Ryan Martin - “Blue Rose” (Live at Old Soul Studio)

We’re excited to premiere a special live cut of “Blue Rose” by Ryan Martin. The song appears on Martin’s stunning 2020 full length, Wandercease, and back in August, he and his band headed to Old Soul Studios in Catskill, New York for a special live session. 

While Wandercease represented a shift from a rootsy folk sound to something more akin to indie pop, Martin succeeds in finding a nice middle ground between the two through this live performance. This rendition of “Blue Rose'' channels much of the soul of the recorded version, but with a bit more raw intimacy. The percussion shifts from electronic based to acoustic, with some soft bongos driving the beat, and a stand up bass that gives the song some added vibrancy. Martin’s delicate fingerpicking and his trembling, emotive voice remain the defining characteristics. 

The setting for the video adds an additional dimension to the aforementioned intimacy of this live rendition of “Blue Rose.” It’s cozy and picturesque, capturing the essence of a rural studio complete with hardwood floors and a Persian rug under the drum kit. 

Martin shared the following about the song’s origins and deeper meaning: 

A blue rose doesn’t exist in nature; it represents my attraction to the unobtainable. It’s a song about the desire we feel for things that seem so beautiful and alluring but are actually illusions we conjure up in our minds. It was written about heroin but it could be anything – a relationship, possessions, social status. It was a favorite among the studio band and very much inspired by the music of Pat Hull, a songwriter I have loved and played around with since my earliest days in Chico back in 2007.

Check out the video below!

You can purchase Wandercease on Bandcamp or stream it on your platform of choice. Keep up with Martin by following him on Instagram and liking him on Facebook.