Mike P. Ryan
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mike P. Ryan draws on his humble roots and uses his keen eye for detail to craft heartfelt songs about the struggles and triumphs of everyday life. Mike’s smooth, clear vocal style is regularly compared to classic Singer/Songwriters like James Taylor and Jackson Browne while his evocative lyrics reflect the influences of lyrical wordsmiths like Robert Earl Keen, Jason Isbell, and James McMurtry.
Mike has won a host of prestigious national and international songwriting awards including: four Gold Medals and an unprecedented two Grand Prize Awards in The Mid-Atlantic Song Contest; First Place in the Folk/Acoustic Category of the UK Songwriting Contest; and First and Second Place overall in the Dallas Songwriter's Association Songwriting Contest. He is a three-time finalist in The Kerrville Folk Festival’s "New Folk" songwriting competition, a Third Place Winner in the Songwriter Serenade Singer/Songwriter Competition, and a Silver and Bronze Medal Winner in American Songwriter Magazine’s Lyrics Contest. In 2023 Mike was named "Lyricist of the Year" by the UK Song Industry Judges Panel.
A gifted live performer and a natural raconteur, Mike engages and entertains audiences at venues, festivals, house concerts, and songwriting showcases from coast to coast. He has performed at a wide array of settings including: The Connecticut Folk Festival, The Dripping Springs Songwriter Festival, The Tucson Folk Festival, The Wildflower Music Festival, The South Florida Folk Festival, The Sharlot Hall Arizona Folk Festival, and The Smoky Mountain Songwriter Festival. Mike has been selected and performed as an official showcase artist by the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) and the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) and has served as a Songwriting mentor for both of those organization's annual events. He has opened for regional and national acts including Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek and Michael Martin Murphy.
Mike's debut album, American Tales, was released in 2015. His follow-up album At Home In The Darkness was released in 2019. At Home in the Darkness debuted at #11 on the Worldwide Folk DJ charts continues to receive steady airplay on Folk and Americana stations worldwide. In 2019, At Home in the Darkness was nominated for “Folk Album of the Year” and Mike was nominated for “Folk Artist of the Year” by the Washington Area Music Association. In July 2022 Mike released his highly anticipated 3rd album: "Ghosts and Memories."
A former Army paratrooper and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, Mike volunteers his time and shares his music with a number of veteran-focused charities. An avid student of the craft of songwriting, Mike teaches songwriting workshops to songwriters of all experience levels. Mike currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and son.