Joey Ryan & The Inks

Joey Ryan & The Inks is a five-piece alternative rock band hailing from St. Paul, Minn. 

“I played with our bass player, Matt Mitchell, for a long time in a band called ‘The Exchange’ growing up,” lead singer Joey Ryan said. “Once that band ended, he helped me demo a small catalog of songs I had been working on and playing as a solo act that would soon turn into a good chunk of what was on our first record, ‘Well, Here We Are Then.’ From there, Matt’s brother, Chris, started playing some guitar with us and we asked Ryan Mach who we knew from playing drums with other bands around town. Tim Dickson is the newest member of the group and has been playing with us for a while, too.”

The band has always wanted to play upbeat tunes and has been influenced by artists such as The Beatles, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, ELO and Bob Dylan.

“I’ve always enjoyed music in this vein, but it’s taken different forms over the years - that’s where all of those different influences come in,” Ryan said. 

Inspiration comes from many things for the band, but most of all is the people around them.

“First, we just have a good time making music and as long as that continues, I see no reason to stop,” Ryan said. “But also, I think we’ve got some good momentum going as a band – we’re playing in new places to new audiences and getting a pretty good response to it, and I think the new record has added to that.”

Its newest album, “Dennis Lane,” was self-produced and released in July of this year.

“We have (a) studio in my basement, which is where we came up with a lot of these songs and recorded almost everything…and it happens to be located on Dennis Lane,” Ryan said. “Being able to record at home at our own pace certainly shaped the recording process – it takes some of the pressure off and gave us some freedom to experiment, and sometimes you find a new idea in those experiments that really adds to the song.”

In the future, the band hopes to create more music and keep traveling.

“We’ll keep writing songs and making records,” Ryan said. “We haven’t really charted out a specific course, but hopefully we’ll keep broadening our horizons and bringing our music to new places with some touring.”

How and when did you get your start in music? Have you had any formal music training?

I didn't start playing the guitar until early in high school.  My grandfather played a lot of different instruments and he borrowed me a old 1960's sears semi hollow body with a couple chord books to learn with.  From there i was hooked and learned by either listening to records or bugging my friends who knew how to play.  I sang a lot in choir growing up, but I've never had any other formal lessons or training. 

How did you find the members of your band and what do they play?

I played with our bass player, Matt Mitchell, for a long time in a band called 'The Exchange' growing up.  Once that band ended, he helped me demo a small catalog of songs i had been working on and playing as a solo act that would soon turn into a good chunk of what was on our first record "Well, Here We Are Then".  From there, Matt's brother Chris started playing some guitar with us and we asked Ryan Mach who we knew from playing drums with other bands around town.  Really the first time we started playing together, it felt very natural.  I think there are a nice compliment of influences between us all that help shed a very nice, fresh light on the way i had heard the songs in my head.  Tim Dickson is the newest member of the group and has been playing with us for a little over a year.  He has played music around town for a while too and we were really happy to have him in the fold from the beginning of our latest record's (Dennis Lane) cycle.

Who are some of your influences and have you been able to contact or play with them?

From member to member - our influences are quite vast and very diverse.  Generally, a lot of what was listened too during the writing for "Dennis Lane" were bands like - The Beatles, The Hollies, The Beach Boys, The Zombies, ELO, and then you have a slightly different type of influences that we listen to like Bob Dylan, Big Star, The Jayhawks.

How did you come up with the name of your band?

There is really no significance or importance around the "inks" in our name.  I had been playing some solo shows and had a small amount of steam built up locally, so we thought keeping my name in the title might help to not completely lose that, but still wanted to represent the full band collaboration.  It was a pretty quick decision process.


Have you always wanted to play the type of music you play now?

I'm not sure that I've always wanted to play this type of music, but I'm excited to be playing it now and it feels natural.  I've always enjoyed music in this vein, but it's taken different forms over the years - that's where all of those different influences come in.  There's definitely a common thread or two amongst them, but they cover a few different genres.     

When first starting out, what did you hope to accomplish?

I really just wanted to create something i was proud of and have fun. 

How do you come up with the songs you write?

It can happen differently every time for me, but generally, the ones that come naturally are usually the best.

What is your favorite song to play and why?

My favorite song to play is "The Part Taken", which is the last song on our first record.  We've closed most of our shows with it since we started playing - I think it lends itself well to that spot because it builds and builds and then we just kind of all let go at the end...it has produced some moments that have been fun to be a part of. 

What inspires you to keep going with your music?

A few things I guess.  First, we just have a damn good time making music and as long that continues, I see no reason to stop.  But also, I think we've got some good momentum going as a band - we're playing in new places to new audiences and getting a pretty good response to it, and I think the new record has added to that.  

Where have you been able to tour and where do you hope to go?

We have played throughout the midwest region and are hoping to make the push to branch into the national scope.

What is the story behind your newest album, “Dennis Lane” and how did you come about its recording process?

They're definitely related.  We have studio in my basement, which is where we came up with a lot of these songs and recorded almost everything...and it happens to be located on Dennis Lane.  Being able to record at home at our own pace certainly shaped the recording process - it takes some of the pressure off and gave us some freedom to experiment, and sometimes you find a new idea in those experiments that really adds to the song.

What are your future plans?

We'll see where this takes us and in the meantime, we'll keep writing songs and making records.  We haven't really charted out a specific course, but hopefully we'll keep broadening our horizons and bringing our music to new places with some touring.   

What do you do outside of being in the band? ­­

Well, we have a lot of friends in the music community, so we go out to shows quite a bit.  I'm an avid sports fan too, played basketball in college - so try to catch my favorite MN sports team whenever possible...tough year for the Twins.  Outside of that, it's all Netflix all the time