Ryan MacGrath
be music.
be art.
In every arte Hotel, we give creative, young or up-and-coming artists a stage: our artist’s place event series moves between all art forms, in a finely dosed irregularity and always relaxed atmosphere!
On 9 November 2018, we invited Ryan MacGrath to our cosy wine bar at the arte Hotel Kufstein!
about ryan macgrath.
Ryan MacGrath is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose folk-pop style is often compared to Rufus Wainwright and Hawksley Workman. Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and raised in Guysborough County, he was an active member of the Halifax music scene. He currently lives in Innsbruck, Austria.
MacGrath first moved to Halifax to study painting at NSCAD. After purchasing a guitar, he began performing with the band Ryan MacGrath and the woodenhouse, which released a self-titled EP in 2006 before changing its name to The Missing City Starlight. MacGrath then released a solo EP, In My Own Company, in 2009 and the album Cooper Hatch Paris in 2010.
MacGrath continues to exhibit his paintings. During preparations for Cooper Hatch Paris, pop singer Chantal Kreviazuk saw one of his works in the gallery and liked it; MacGrath arranged a swap, giving Kreviazuk the painting in exchange for a guest spot on the album. MacGrath also financed the album by auctioning off his songwriting services and offering to write a romantic Valentine’s Day song for the winner and his partner.
In 2011, Cooper Hatch Paris was honoured by Music Nova Scotia with the Alternative Recording of the Year Award. The recording was also nominated for a number of East Coast Music Awards, including Alternative Recording of the Year, Male Solo Recording of the Year and Rising Star Recording of the Year.
Two of MacGrath’s songs were used in Thom Fitzgerald’s film “Cloudburst” starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker. MacGrath contributed Bird and Cage from Cooper Hatch Paris and Like You Do, a song written specifically for the film.
In November 2011, MacGrath was commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation Nova Scotia to write a song for their annual gala to raise awareness for mental health. MacGrath wrote the track One Million Fireflies and sang it with a 30-piece gospel choir.
In January 2012, MacGrath moved to Innsbruck, Austria, where he now resides. Since moving to Austria, he has been writing his second album and third EP, tentatively titled The Pink Lark.
Throwback
