Michael S. Ryan, known best as one of The Town Heroes of Nova Scotia, is continuing in his new series of bandless endeavours with the release of his latest single. “Make Truce with a Dragon” is a song about compromise, and hardship, and why you can’t be expected to negotiate any sort of contractual obligation while under duress.
Awash in delay and reverb, Ryan’s “Make Truce with a Dragon” is probably the catchiest of his solo releases; the song is glowing with his trademark vocals, but with some hooky riffs thrown in for good measure.
Without naming his dragon, Ryan uses the song to get into the gut-churning upheaval the very nature of change and compromise will often demand. It’s a sensation almost so universally experienced in anyone capable of sentience that laying out the details is superfluous.
“This one is more than anything about change, and – in the case of things changing for the worse – doing whatever you have to in order to stop that from happening,” explains Ryan. “In the song, the metaphor of making a truce with a dragon is referenced. I think when we’re going through something hard, we’re all willing to do anything in the world to make it stop or go away.
“The dragon in this case represents that ‘anything.’ A dragon is typically seen as bad or evil in most cases, and in the song it’s kind of like making a deal with the devil for things to change momentarily. Whether it’s anxiety, losing a sense of home, or any issue you don’t want to be feeling, we need to find a way to get through – whatever that may be.”
Ryan has just one solo performance lined up this month, at Dartmouth’s Brightwood Brewery. However, there is a small chance you can catch him at an open mic, if you happen to find yourself in L.A..
Show Dates:
02.07.20 – Dartmouth, NS @ Brightwood Brewery