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Maybe there is only one true feeling: love.

Dear friends,

I wish you all peace today. May we all find some joy, ease and connection. If you are going through difficult times, I hope you feel relief soon.

I've been working diligently through the winter on new music - a preview is below (full hi-fidelity download for supporters at The Lab).

Along with the preview is a journal entry on the process. And, as is standard operating procedure, the emerging 2026 tour schedule is at the very bottom of this update. Thank you all for your kindness and support.
 

New Music Preview + Studio Diary 1.18.26

"Island Park Rock" (feat. Brian West on drums) 
Hear the preview at: 
https://ryanleecrosby.com/track/4628278/island-park-rock-feat-brian-west

The new tracks I am working on, about 10-15 in total, weave influences of blues, dub reggae and trip-hop. The process is an analog/digital hybrid, recording on the four track cassette recorder and editing on the computer.  The more I chip away at the production, the more an understanding of what I am doing and why is beginning to emerge. 

Attention is going specifically to SOUND - how do sounds create feeling? What are the resonant vibrations in blues, dub, hip-hop? How were those sounds made? What is the role of equipment and process?

As I re-read a wonderful book about the hip-hop producer J Dilla, I am engaged by the idea of developing a “signature sound.” The brilliant musician and producer Adrian Younge talks about this, as well. The signature is the first thing Jimmy "Duck" Holmes talked about in the first lesson I took with him, too. Maybe, this is ultimately what all the work is really all about. 

As I do all of this recording, I consider the importance of identity. I ask myself often, at the urging of my mentor Tom Alden - “what's my story?” Over the last few months, I have embraced the role of the Producer, looking to producer-artists like King Tubby, J Dilla, Prince Jammy and Adrian Younge for inspiration. Production is its own practice. When we practice, we invest time and effort into ourselves, our identities, our stories. 

I have needed to re-develop clarity about the purpose of relating, to re-orient myself through how I listen and what I practice. After a period of focusing on working with machines, I am beginning to reconnect to the guitar, remembering it as an instrument that helps me access the deeper qualities of sound and music. As I reflect, thoughts emerge:

→ Rhythm expresses time and flow. Time places us in - or between - dimensions
→ Music communicates with energy and vibration. Sound carries messages through feelings. 

And this morning, I found myself wondering if maybe there is only one true feeling: love.


Upcoming Shows:

The 2026 tour schedule is slowly beginning to emerge. Below are two spotlighted events for which advanced tickets are available and recommended:

The full schedule is available now at ryanleecrosby.com/shows. 

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