What Am I Making
What Am I Making Podcast
WAIM #064 - Ryan Allen
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WAIM #064 - Ryan Allen

Ryan Allen of Extra Arms stops by the Sheddio to talk about parenting, punk attitude, the unending allure of the hook, and the art of building something out of nothing.
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Ryan Allen’s first loves were basketball and skating. It wasn’t until he heard Nirvana’s Nevermind at age eleven that his first musical awakening occurred. Regardless of what folks were calling it, to Ryan Allen, Nirvana was punk. And he loved everything about it. 

Nirvana paved the way for Ryan to other grunge acts like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Almost immediately upon hearing this new music, Ryan was compelled to play guitar. Much like my own experience, Ryan didn’t seek to be a shredder. He wanted to learn guitar so that he could write his own songs. From the get go for Ryan, the song has always been the key. After a few private lessons, Ryan eschewed the traditional route and got his musically inclined father to help him learn how to play these early songs he loved so dearly, and to eventually write his own material. 

Our chat begins on the subject of parenting, and Ryan’s terrific relationship with his son, Emitt. We talk about fostering the person your children want to become instead of pigeonholing them into the people we think they should be. That subject also opens up the door for Ryan to talk about the close relationship he has with both of his parents, especially his Dad. We also cover the gratitude of getting the chance to help to raise a cool person that you get to spend time with.

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Ever active, Ryan Allen is a guy who is constantly making music and he performs in several bands. His primary band at the moment, Extra Arms is the most collaborative musical environment that Ryan’s ever been a part of. Much of that change is due to his own recent ability to open up more to the collaborations and contributions of other players in his musical world.

Ryan opens up as well about his choice to quit drinking, and how that decision has changed both his music and his life. He talks eloquently about feeling that before he quit drinking he thought that performing without booze naked was “like showing up naked”. 

There’s honest talk about cosplaying rock and roll stardom long before we learned to play a single note. Ryan also shares a great story from his Dad about never phoning it in. This is a really good chat with a really good dude. Enjoy. 

Cheers,
Matty C

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Discussion about this podcast

What Am I Making
What Am I Making Podcast
Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson.
I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century.
It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to.
What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years?
Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting.
I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities.
All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster.
This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind.
If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture.
Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support.
https://whatamimaking.substack.com