Mike Ryan is a lucky dude: He not only got to record his new album, Bad Reputation, at Brad Paisley's home studio in the greater Nashville area but he also got to hang out with BP himself.
"We talked a lot about Star Wars and Harry Potter," Ryan told Nashville Gab. "I'm not well versed in either series so I didn't have much to add to the conversation, but I was certainly entertained."
Most of the work was done while Paisley was out working on his new disc, though.
"Brad was out of town while we were recording which was the biggest reason why we got to use his studio in the first place, cause he was in the middle of recording a record too," Ryan said. "He got back in one night as we were finishing up and treated us to dinner."
Besides being baptized into the world of Jedis and wizards, Ryan got the experience of a lifetime.
"We were surrounded by priceless equipment, guitars, amps, pedals, more amps, more guitars," he said. "It was incredible. We actually got to go out there a couple of times to watch Brad and his band at work recording his newest album Moonshine in the Trunk."
Ryan already had a couple releases under his belt, but he had never co-written before Bad Reputation. He learned to enjoy the experience, and his sound didn't change much.
"I don't know that I'm really pushing the envelope with my music just yet," he said. "I have been very comfortable with all the songs that I've put out so far, and I don't think what I'm doing is groundbreaking or way different. Its just me being honest and putting out songs I believe in, and hoping that they move people."
If you have a few minutes, be sure to check out his video for "Dancin' All Around It," which features, among other things:
- Intoxicated horseback riding
- A Colin Kaepernick-lookin', girl stealin' dude with a jet ski
- Some sort of cultish moonlight ritual
- Almost every conceivable country music video trope
