File under: sounds like one man, is really a band (see also Franz Ferdinand, Richmond Fontaine, Josef K…)

While Ryan O’Reilly is in Ryan O’Reilly, he is, in fact, only one third of Ryan O’Reilly. There he is joined by Tyler Kyte and David Granshaw. With Kyte living in Canada, and O’Reilly and Granshaw UK-based, the trio are not homebirds, choosing the road, touring, and discovery over the comforts of familiar streets. Perhaps this is just what happens when you’re living England, the ten year old son of an Irish father who presents you with your first guitar with these words of encouragement: “you’re never going to impress anyone with your looks or your charm so you’d better get good at this”

Northern Lights is the title track from the forthcoming Northern Lights EP. On it O’Reilly considers our relationship with people and places - the balance of reality versus fantasy, from a relationship in which future plans outweigh the present, to the serene appearance of Oslo undermined by the scars that remained from the 2011 terrorist bombings. With a piano ringing out chords over understated americana sounds (where americana, to me is that sound of wistful melancholy in the vibrations of guitar strings, and a sound that isn’t country, but isn’t rock either), and a video showing two young friends leaving the city behind for the wilderness and all its unknown excitement, its a beautiful rendition of the possibilities in life.