During this year’s Britain’s Got Talent final, one hopeful was a marked contrast to the show’s reliably entertaining magicians, performing pets and dance squads – one man, an acoustic guitar and his own songs. Performing the moving No Name, 19-year-old Ryan O’Shaughnessy was as improbable as a lion turning up on Springwatch.
Ryan’s new move appears just as unlikely – releasing a self-titled mini-album of six self-penned songs, all as sparse and beautiful as his ITV1 highlight would have his millions of new fans hoping for. It’s a collection of hauntingly delicate songs that see Ryan comfortably sit next to the musical peers he admires, like Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. (Ed has Tweeted his admiration for Ryan, saying of No Name: “Great voice, great song.”)
But the six songs, written long before BGT came calling, also recall a time when the song was all, of singer-songwriter giants like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and John Martyn.
Explaining the reason to shun covers, Ryan says: “People know from the show that I write my own songs – it’s what they expect from me.
“The acoustic side is what I feel comfortable with. I have a few songs that are more uptempo, they’re more groove-based and bluesy, but these six songs fit together nicely.”
