Ryan Calder Band

It’s never a perfect science as to what makes a hit song. Some say the key to good songwriting is the melody. Some say good songwriting is the combination of a catchy melody with the right lyrics. Some say songwriting has little to do with it – it all depends on the artist… some artists will sell plenty of copies of a new album no matter how poor the songwriting is.

For me, (more…)

Albert Falls. 9am. It’s 169 degrees. And here I am, along with several hundred other crazy nut jobs, on the banks of the dam about to begin the second installment of suicide.

Okay, that’s slightly dramatic. But you get the picture: It’s the start of the second Mudman Triathlon at Albert Falls Dam. (more…)

On March 6, I will be making like a bread truck and hauling buns in the second Mudman.

The problem with training for the Mudman is the multi-discipline nature of the event. It’s not like, “Oh ok, let me go for a jog, and see if I collapse from a heart attack… if not, I’m good to go!”

Oh no, dear minions… there’s no shortcut here. If you don’t put in the time, you don’t get there results. You have to apply yourself over a period of time to each discipline. Herewith, the training diary: (more…)

So there we were, Saturday night, 11pm… my missus and I… staring blankly at the mixer.

The birthday cake for our two-year-old daughter had just come out the oven and was cooling on the counter. The day began at 5.15am (our kids don’t quite understand why that’s illegal) and we haven’t stopped since then. Ah, parenthood.

The hypnotic effect of the butter icing swirling around in the mixing bowl was enough to begin my philosophical departure: what was life like before the birth of our kids?

I honestly can’t remember. My life was probably really pathetic. Back then, if I could remember, we  probably (more…)

It’s not often that I get to just sit and play guitar, but on this particular Saturday afternoon, I was strumming the chords that would become this song when Tam walked into the room and started singing spontaneously.

I remember we’d both been pretty busy and it was nice to just be at home, with no agenda for the day. Tam walked in, heard the chords and said, (more…)

This song was the first one penned for the new album, about four years ago. It was one of those songs which very quickly had a structure, but developed slowly lyrically… so much so that it was only completed last year.

So for those who don’t know, my beautiful wife Tamlyn Mary is the inspiration behind this tune. Without boring you with too many details, Tam and I met at a time when I was fairly rogue. (more…)

So there we were. Five against 5000. A freezing cold Friday night in Maritzburg. (more…)

We had a meeting on Saturday. It was scheduled for 8am. Yes, yes, I know, that’s not very rock ‘n roll. I even baked muffins. Seriously. Burnt them a bit, but insisted that on principle the rest of the band eat them. They politely, if uncomfortably, consumed my first attempt at chocolate muffins.

By 8.40am, we’re ready to begin. In attendance are Rudi, Roberto, Rachel Grace and yours truly. Apologies from Tam, who has work commitments, while Jon, we assume, is still slumbering in CT. (more…)

Saturday night was one of those nights that took me back a few years. I took the stage with no band mates and just my acoustic guitar in a packed Crossways Pub in Hilton.

The occasion was actually the gig of Plush frontman Rory Eliot, who was out to showcase a few new tunes as the band goes into the studio shortly to record their fourth album. Rory invited me along to open up proceedings for the evening, post-Sharks/Stormers game.

On arrival, you could just tell it was going to be one of those evenings. Everyone is (more…)

Recording more bits and pieces… bass, keyboard and other lesser known evils…