There isn’t much about Ryan States that isn’t downright distinctive – just look at the more than unique life the guy has led:

• He’s lived on a real old fashioned circus train (in his words – “No joke”)
• He’s begun several of his past shows with the national Anthem while a single elephant parades around an arena floor one time carrying a beauty queen holding the flag.
• He’s performed in front of 60,000 to 120,000 fans each week, while on the road 48 weeks per year, over a 6-year span.

You may be asking yourself – “holy crap, is States in the circus?” Well, yea, actually, he is. And it ain’t no carnival: “The circus band is one of the most challenging and well-respected gigs in the industry. We do 450 shows per year. We share the stage with horses, elephants, snakes, tigers, aerialists, contortionists, motorcycles, dancers… It’s a tough gig. You’re always on the road – no breaks. It’s like working in a barn. The air is thick from stage smoke, motorcycle exhaust and pyro pollution so the keys on the keyboard are always sticky. But then, there's a lot of eye candy on stage.”

More specifically, it was as part of the Ringling Brothers' Circus Band, performing over 2,000 shows with the Ringling band over six years, for millions of fans in sold out arenas from LA's Staples Center, to Chicago's United Center and Houston's Reliant Stadium. Now he has a debut full-length titled "Strange Town", which he says is “an 80’s-styled pop/rock record. The down-tempo songs can be a bit melancholy. It’s mostly electric guitar and piano-based songs. It’s very autobiographical about moving from Texas to New York City. It romanticizes New York. It reflects problems in the economy and how it infringes on a man’s liberty.” All this and it was recorded on a circus train!

Ryan will be continuing his work in several different facets, so keep up with him and pick up “Strange Town”. He has a podcast at www.RyanStatesPodcast.com that’ll be of tremendous help in following through with this. There’s a lot more below, so keep reading for the answers to the XXQ’s.

XXQs: Ryan States

PensEyeView.com (PEV): What goes through your head the minute you walk onto

stage?

Ryan States (RS): I’ll do a last minute monitor check to make sure my keyboards and samples are still loaded, in case the power went off while I was backstage. I’m thinking mostly about the circus band and the audience. I’m watching to see what kind of mood the band is in, if they have any friends or family attending the show. I’m thinking about the city we’re in and what kind of audience I should expect, and how we might be able to give them a great show. I’m listening to the banter between the pre-show host, Andre McClain, and our ringmaster, Jonathan Lee Iverson. We begin the show with the national Anthem while a single elephant parades around the arena floor one time carrying a beauty queen holding the flag.

PEV: What made you first jump into the music industry and what were you listening to when you were growing up?

RS: I was already involved in music coming from a musical family, being very active in church growing up, and coming from an exceptional musical program in the Chicago area school system. My dad played trombone in the army during the Korean War, and he’s certain that being in the band saved him from seeing battle. He also played in several dance bands while swing music was all the rage, before rock-n-roll took over. My older brothers had a mobile deejay business in Chicago in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I started working as a roadie at age 12. Sometimes my brother let me park the car after loading-in. It was fun! I also got to go to parties and clubs that I was probably too young to get in otherwise.

Later I got involved in musical theater because people knew that I was a piano accompanist. I was the musical director for a couple of local shows in Texas. I started deejaying without my brothers after I moved to Texas. I’ve been endlessly fascinated with sound equipment ever since I was little and messing around with my older brothers tape decks.

There was no real defining moment were I decided to be a professional. It was a seamless transition. Joining the circus, however, was a major change. I grew up on the Jacksons, Billy Joel, The Cure, Kool and the Gang, George Michael, Queen, Thompson Twins, Fleetwood Mac, Sly, Yes, Ministry, New Order, Human League... My older brothers had a large collection of Billboard hits. Mostly pop and r&b singles and 12” dance remixes. I was also exposed to choral music in school and simple church hymns on Sundays.

PEV: What kind of environment do you surround yourself in to create music?

RS: Sometimes I will tear out pages from Vogue or Vanity Fair and put them on my wall. I don’t have the luxury of decorating my environment the way I’d like so I pretty much just need a computer for typing lyrics and a keyboard or my bass to play something. Someday I’ll get around to putting up posters of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and buy nifty moving lights and a lava lamp. But for now I’d consider it an electrical hazard on a moving train.

But in my pre-circus life I had a studio with all my deejay lights and smoke machine. That was fun when I’d invite my friends over, but one night the smoke machine set off the fire alarm. The studio was in an art school which meant, by law, the fire department had to come check out every room in the building, even though it was around Midnight – no class in session. It wasn’t too fun calling the owners to inform them that the fire department would be calling them soon.

PEV: What can fans expect from a live Ryan States show?

RS: Well, at the circus they can expect a massive spectacle. If you haven’t been to the circus in a while you might be surprised at how modern it has become and how great the production quality is. As for the singer/songwriter thing I’m concentrating more on the production side, trying to put out more material right now. I’m not performing much, mostly in friend’s homes who have pianos. I’m considering putting something together for a live online concert.

