When shelter-in-place orders began in March, many students were struck by a strong sense of loneliness brought on by isolation, an experience no different for senior Ryan McNamara. He used this time to create “Ghosts on the Roof,” his album which was released on Aug. 20.
“It was just really lonely, so I started writing around the beginning of March and finished [writing] around the end of June,” McNamara said, explaining the album’s inspiration. “It was really a harsh adjustment, because I had two people keeping me stable, so no social interaction.”
Isolation was not the only inspiration for McNamara.
“Musically, I was really inspired by bands like Fugazi and Bomb the Music Industry,” McNamara said. “They really wanted music to reach the common person by selling their CDs for $5 [and] putting their music online for free when that wasn’t really a thing.”
McNamara’s motivation often came to him in bursts.
“One of the more consistent [processes] was just being awake at 4 a.m., and then forcing myself to sit with a guitar for some reason,” McNamara said. “That was the only time I could get anything out. Sometimes, it would all just come to me at once. I call it a lightning bolt moment, where everything just hits you within 30 minutes.”
A significant part of the album was the instrumentals behind it. Because of public safety regulations, McNamara had to do the instrumentals completely alone.
“The only thing that was contributed by other people was the [album] art, which a couple of my friends graciously contributed,” McNamara said.
McNamara used his music playing experience to write his songs.
“I’m mainly a drummer,” McNamara said. “My percussion friends were like, ‘Okay, someone has to play a non-drum instrument.’ So I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll pick up guitar.’ Then, just off the small bits and pieces of music theory I had, I started writing.”
Most of the music was written while shelter-in-place orders were in effect, but its foundation was laid prior.
“I wrote one of the songs in November, two weeks after I got a guitar, and the rest of them are written [after]” McNamara said. “I recorded all of it on my phone. The best compliment I ever get is when I tell people that and they’re like, ‘Really?’ That’s how I know I did a good job.”
“People will shame [you] for using the basic stuff, but if that’s what you can make work … put it out”
McNamara feels that releasing music on Spotify is a process that is not as daunting as one might think.
“You just pay DistroKid like 20 bucks to put it up,” McNamara said. “It does take two to three weeks usually. You have to have a game plan going in.”
Although getting the album onto Spotify itself might not be difficult, that doesn’t mean making music is without hardship.
“There are two songs on the album that I really just do not like,” McNamara said. “I had to say, ‘I can’t add any more to this, because it doesn’t fit the structure.’ At some point, you just have to [say] ‘Okay, I’m done with this.’”
At the end of the day, there was one piece of advice that he held above all.
“Do stuff with what you can. You can’t figure out how to make stuff work on a computer? Use your phone. People will shame [you] for using the basic stuff, but if that’s what you can make work … put it out. … You’re gonna keep going, I guarantee you,” McNamara said. “Same thing with instruments. If you just have a garbage guitar lying around that your family’s had around for 80 years and half the strings aren’t working, pick that up, learn [it]. Just start doing something.”
You can listen to “Ghosts on the Roof” on all major streaming platforms.
