Pigeon Opinion Featuring an Interview with Ryan McDavid

Interview with Ryan McDavid

(•)> How do you approach translating the feeling of 2 AM solitude and bittersweetness into sound and production choices?

I just try to capture the hours where you’re the only person awake. 2 AM is when you stop pretending to be okay because you're too tired to lie. I want my music to feel like a weighted blanket for anyone who can’t sleep. If it doesn’t feel like a secret I'm telling myself in the dark, I’m not done with it.


(•)> Can you describe some of the DIY methods you’ve used to produce and shape your music in an environment with limited genre support?

In Guyana, you’re either a "Jack of all trades" or you’re stuck waiting on people forever. Me and my engineer, Ray Nizam, are basically mad scientists in a lab. He’s been there for almost every project I’ve done. We don't have a manual for this genre here, so we just mess around until we have what sounds as raw, heavy, and real as what’s in my head.


(•)> How do you hope listeners will connect with the slower, more textured version compared to the original?

I want it to feel like you accidentally walked into a dream you weren't invited to. If you’re carrying something heavy, this song is the read receipt that says I’ve been there too. It’s an invitation to just be still and feel it.


(•)> What elements of Dream Pop and Shoegaze do you feel resonate most with your personal experiences and emotions?

The beautiful mess of it. Life isn’t clear cut and pretty. I’m just drawn to that raw, human honesty. It’s about taking a real emotion, even the stuff that hurts, and making it something someone else can actually feel in their chest.


(•)> Have you found a community of listeners in Guyana or internationally who share your preference for quiet, reflective music?

It’s mostly international right now. People abroad are usually shocked when they find out this sound is coming out of Guyana; they just don't expect it from this part of the world. But honestly, it’s been building here too, just very, very slowly. There’s this tiny, underground community of artists and fans starting to lean into this same direction and vibe. We’re all kind of finding each other in the dark. My trip to California playing open mics from LA to San Francisco was a total fever dream that showed me the global scale of it, but back home, I’m still a bit of a ghost, watching this small local flame grow at its own pace.


(•)> How does the reverb-heavy, late-night soundscape affect the emotional narrative of “Runaway”?

It changes the whole vibe from an escape to a haunting. In the original, it feels like you're physically moving, but this version feels like you're stuck in a loop of your own thoughts. All that reverb makes the music feel like it’s coming from another room or a past life, it’s like a fog that makes the warning in the lyrics feel more tragic. It’s the difference between a loud argument and the heavy, crushing silence that comes after it. It makes the song feel less like a choice and more like a dream you can't wake up from.


(•)> Are there other tracks you plan to reinterpret in this slower, introspective style?

To be honest, I would be lying if I said I knew for sure what I’m doing next, haha. I definitely have newer songs lying around, and I have plenty of ideas for different versions of tracks, but I’m kind of just seeing where the mood takes me. I'm not trying to force a plan, I'm just waiting for the right vibe or mood to hit and then I’ll know.


(•)> How do you balance the desire for personal expression with creating music that can connect with an audience who may not be familiar with these genres?

I don’t care about labels. Everyone knows what it feels like to be awake at 4 AM with their thoughts. When I’m not in the studio, I’m just an introvert hanging out with my three senior dogs, they keep me grounded. I also spend a lot of time with my mom, I’ll even watch a Hallmark movie with her just to be there. I find more truth in those quiet, family moments than in any crowded place. If the music feels like a memory, you’ll get it.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Ryan McDavid on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist and on www.ryanmcdavid.com