Katrina Rees
OneRepublic frontman and singer-songwriter extraordinaire Ryan Tedder is the cover star of Rollacoaster Magazine’s Spring/Summer edition.
Ryan also sat down with the magazine to discuss the 10 year anniversary of OneRepublic, taking a break from promo, his exciting musical collaborations and goals for 2018.
Photography: Dennis Leupold
OneRepublic have been at the heart of the music industry for over a decade now, and after working non-stop for the duration, the band took a break from promotion last year. Speaking about their decision, Ryan said: “We reached our 10-year anniversary last January, and we celebrated by taking three months off! We went in too hard with too many things and we eventually become victims of our own ambition.”
“In a decade, I don’t think any one of us has patted ourselves on the back. We operate under the assumption that it could all be gone tomorrow, that the very next song you put out could be a complete disaster. I think for a lot of artists it takes hitting the wall before you realise where the wall is. You’re running in the dark and then it hits you. Now that I know where that wall is, I believe and pray that I’ll never hit it again.”
OneRepublic have certainly changed the way they share music over the past year or so, with Ryan previously writing an open letter which stated that for the time being the band would be releasing new tracks as and when they felt like it, rather than focusing on creating albums. Something else which they’ve changed is their visual production. Ryan said: “We’ve definitely taken huge strides to improve our visuals. DJ culture over the last five years has really impacted bands and touring artists that aren’t DJs. Everyone has gotten so addicted to the production.”
Outside of OneRepublic, Ryan is a prolific and in-demand songwriter who has previously worked with the likes of Adele, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Over recent months, he has been working on some exciting collaborations with artists as varied as Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth and Paul McCartney.
Speaking about his latest projects, Ryan said: “I could talk about music for days. If you’re just a one trick pony and you stick to one style then you’re going to phase out eventually, it’s inevitable. I’ve worked with such a diverse range of artists recently. I did a session with Camila Cabello for her album and was super happy with how “Into It” turned out. The Paul McCartney stuff I’ve done is all really exciting – that was my favourite session ever. I’ve been in the studio with Charlie Puth and have done some stuff with Logic and Martin Garrix so there’s lots to come!”
During the interview, Ryan also let Rollacaster in on his personal ambitions for this year. He said: “I want to be a healthy, balanced person and if in ten years from now I’m healthier and more balanced I don’t give a damn what happens in my career. I’ll be happy as a person and that’s my goal.”
Pre-order Rollacoaster Magazine Spring/Summer 18 edition here.
