Ryan Harvey featured on the recent Occupation Records Folk the Banks (also available on Fish Records) we are very proud to be the only UK distributor of his releases. Ryan Harvey has been writing and performing hard-hitting political folk songs for over ten years, with the unplugged story-telling of traditional American folk music, the compassionate alarm of early anarchist punk, and the lyrical punch of modern hip-hop, his engaging performances are both inspiring and educational.
Ryan is a founding member of the Riot-Folk musician’s collective and has been active in the group’s mission of “Making Folk a Threat Again” since its inception in 2004. In that time he has shared the stage with countless musicians from the underground and mainstream music worlds, including Joan Baez, Tom Morello, Oi Polloi, The Coup, Jolie Holland, Jim Page, and more.
Last summer Ryan released “Ordinary Heroes,” a collaborative 14-song work with violinist/journalist/documentarian Michael Fox. The recording, dedicated to the late historian and activist Howard Zinn, emphasizes social movements as a means of overcoming injustice.
Carrying on in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger Ryan’s acoustic protest songs echo that of our own Billy Bragg and deserves a wider audience here in the UK. Also keep an eye out for his forthcoming release Can't Turn Back: Songs from the Global Uprising which will feature here in a few weeks.
