Five years since his debut album, Lone Wolf, Nick Ryan is coming back with a vengeance with his sophomore effort Nemesis. During that time, Nick worked with GRAMMY winners, former major label band members and music publishers, and songwriters across North America and Europe, trying to hone in on his artistry and take his career to the next level. After lots of trial and error and disappointment trying to please everyone but himself, he has finally taken control of his artistry. Experimenting with various producers both in the Washington, DC area and his new home of two years, Nashville, TN, he has finally found the right collaborators to realize his vision. Produced by Jordan Grubbs at Magic Square Recording in Nashville, Nemesis is a collection of songs dealing with taking control and power back. 

 

"The original titles I was throwing around were Politics & Mind Games and Welcome to the Nightmare. I decided on Nemesis because it describes a person, an alter ego similar to Lone Wolf. It's like a self-titled record without being self titled and still encompassed the themes and ideas I've written about. Most of these songs were also going to be shelved, so it's kind of a clap back to the critics. After everything I've gone through up to this point, these tracks are more relevant to my life than ever. I still plan on releasing all the material I wrote and played around Nashville in 2019, but I like to tell my stories in chronological order. It wouldn't make sense to release these later. And I'm absolutely in love with them."

 

The record is raw, real, and without autotune, a sound Nick longed to do on his first record. All instruments are played by either Nick or Jordan, with a few exceptions from remixed and retooled tracks from previous single releases and demos. Less "cooks in the kitchen" lead to an easier and more streamlined process. The first single "Bow Down" was released on March 19, 2021 and will be the first of many songs released monthly up until and beyond the album release. With a fierce performance, it leaves a strong impression.

 

Nick is a singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist mostly self taught, playing drums, percussion, rhythm guitar, and the Irish bodhran and tin whistle. He grew up taking piano and percussion lessons and played percussion in his high school concert band, while taking guitar and voice during his late teens and twenties. He graduated with degrees in Recording Arts and Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. He was a member of GRAMMY U during college, and transitioned to a Voting Member of the Recording Academy in 2016.