From the moment Ryan Lockhart’s raspy voice cuts through the silence, you know you’re in for something different. Best known for his decade-long tenure as the frontman of FUNERAL CHIC, Ryan has traded in the hardcore screams for the twang of Americana, yet his rebellious spirit remains intact. His new single, “Ash In My Coffee,” premiering exclusively here, marks a fresh chapter in his musical journey—one that’s as gritty as it is introspective.
Ryan’s transition from hardcore to country wasn’t planned; it was born out of necessity and a deep-seated love for the music he grew up with, like Springsteen and John Prine. The songs on his upcoming album, releasing on September 27th through Bitter Melody Records, have been brewing for years, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed. The single we’re premiering today is a perfect example of Ryan’s knack for blending his hardcore roots with the storytelling tradition of Americana.
In our brief interview below, Ryan delves into his songwriting process, describing it as a journey of pulling threads until they break, revealing something raw and true. The shift from band collaboration to solo artistry has been challenging, yet empowering, allowing him to fully explore his creative vision. Despite venturing into new musical territory, Ryan’s loyalty to the punk and hardcore scenes remains unwavering—he’s here to make music for punks, no matter the genre.
“Ash In My Coffee,” backed by friends Bob Fleming and Ben Bourne, is a hauntingly reflective track, embodying a sense of quiet paranoia that resonates deeply. Produced in a DIY guerrilla style by Ryan and Ashley Peeples, the album promises authenticity and a labor of love that hardcore and country fans alike will appreciate.
Tell us a little bit about how you started your solo music journey? Did it overlap with Funeral Chic? How is writing the same/different for hardcore vs country Americana?
I’d say I wound up here as organically as anyone did. The band I had played with for 10 years got to its natural end and I had more free time than a man should, a bunch of country adjacent songs I’d collected over the years that sounded like the music I grew up with (Springsteen, John Prine) and never done anything with, and a bunch of real supportive people around me that also happened to be incredibly talented. I figured it was time enough to do something with those songs. I think the oldest on that record dates back close to 8 years ago.
The amount of time I get to spend with my songs is my secret weapon. I get to let ‘em grow up a bit and change their shoes if I have to before I send ’em out into the world.
My writing process for almost everything is about the same. I pull a thread until it breaks and hope it gets me to a point. The biggest difference is going from a collaborative approach to being the sole shotcaller. It can be nerve racking when the buck stops with me, but I believe the desperation has always given me an edge in whatever I’m working on.
What is “Ash In My Coffee” about?
Ash In My Coffee is my “I know something is coming, but if I’m quiet it won’t find me” humble paranoia song. My good buddies Bob Fleming and Ben Bourne backed me up on that one and I couldn’t be more excited to have them. I think it sits nicely with the other songs on the album.
I got lucky enough to work and learn with Ashley Peeples (producer/engineer) because he cared about the songs every bit as much as I did and bent over backwards at every turn to make it as good and as authentic as it could possibly be. It was a labor of love for him, which is hard to find
Neither of us has ever made an album on our own before but we both knew we wanted to so we threw ourselves into it in his own space. It was DIY guerrilla album making.
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Has the hardcore scene embraced your country side or have you found a new audience?
I have no plan to ever exit the HC/punk crowd. I’ll always want to make music for punks in some fashion and play for people that like punk music and I’ll always want to make records this way. With any luck, I’ll just get to play these songs for more people that don’t know who I am yet.
