrera commented of
his partnerships. "And it was intense."
Of his album, Cabrera said he hopes it inspires people
with its optimistic messages. He wanted each song to
sound different, and incorporate different studio sounds
and musical genres. The result is a collection of heartfelt,
relatable radio-friendly alternative rock.
"It's not glammed up, it's raw,"
said Cabrera. "I think because I wanted to write
so fast, I really tried to test every type of song I
could."
"Take It All Away", the title track, is
a smooth ballad about remaining the same inside despite
success. I asked Cabrera about the song because the
lyrics are intensely deep and the topic is fresh. He
said he penned it while he was in New York, and it explores
an important facet of his quirky personality, especially
because he's already beginning to taste stardom
and success.
"Nothing is really ours," Cabrera explained
the song. "You have to be so sure in your faith,
that you can lose everything and still be okay."
"It was one of those songs that just came out,"
he explained. "It's my favorite song on
the album. I want the whole record to be a part of this
message."
 "On
the Way Down" will be his first single, and will
hit the air in January 2004. He shot the video in Austin,
Texas, last week with Ashlee Simpson (WB's TV
show, 7th Heaven). She's "the girl"
in the video, he laughed.
"True" is the stereotypical love song about
the beginning stages of a relationship, and not knowing
how the other person feels.. Although he won't
divulge the specifics about the song's origin,
I can tell you that it hits home for the singer!
Touring is ongoing for Cabrera, who now lives in Los
Angeles. He said he loves playing live, and wants to
be able to gig as much as he can. His national tour
will continue, and Cabrera promised me he'd come
out east to play for me live. He better stick to that!
All in all, I can tell you that you'll enjoy Take It
All Away the moment you hear it. And as for Cabrera,
it's refreshing to meet such a grounded, down-to-earth
musician. I know stardom is on the horizon for this
bright musician, and for him, getting there has been
half the fun.
Take It All Away will be available in stores
on March 16, 2004.
Interviewed by Kristen
Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com
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