About  Ryan

Ryan Fitzsimmons has steadily built a reputation as one of the Northeast's most compelling songwriters.

Over the past 10 years Ryan has woven his way throughout New England, creating a strong presence in a number of the local music scenes. While living in Providence RI, the Providence Phoenix awarded him the title of Best Male Vocalist. Ryan was also the founder of the AS220 Sunday Songwriters Series which continues to this day. Upon relocating to the Boston area Ryan has become a fixture in the Americana scene with regular appearances at venerable Cambridge venues such as Club Passim, the Lizard Lounge and Toad. This all has proved to be fertile ground for his latest release "Cold Sky", produced by David "Goody" Goodrich (Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey). He is now poised to let the rest of the country in on a secret his loyal New England following has know for quite sometime; that Ryan Fitzsimmons shows are a powerhouse event, compelling, and genre defying as his songwriting.

Ryan and his band entered the Signature Sounds studio for a series of sessions, yielding fantastic results. With an outpouring of support from his fan base via a kickstarter campaign, "Cold Sky" has just been released. Showcasing all sides of his talent, from the catchy bluegrass tinged hook of "I Don't Want to Wait", to the dark electrically-bent melancholy of "Cigarettes", this album is a journey. It takes us through dark shadows of grief and regret, to the simple resolve that there is nothing better than creating music in a room with your friends. This record is a documentation, recorded mostly live, of what Ryan's been doing on stage for years; pouring every ounce of his being into each note. The listener can't help but to buckle in and enjoy the ride!

• 2008 Newport Folk Festival
• 2008 Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen Best Unfiltered Band Top 10 Finalist
• 2008 NERFA TriCentric Showcase
• 2007 Best Local Male Vocalist - Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll
• 2007 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase
• 2005 Best Male Vocalist and Best Local CD - Rhode Island Motif Readers Poll
• 2005 Winner Starbucks/Nemo Emerging Artist
• "Open All Night" Providence Phoenix Best of 2004

EPK | One-Sheet (PDF) | Press Photo 1 | Press Photo 2 | Press Photo 3

"Mr. Fitzsimmons is a brutal force of nature on acoustic guitar. Often breaking multiple strings during a performance, he plays with a fire and fierceness that cannot be tamed, or faked for that matter. His songs are as authentic and emotion driven as they come, ranging from beautiful and moving ballads, to raucous and rambling dirt stompers, there is no doubt that Ryan is as enticing a musician as they come."

Redline Roots. Boston MA

""Cold Sky” is a series of breathtaking musical moments. Ryan proves that good songs need little more than his emotional voice, the semi-acoustic arrangements and the strong support of his band."

–John Schoenmakers, Alt-Country Forum NL

"Ryan Fitzsimmons has a singing style with an engaging, mature pop feel, edgy and full. The production here ranges from roots-rock/pop to acoustic employing banjo and fiddle. One of the more satisfying tracks is “North Central Line.” The lyrics mourn the loss of an old railway line and the inexorability of change. Mandolins and fiddles provide a fitting backdrop to this paean to a bygone era."

–Richard Cuccaro, Acoustic Live NYC

"Ryan Fitzsimmons opened Sunday's festivities with a set of stark, eerie folk on the Waterside Stage. Fitzsimmons' chiming open chords shoved their way across layers of feedback and programming (courtesy of a tiny Line 6 amp modeler), until they found a place situated somewhere between country music and horror soundtrack. The four songs he played were forceful, passionate pleas about cigarettes, gasoline, crystal meth, and everything between: the soundtrack to small-town boredom and that ever-present hope for light."

–Marty Garner, Aquarium Drunkard