Ryan McMullan is coming live to Bristol, performing aboard Thekla on the 12th of April 2025. Tickets on sale Friday 27th September via Alt Tickets.
Writing songs and touring the world with them—that’s the dream for any singer-songwriter. For many years, that was the dream Ryan McMullan was chasing.
The Portaferry native is blessed with a voice that effortlessly shifts between ethereal and guttural tones, paired with a prodigious songwriting talent. Early in his career, he garnered significant attention from industry heavyweights, including Ed Sheeran, who called Ryan’s voice a “rare jewel,” and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, who likened his voice to that of an angel. From playing in stadiums supporting Ed Sheeran, to a string of hit singles, and selling out headline tours across the UK and Europe, Ryan’s rise was nothing short of extraordinary.
In 2022, after the lockdowns, Ryan was poised on the brink of stardom, ready to release his debut album Redesign and embark on a world tour that would surely cement his place as a lasting artist. There was even a film made documenting the album-making process: Debut, directed by award-winning filmmaker Brendan J. Byrne, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh and aired on the BBC.
However, suddenly Ryan had to cancel everything due to a severe mental health crisis. In his own words:
“When Covid hit, I was left with a huge hole in my life. My identity felt like it had been taken from me. During that initial six-month period, I felt imprisoned in my own home. But we were all in it together, and that’s what I kept telling myself to keep the demons at bay.
In 2021, we were allowed to tour again, and this was my chance to start putting things right within myself. Calling the tour The Margarita Tour probably tells you just how far away from putting things right I actually was. Suddenly, not only had I lost myself, but I was running away and completely spiraling out of control. Then it came time to release the album, something written a lifetime ago. I was spent, and I knew it.
At that point, something had to give. And it did. I had my first ever panic attack while trying to say my wedding speech. I knew I couldn’t go through with releasing the album and touring. Running away hadn’t worked; I needed to face it and speak to someone. I spent the following six months in therapy, and it turns out therapy really works because in 2023, I felt a shift occur. I knew I owed it to everyone to at least try. So that spring, I decided to tour. I needed to know if I was really done.
I owe a lot to the audiences that came to those shows because the truth is they brought me back around to this music thing. I felt an ownership and obligation to the debut album. I mean, it had a documentary made about it! I sat down one night and listened to it front to back. Somehow, this five-year-old, out-of-time album that I felt had nothing to say for so long was speaking loud and proud. I listened to it throughout the week, and it never diminished. It kept talking. The fog had lifted, and it was time to pick up the phone and get back to work.”
The version of Redesign you hear today reflects a recalibration of Ryan’s sound and aesthetic, but it also symbolizes a redesign of his mind. The album includes upbeat pop tracks like fan-favorite “Bowie on the Radio,” the gleeful “Us,” and the rousing “Real Love,” which emerged from a writing session with Seán Óg Graham and Niamh Dunne of the Northern Irish folk band Beoga. The session went so well that Graham became the producer of this new version of Redesign.
Ryan’s sensitive songwriting is also evident in tracks like “Flailing,” written during an anxiety-filled evening in front of the TV, “Monarch,” a tribute to his mum after a falling-out, and “Episodes,” featuring the telling line, “I feel like I’m drowning in all my famous friends.”
Having already established himself as a talent to watch, Ryan McMullan is poised for even bigger things with the release of Redesign on August 26th. Writing about love in its many forms—whether for family, his new wife, friends, or even business associates—has set the stage for an illustrious future. There’s already talk that his second album will take another creative leap forward.
Let’s leave the final word to Ryan himself:
“So with all that said, here comes an album, an EP, and then another album after that. And I’m only getting started. It’s good to be back. Thanks for your patience!”
