Singer/songwriter Ryan Shields releases a new album of twelve original songs, The Light Between Last Night and Tomorrow. Shields, who was featured on WMNF's (Community Radio, Tampa, Florida) Acoustic Artist Showcase in fall 2008, performs lead vocals and lead guitar. Shields's powerful songwriting is influenced by artists such as Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, and Wilco. Features of rock, folk, americana, and country all find expression in the dynamic album.
Shields is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, but has performed throughout the East Coast of the United States. He is supported on The Light by The Janks, which includes local Florida musicians as well as Shields's younger sister—Teresa Shields, who performs backup vocals—and brother—Dan Shields, who performs bass, and with whom Shields has been playing music for years. Steve Connelly, who played with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, recorded and mixed the album. Shields's vocals were featured on a national Cracker Barrel campaign and one of his original compositions provided the soundtrack for a Philadelphia Children's Hospital commercial. Shields has played and recorded with multiple bands, but this is his first solo album.
The Light Between Last Night and Tomorrow has been well received and Towns (the second song on the album) has received radio play on WMNF. The album is currently available on CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon. Shields plays regularly in the Tampa Bay area and will be on tour in summer of 2009.
Ryan was born into a musical family. When he was young, his father held practices for his blues band in the basement of the family's Pittsburgh home. His father taught him to play the drums at the age of 10, and his mother taught him his first guitar chords at 13. Shields's grandfather, a Puerto Rican guitar player, singer, and songwriter, also had a prominent influence on Shields's music. Head's on Wrong (track 7) on The Light Between Last Night and Tomorrow features one of Shields's grandfather's compositions.
At high school in Seminole, Florida, Shields played drums in a band called Never the Less with brother Danny, who played bass. Never the Less was signed to the indie label Boot to Head Records, and with the band, Shields toured throughout the eastern part of the United States. At 19 he became the front man for the band The Swirl (formed with brother Danny) in which he performed lead vocals and guitar. He continued playing and writing songs throughout college in Florida. After a short stint in Toronto, Shields moved to New York City where he did session work for a reputable music house called Yessian. After landing his first national ad campaign, singing on a Cracker Barrel commercial, Shields moved back to Florida and began working on a full-length solo album. The twelve original songs on The Light Between Last Night and Tomorrow showcase Shields's diverse musical influences including country, rock, folk, and americana. Shields currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. He plays regularly in the Tampa area and is looking forward to going on tour in the summer of 2009.