Bryan Ruby – Christmas with You

By starrymag | January 2, 2023

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) A little bit of country, a little bit of rock and even a little bit of soul sprinkled in there.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I have a pretty wide range of influences-everything from early Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney to John Mellencamp, Queen, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Jimmy Buffett.

 

Q) You’re also a very talented baseball player. How do you make time for both of your passions?

A) I’m always busy-on the road (for baseball or for music) playing shows, games, singing the National Anthem before sporting events, pregame and postgame concerts, etc. I think I’ve been able to keep doing both because I always try to keep it fun, give it all I got every day and try to challenge myself with new experiences and goals that push me out of my comfort zone.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Christmas with You.”

A) I have been on the road so much this year-over 75,000 miles doing laps around the country and even overseas – and I truly was just looking forward to getting home for Christmas when we wrote this. I had some great co-writers on the song: Chad Sellers, David Ross, Kayleigh DeLozier, Kristin Demlow and a great producer (Smith Curry) who helped the song come to life.

 

Q) There is such a catchy bluesy kind of groove to the song. What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) Thank you. I think it’s connecting with people because it’s relatable (written from a true lived experience), timely, and just a real slow burner type holiday track that people can play without getting tired of it.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) We shot the video over at Pentavarit Studios here in Nashville (where we recorded the song). It was cool getting the camera in there and I feel like the video really gives people a sense of what it’s like being in the studio with us and a little behind-the-scenes look into the process of recording my songs.

 

Q) “Christmas With You” was co-written by you, Kayleigh DeLozier, Kristen Denton, Chad Albert Sellers and David M. Ross. How would you explain your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I go back and forth – sometimes it’s lyrics first, sometimes the music comes before the lyrics. This was actually the largest group of people I’ve ever written a song with – there were five of us in total that day and I think each person there contributed a few meaningful pieces to the song. It was a true team effort.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I’m pretty hands-on in the studio during the recording process. Smith Curry (the producer) is the one technically in charge, but he lets me have a lot of creative input because I’m ultimately the one who has to go out on stage and sing the song. I’ve had a great time recording here in Nashville over at Pentavarit Studios with Bobby Holland (sound engineer) and his crew, and I’m looking forward to tracking many more songs with them coming up in 2023.

 

Q) With the holidays approaching, are you looking forward to performing this song live?

A) Yes! We have a whole bunch of shows coming up and it’s going to be a lot of fun to play live.

 

Q) I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask what your personal favorite holiday songs are?

A) I love Chris Young’s version of “The Christmas Song,” Hailey Whitters’ “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” and Hayden Joseph’s version of “Hard Candy Christmas.” Those are some of my personal favorites.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I love playing back home in Pennsylvania at a place called The Lucky Well. It’s a bar/BBQ restaurant and I get to go back there every month or two for a weekend gig. Here in Nashville, I love playing over on the rooftop at The Stillery in Midtown – the place has a great vibe and it’s right in the middle of all the action, a great place to play.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Oh man-there are so many artists I’d love to collab with. Let’s see, on my short list: Ty Herndon, Brooke Eden and Allie Colleen would all be awesome collabs.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I think it’s where you have got to be if you’re trying to be a recording artist in the 21st century. Fans expect to hear directly from their favorite artists and social media is the vehicle for us performers to reach them!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I can’t wait to show y’all what we have planned for 2023 and beyond-there’s lots of new music on the horizon!