Capital District queer folk/rock artist Ryan Leddick released a new single, “State of Mind,” on Thursday, May 5.
“State of Mind” fuses the acoustic folk-rock sound that Leddick regularly employed in his previous releases with synth-ladened overtures. The single marries his penchant for the simple and driving melodies of folk music with the complexities of synth-80/90’s pop.
When I was creating this song all I could think about were sold geometric shapes from the 80’s and 90’s and cutting acoustic guitar rhythms and how they balanced each other.
Ryan Leddick
Leddick calls his single a fusion of folk and synth pop but upon listening to it you might find that his booming voice and imposing percussion sound more like a rock ballad. Or we discovered that rock music is actually what you get when you combine folk and synth pop.
This expansion of Leddick’s sound came after her reconnected with his guitar during the pandemic. The synth sequences were in an effort to recreate what he called the “geometric shapes” of 80s and 90s pop music. “This mixture of acoustic guitar, electric drums, and synths always seemed to paint a geometric landscape in my mind,” Leddick explained.
It might just be modesty on Leddick’s part but the most notable part of “State of Mind” is Leddick’s careening voice which when it first surges onto the track appears Adele-esque in its depth and control. His voice often quavers as if he’s getting choked up sharing something personal with us, giving his music an emotional introspection.
The hook repeats the lyrics “this is my state of my mind”. It might be slightly heavy-handed, but you certainly can’t say Leddick didn’t put his heart into it.
“State of Mind” marks his second collaboration with producer and musician Carl Blackwood of the band Bendt and Mastering Engineer Carl Staff. Blackwood also received instrumental and mixing credits on the single.
As of now, the single is expected to be part of a larger body of work Leddick plans to release either this year or in early 2023.
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