RY-GUY
- bizzarre
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
RY-GUY shares new single "Change Is Gonna Come". Debut EP 'like a river' out March 27th.
South London-based artist RY-GUY shares new single "Change Is Gonna Come", which is taken from his upcoming EP 'like a river', due out March 27th.
RY-GUY's music sits at the intersection of soul, psychedelia and art-pop, shaped by a deep sense of heritage and a commitment to telling stories often left unheard.
Born in London to a West Indian/Caribbean family with roots in Guyana and Barbados, RY-GUY is highly influenced by the soundsystem culture of his Guyanese / Caribbean heritage as well as art movements like Impressionism and Surrealism and treats songwriting as both personal expression and cultural document.
On the track. RY-GUY said "
A soulful thriller draped in hallucinating sounds, directed by the debate surrounding euthanasia. The song, told in the first person, examines morality and the impact that circumstances can have on viewpoints, potentially leading to disturbing outcomes.
Through its lyrical voyage and nuanced experimentation, this song displays its own form of free will, paying homage to Sam Cooke's revolutionary 'A Change Is Gonna Come' as it unfolds."
He added
"Who controls a life? Morals. A moving target. Structural failures. Conditions and circumstances. Free will. Perspective. Pressure. Disturbing consequences. We The People."
Classically trained on piano from a young age in South London, RY-GUY’s early immersion in artists such as Otis Redding and Al Green laid a soulful foundation, while a formative encounter with Jimi Hendrix opened up a more expansive, boundary-less approach to composition. After years of writing and recording demos on a 4-track recorder, RY-GUY emerged as a project driven by the desire to release the kinds of musical narratives he felt were missing from the contemporary landscape.
RY-GUY’s work often centres marginalised perspectives through abstract lyricism and textured soundscapes. His upcoming EP ‘Like A River’ was conceived as an honest, self-contained artwork - one that balances a direct pop sensibility with enough sonic grit and ambiguity for listeners to lose themselves within it. Themes of strength, defiance and self-affirmed freedom run throughout the record, portraying life candidly and in the present tense. The project’s DIY ethos extends beyond the music itself, encompassing self-shot artwork, deliberately chosen track titles, and a visual world that reinforces the EP’s emotional core.
Written primarily on piano (with “Dunja”, originating on guitar), the EP was recorded across Salvation Studios, Speedy Wunderground and RAK, with Speedy Wunderground becoming a creative home during the process. RY-GUY co-produced the record with Adele Phillips, with additional guidance from long-time mentor Sir Robin Millar CBE. Mixing and mastering were handled by George Murphy and Dyre Gormsen of Eastcote Studios, while contributions from live band members and collaborators added further depth.
Closing track “Oil In My Hair” stands as the emotional and thematic heart of the EP, a moment of resolution that encapsulates its pursuit of freedom and self-belief, blending psychedelia, soul and art-pop into a final statement of quiet triumph.
Live, RY-GUY has graced headline shows at The Shacklewell Arms and The Windmill in London, as well as playing outside his home city at venues such as Yes in Manchester and Supersonic in Paris and is set to play a run of UK tour dates later this year.
Photo by Tom Walker
Live Dates
21 March 2026 // Coventry, Just Dropped In
28 March 2026 // Liverpool, Jacaranda
31 March 2026 // London, Shacklewell Arms
22 April 2026 // Brighton, The Prince Albert - supporting Oslo Twins
23 May 2026 // Southampton, Wanderlust Festival
