On his forthcoming debut album, Room For Light - which was selffunded and recorded, largely in a small shed in his garden - Ryan explores the light and shade of life and love, with a series of songs that are remarkable for their subtly rich arrangements and his intimate style of playing and singing - you can hear him draw breath and feel the scrape of his fingers on the fretboard. Today, after furious gigging - 260 shows in the last 14 months - Ryan has accrued a sizable fanbase. Hes been remixed by Modestep and made a cameo on a single by rapper Benny Banks. His Twitter followers include everyone from Ed Sheeran to Harry Styles and hes got the crucial support of Radio 1. Hes also collaborating with some of the scenes key writers and producers: The Nexus (Lana Del Rey), Craze n Hoax (Emeli Sand), Fink (John Legend, Pro Green) and Dan Dare (Maverick Sabre, Wretch 32). Life couldnt be better, even if his music is often deliciously sombre and downbeat, with lyrics torn from the pages of his diary and written as a form of therapy. My songs can be introspective, he agrees. I came to this from a pretty dark place, with my mate dying. That hit me pretty hard. But I always try to write with optimism.