I’ve known Ryan Kershaw for a long time and have always been a fan
of all the music he writes with all the various bands and solo projects he has
released music with. His new single Make It Go Away is no exception. It is
heavier and rockier than many of his songs, which I really love. The distorted guitars, fast drum beats and
powerfully, raw vocals put emphasis the words and meaning portrayed in this
song. The first time I listened too this
song I felt like I was in the exact same frame of mind that Ryan was in when he
wrote it and after listening to it a few more times over the last week my
initial feelings haven’t changed much (although my mental frame of mind has,
thankfully).
It is a song written for anyone who has ever gone through
hard times in their life. It is a sonic rendering
of how mental pain feels like, without actually directly mentioning pain. I know that everyone hears and feels music
differently but to me this song is about wanting to escape mental illness and
the pain and feelings associated with it; the loneliness, anxiety, isolation
and feeling that no one understands. In
some ways it is like the song is a call for help, pleading with anyone to
understand and listen and make the pain go away. But knowing Ryan, it is a song for all the
people stuck in their heads in that place, it is a song to everyone feeling
that pain, to let you know that you aren’t alone in those feelings.
Like all of Ryan’s songs this showcases both his songwriting
talent and musical abilities. This song
has something for everyone, rock n roll, heavy rock mixed with flamenco style
guitars. I hope this single means there’s
an album or EP on the way and I can’t wait to get my hands on it, if it does.
Ryan Kershaw a guitarist who was first known in New Zealand for his psychedelic guitar playing in a genre he called 'Buzzy'.
Ryan Kershaw is a musician and music educator, author of "Use Your Buzz To Play The Guitar" and creator of the Musicians Confidence Course. He has helped to strengthen the music education community in New Zealand by bringing organisations together including Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa, SmokefreeRockquest, and IMNZ. He is the founder of the New Zealand Underground Festival, which provided New Zealand underground musicians with a platform to connect with the industry, and currently writes for The Guitar Association Of New Zealand, Audioculture and Muzic.net.nz. Consultations are available with Ryan - email: [email protected]
visit www.ryan-kershaw.com for more info on how you can get help for your music