RYAN DART’S STELLAR GROW TOWARD THE LIGHT RELEASING ON JULY 2 AFTER PANDEMIC DELAY
Colorado-based singer songwriter delivers razor-sharp original songs backed by seamless covers of Townes Van Zandt, The Rolling Stones

Berthoud, CO – Ryan Dart crafts personal narratives with equal measures swagger (the opening “Caught Up”) and sway (“Dance If You Want To”). Proof: Grow Toward the Light. The Colorado-based singer-songwriter’s excellent new album due out July 2 deftly backs buoyant originals (“Love Will Come Find You,” “Tragedy and Me”) with stunning covers of the timeless traditional “You Gotta Move,” the Rolling Stones (“No Expectations”) and Townes Van Zandt (“Colorado Girl”). “Townes is in my top five greatest songwriters of all time,” Dart says. “His ability to pour out heartbreak and honesty blows me away. ‘Colorado Girl’ paints the picture of longing to be back with the person you love after too much time on the road.”

Yearning for a more meditative and mindful life emerges as a recurring lyrical theme straight away on Grow Toward the Light. “You better turn on that charm / And, baby, what’s the harm in a good time,” Dart sings. “I get caught up / Lord, I get caught up in it all.” “The blues have always been a love of mine and this song is inspired by the joy, temptation and trappings of the road,” Dart explains. “It’s about that blend of confidence it takes to be in a new town every night and the humility that results from such a wide variety of experiences. We can get caught up in so much.”

Such earthy narratives framing heart and home define the landscape on Grow Toward the Light. Makes sense: Dart spends his days tending to his family farm and raising his young son when not writing and playing music. ”It’s hard to underestimate what a big influence the farm we work in Colorado has had on my last couple albums,” he explains. “Farming and music are so good for the soul and the songwriting. I wanted my son to grown up seeing us work the land and eat what we grow. I feel like farming in a permaculture style using no sprays, herbicide, pesticides is a great act of rebellion and self-sufficiency. We are working with Uproot Colorado to donate our extra vegetables and fruit to local food banks and soup kitchens.”

Listeners will notice that sense of searching and service in songs like “Made for the Forest,” “Nature Bound Fool” and “Edge of the Earth.” Results have turned heads. “”Ryan Dart has that bright spark in a songwriter that not only carries his truths in his writing,” award-winning blues artist AJ Fullerton says, “but inspires listeners to seek out truths of their own.” “Ryan is an honest, salt-of-the-earth songwriter with a strong connection to the land and years of experience on the road,” echoes Grow Toward the Light producer Ryan young. “The heartfelt stories on this album are a blend of love, loss, addiction and salvation." Spin hooky ear worms like “Crimson Eyes” and “Good Medicine” for further proof.

Familiar influences haunt the new collection as well as Dart’s previous works (particularly his recent Drifter’s Heart). "It’s simple blue-collar Americana that fits alongside a Dodge truck commercial as well as it does an all-organic vegetable stand,” writes Marquee magazine. “Sometimes picking up a Tom Petty vein, other times landing more squarely with the work of John Moreland and very occasionally hinting at a Chris Stapleton-like drawl, Dart comes across like a country play list.”

More information available at ryandartmusic.com

For radio inquiries, Jenni Finlay, Jenni Finlay Promotions: jenni@jennifinlay.com