Matthew Ryan, ‘All I Wanted’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Indie singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan is premiering his new song “All I Wanted” exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to hear it.

“All I Wanted” will appear on Ryan’s forthcoming full-length release Hustle Up Starlings. The track speaks to missed opportunities and offers sage advice: “Don’t put your heart in the hands of imbeciles / You could end up worse / Dead or killed,” Ryan sings in his characteristic whispery, gravelly timbre, offering up a dose of brutal reality.

Hustle Up Starlings marks a comeback of sorts for Ryan: He first got his start in music in Nashville in the late 1990s, while signed to A&M Records. Ryan released two solo albums, May Day in 1997 and East Autumn Grin in 2000, with the label, followed by a dozen more indie-label and self-released projects; however, in 2011, he decided to walk away from the business after 2012's In the Dusk of Everything, because it had “become too lonely.”

Fate had other plans, though: Ryan soon met and became friends with Brian Fallon of New Jersey-bred rock band the Gaslight Anthem. The two toured together and decided they'd like to work together. Fallon produced Hustle Up Starlings, which was recorded over the summer in Nashville.

In addition to Fallon and his band, Ryan has also shared the stage with iconic Americana acts such as Jason Isbell, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams. Hustle Up Starlings is set for release on May 12; more information is available on MatthewRyanOnline.com.

Listen to Matthew Ryan, "All I Wanted":

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