Of course I’d love to organize a band for my own concert but realistically I’m dividing my resources between the studio and being on tour with the circus eleven months per year. No current plans for performing live. Although I’ve been invited to do an open mic night with a friend in NYC next month, so we’ll see.

PEV: Tell us about your first live performance. How have you changed since that first show to where you are now?

RS: When I was seven years old I sat at the edge of the stage playing xylophone with my family. We created a family band playing holiday songs at the church Christmas party. It was the States Family Band. I was jealous, I wanted to play piano instead, but I already had two older sisters to compete with. My dad played trombone, we also had drums, sax, clarinet…

I’ve performed my whole life, whether it be in choir, school band, local bands or deejaying. The circus band is one of the most challenging and well-respected gigs in the industry. We do 450 shows per year. We share the stage with horses, elephants, snakes, tigers, aerialists, contortionists, motorcycles, dancers… It’s a tough gig. You’re always on the road – no breaks. It’s like working in a barn. The air is thick from stage smoke, motorcycle exhaust and pyro pollution so the keys on the keyboard are always sticky. But then, there's a lot of eye candy on stage.

There was an accident last Sunday where three motorcycle daredevils were injured. But the music doesn’t stop. As always the show keeps going. The music serves the pacing of the show. It also highlights and accents all the acts. There’s really nothing like playing music for the circus. The closest thing is probably a musical, but at least they get to finish the songs. At the circus we don’t play songs from beginning to end, we jump from cue to cue because there’s no telling what will happen on stage and we have to be prepared for anything. Being on stage with nine musicians for thousands of shows trains your ears. You start hearing more of the intricacies in a performance and you can truly isolate each musician in your mind. You also have more fun on stage because you know what you’re doing, and you get to goof off more.

PEV: What do you find to be the hardest part about breaking into the music scene?

RS: Choosing a scene I guess. I’m accustomed to bouncing from one style to another. I’d probably be better off creating my own brand rather than fitting into one scene. As a sideman I’ve never been stuck in one genre so I don’t see myself doing that as a recording artist either. One minute I want to do southern rock, the next I’m in the mood to do house music…

PEV: You performed for 60,000 to 120,000 circus fans each week, while on the road forty-eight weeks per year, as the keyboard player for the Ringling Brothers' Circus Band.  And performed over two thousand shows with the Ringling band, for millions of fans in sold out arenas from LA's Staples Center, to Chicago's United Center and Houston's Reliant Stadium. Tell what circus life is like. Don’t leave anything out! What was that like?

RS: It’s like being the youngest of eleven kids – you don’t have control over anything. There’s a real adrenaline rush because you have to be ‘on’. And you can’t just go home after a show at 11:00 pm and expect to simply go to bed and fall asleep right away. But you have to try because there’s another three shows tomorrow and you need to be up by 8:00 am. Try to imagine living your life in 80 cities. Usually for one week at a time on a 2-year interval. It takes Ground Hogs Day (the movie) to a whole new level. Sometimes it’s like no time passed at all, other times you experience the city in a completely new way. You may be in a different train yard or a different venue. It’s often very nostalgic and you’re reminded of all the people who used to work here the last time you were in this town. Ultimately you’re there to make people forget about their troubles for a few hours. It’s about sharing joy and giving people an experience that they’ll remember. Kids love the circus and parents get a lot of points for taking them. I consider it a great American tradition. The circus has changed a great deal and I expect it will continue to evolve along with the country.

PEV: Tell us about your debut full-length, "Strange Town".

RS: It’s an 80’s-styled pop/rock record. The down-tempo songs can be a bit melancholy. It’s mostly electric guitar and piano-based songs. It’s very autobiographical about moving from Texas to New York City. It romanticizes New York. It reflects problems in the economy and how it infringes on a man’s liberty. I wrote the first song in Butte Montana on an old upright piano in the house we rented as missionaries. There’s also a coming out song. Most of the guitar work was done by Cameron Morgan, a college friend and former band mate who is originally from Texas. I wrote most of the songs, but tracks #4 and #11 were written by Devin Newmeyer, a former roommate from Astoria, Queens. Track #4 was written on the one-year anniversary of 9/11.

One of my rock idols, Deon Estus (Wham!, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin), played bass on two songs. I owe a lot to Bill Leary, who played all the solo sax parts on four songs. We both joined the circus on the same week. Now he works internationally, so I was very lucky to get him to come back to the train to work on my record. The power was constantly going out so it’s a good thing he is a fast worker.

PEV: How is this album different than other albums out right now?

RS: “Strange Town” was recorded and mixed on the circus train. It’s the first album ever made on a train. I found many of the musicians though google and we emailed the parts back and forth. At least nine musicians are current or former Ringling musicians. I played bass and recorded the vocals on the train. I did the keyboard parts between shows at the arena because I can’t fit a keyboard into my train room. We also recorded horns and guitar in my tiny train room -- with a noisy fridge, passing trains, toddlers screaming and running down the hallway, and drunken clown parties from my neighbor's room. The album is lyrically ‘out’. It’s probably more open than most gay artists on major labels who are aiming to please everyone. I also aim to please but I still wanted it to be something very personal and introspective.

PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about Ryan States?

RS: I’m the youngest of eleven kids. No adoptions, just two parents. I used to ride a mountain bike in Wyoming and Montana wearing a suit, slinging a bible and the Book of Mormon. I was an LDS missionary for two years. Ironically, while attempting to convert others I stopped believing in it near the end of the mission due to contradictory scriptures that I was unable to resolve. I recently discovered “Big Love”, the HBO series. I never thought I’d see the day when I'd see a depiction of Utah culture on television.

PEV: Was there a certain point in your life when you knew that music was going to be a career for you and you were determined to make it happen?

RS: No. Not yet. I’ll always be involved in music. I don’t really care if it happens to be my day-job or not. It might be better to have a non-music related day-job because you’ll make more money, work fewer hours and have more free time for music.

PEV: What one word best describes you?

RS: Mediocrity.

PEV: Traveling is now a large part of your life as a musician. How is life on the road for you? Best and worst parts? Any fun stories?

RS: The first couple of years is truly priceless and a real adventure. You’re exploring new places every week. This was before we had the iPhone or portable GPS devices, so each week I’d get off the train and hop on my bicycle and ride until I found the town or the arena. Show people are like pirates. We’re modern gypsies. In a strange way we are out in the world yet very sheltered and cut off. It’s a small town of 350 people. There’s absolutely no privacy. The walls on the train are paper thin. Everyday I go to work and go through security and have my backpack searched. It’s fast-paced and extremely repetitive.

Through the years I’ve met some truly remarkable people. I’ve made some of my best friends here. Living in a train yard is like camping out. There’s no guarantee of having even the most essential amenities. You can never wear nice things, but at least I’m not paying rent. The secret is not to think of it as a party or a vacation. You need to sleep and eat right otherwise you’ll burn out. It’s okay to be a tourist in a few select cities, otherwise save your money.

Some of the perks that come with the job are when your neighbor mixes caipirinhas for you. It’s a good place to learn a language or how to juggle. The circus is a very international experience. Everybody generally gets along very well, although it can be challenging living and working with the same people everyday.

PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your musical career?  What’s it like when you get to play at your hometown?

RS: I look forward to seeing my friends and family when the circus comes through Dallas, Chicago or Salt Lake City. Unfortunately the only time I have to visit with them is between shows or late at night. There’s never enough time to see everybody. Last time we came to SLC we had a barbecue at the train for my family. I thought they might enjoy getting their boots dirty and meeting more circus performers. It was a success.

My family has always been very supportive of my music. They’ve always been very generous in their praise and support. I’ve probably written a few songs that may be a little too risqué or liberal for some. But you can’t please everyone… and they’re getting used to it. Everyone in my family is very talented, I just happen to be the one who never had kids or too many distractions from pursuing the arts. There are better singers and piano players in the family, but I’m pretty good at putting a track together.

Some still enjoy the novelty of me being with the circus. Others think I might be a bit delusional pursuing music. But that’s probably because of MTV and how people forgot that music is a community thing. It should be part of everyday life. But now people are conditioned to think that only rock stars are allowed to write or record songs. They don’t understand that fame and limos are the furthest things from my mind. Just because you are promoting a product, like a cd, doesn’t mean you want to be famous. It’s no different than being in sales.

PEV: What can we find you doing in your spare time, aside from writing and performing?

RS: I love film. I watch as many DVD’s as I possibly can. There are a lot of good tv shows too, but I haven’t watched broadcast tv in six years. I don’t have the time to watch commercials. I have to Netflix it, and there’s no cable on a train. I like going out to eat. I’m a bike commuter. I’m a homebody. I download thousands of podcasts -- AstronomyCast, Democracy Now!, Rocketboom, Frickin’ Circus… And I have my own ‘cast, The Ryan States Podcast.

PEV:  Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?

RS: Cameron Morgan. But I’m still making major discoveries on past generations of musicians. My favorite new discovery in 2009 was Imogen Heap. I haven’t listened to terrestrial radio in a decade, by choice, and I don’t get cable tv so I don’t know anything about new music. Internet bandwidth in train yards is too expensive to listen to internet radio, so far.

PEV: If playing/writing music was not your perfect career, what would you most likely be doing?

RS: Answering phones at HRC.

PEV: If we were to walk into your practice studio/space right now, what would we find?

RS: A kitchen, closet, recording studio, photography studio, home theater, bed, stacks of books on orchestration and audio engineering, folders with lyric sheets, a laundry basket, bike tools, bungee cords, microphones, macbook pro, a home-made window curtain – all in one 13-foot train room.

PEV: So, what is next for Ryan States?

RS: Every week it’s a challenge just to work out transportation to and from work, and the market. One day at a time. I’m considering remixing the album for the dance floor. Also I want to do a music video. I’m going to continue doing remote recording with musicians around the globe.