Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic frontman and world class songwriter and producer, has been interviewed and photographed by Wonderland Magazine.
Speaking to Maybelle Morgan, Ryan opened up about the importance of OneRepublic’s hiatus and their huge return with their new single ‘Rescue Me’, in addition to working with artists including the Jonas Brothers.
It’s been over 12 years since OneRepublic first made their mark on the music industry with ‘Apologize’, and they’ve enjoyed a phenomenal career during that time. Speaking about the band’s relationship and longevity, Ryan told Wonderland: “It’s been a lot of fun. Challenging. Mostly ups, very few downs.
“I’m just thrilled we’re still together and we still actually love each other. None of us have brothers in real life so we’ve all become each other’s brothers more or less, and so for me it’s been awesome. I think it’s crazy we sat down at a kitchen table in Los Angeles back in 2003 and wrote down on a back of a napkin what our plan was.”
Following the release of their fourth studio album Oh My My, the band took a hiatus with Ryan penning an open letter to fans detailing how mental and physical exhaustion pushed him to almost quit music altogether. Speaking about the band’s break, Ryan said: “We’ve taken the last two years off and that was largely due in part to me. After we hit the 10th year and our last album, it basically led to my complete unravelling.
“I think it’s a testimony to the guys in the band that they were totally cool and understanding with me pulling the plug on an album and a tour. I hit a wall. My kids didn’t recognise me at this point. Out of a 10 year period, I think we were physically away for 7 years. Most bands would break up at this point or go their own separate way, but we wanted to stay together, and now it’s time to get back on the saddle.”
Following a string of single releases since 2017, including ‘No Vacancy’, ‘Rich Love’ with Seeb, ‘Start Again’ with Logic, and ‘Connection’, OneRepublic are now back and stronger with their brand new single ‘Rescue Me’, which dropped last Friday.
When asked about the meaning behind the track, Ryan stated: “For me, it’s thinking about someone that is very dear to you and knowing you would do anything for them, that you’d be there for them come hell or high water – but you’re posing the question, would you do the same for me?”
When he’s not busy writing and producing for OneRepublic, Ryan can be found creating magic for some of the world’s biggest artists, including new tracks for Sam Smith and P!nk which are in the pipeline. Ryan has also produced the new Jonas Brothers album, Happiness Begins, which includes lead single ‘Sucker’.
Speaking about his work with the Jonas Brothers, Ryan said: “It’s not challenging in the sense that with the Jonas Brothers there’s no drama. There’s no bullshit. Most artists flip-flop 4 or 5 many different times in a week when it comes to picking artwork and singles. And there’s a lot of drama that comes with executive-producing an album.
“But with the Jonas Brothers, it’s like having an adult conversation; nobody has an ego, there are no hidden agendas, other than putting out great music and winning and that’s it.”
You can read Wonderland’s interview with Ryan Tedder in full here.