INTERVIEW: RYDYR
By: Alex Hopkins
RYDYR is the alias of Cole Pendery, a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. After his extensive work in the Disney Channel-backed group IM5, Pendery created RYDYR as a guide towards a more alternative sound to the pop scene due his rock influences while growing up. Not only has Pendry been able to see the success that came with the release of smooth and melancholic singles such as “Dream Alone”, but under RYDYR he has also been able to establish his record label, Shadowwood Records. Following the recent release of “Dream Alone” and in anticipation of his EP coming soon, we were able to chat with RYDYR about what he learned from his time in the industry, some interesting influences from his family, and why he chose the name RYDYR.
First off, how has quarantine been for you? Are you staying with family, anyone else?
I'm originally from Texas but stay in LA. But right now for this whole quarantine thing, I'm in Vegas with my family. My parents have a place here and my sister got out of New York City and came here a few weeks ago.
Perfect, glad to hear everyone is alright! Describe yourself, your sound, the music you have out, etc.
I’m Cole, also known as RYDYR. RYDYR is sort of my outlet and music pseudonym that I created so that the music is a reflection of different sounds I love. I’m not a very one genre kind of person that I found like I lot of people are. Some people are strictly RnB, or strictly Rock and Roll. But me, I always found love and appreciation for all genres, all music, it all has purpose and meaning, it can be inspiring to me. In my sound, I kind of pull from a lot of different things, and the songs that I currently have put out are all kinds of pieces that live in their own world. I wanted to drop singles to share some of the art with the world, but “Dream Alone” is the first single off of an upcoming EP that I think all of the songs off this body of work live in the same sonic world. So, that’s why I felt like it was appropriate to body them all together, considering it was my first EP. That will be on the way, and I’m very excited about having this alt-pop, beautiful darkness kind of vibe to them on this EP.
Going back to “Dream Alone”, you would say that is your actual becoming. The singles you have released so far do reflect you as an artist, but ‘Dream Alone’ reflects you as an artist better?
Yeah, exactly, as the start of this next chapter.
You come from a significant background in music, working with fellow artists as a part of IM5 in the early 2010s. Would you say that the time spent influenced your creativity with your current music, and how so?
I feel like a lot of my past experiences have been amazing and very educational. I got to learn a lot from being in my previous group that was a little more manufactured to me. Being in it taught me that I wanna move forward with being really honest in my music. I just think it was an exciting journey in my voice, about finding myself.
It is a time I would never take back, but I’m just really excited about the future and my sound. In IM5, that was kind of focused on an urban-pop lane, and I grew up with rock and roll, classics like the ‘70s and ‘80s music. That was kind of more of my true essence, where I adapted to sit in a part in that group, but that was never necessarily my favorite kind of music to perform. So at that time, I felt a longing to do what I’m sort of doing now, and I definitely have that opportunity now, so I’m gonna take advantage of it.
“Dream Alone” as well as the rest of your discography follows a more melancholic alternative sound compared to the pop roots from your days in a band. Was transitioning from a mainly pop sound to more alternative roots difficult for you? Who were some of the bigger influences in your life?
In making “Dream Alone” and more music that you all will hear soon, I went in with my writing partner and producer to make some songs and gave the outline of what I was trying to do. I wanted to bring in a lot of natural elements, more organic sounds to bring in a sense of those past elements of almost nostalgia. Acoustic guitar right now with electronica, big basses, and crazy drum patterns: I just wanted to change it up and get back to that. As far as the melancholy aspect, I also just wanted to touch on a time in my life when I felt confused on where I should go. A lot of life changes happened, and I was having some real confusion. How there are a bunch of voices in your head all of the time telling you, like the devil and angel on your shoulder going “you could do this, or do this”. Like “I can’t handle everything!” There are so many things coming at you all the time, and that can wear you down. I kind of found myself being worn down and picking myself up. Telling that story to Zakk, my producer, and him saying “Man, let’s write about that”. He picked up the guitar and started playing a random song, and I started humming along and that song kind of birthed itself in a matter of 30-40 minutes when we had a main body structure and lyrics written. We elaborated on those sounds we were creating to bring the project together.
Would you say a lot of your collaborative moments happen like that too? That burst of energy, even a lightbulb moment?
Yeah, because that’s exactly what it is. I found my songwriting process is being a vessel for creative energy and creative flow. At the end of writing a song, I kind of reflect like “Holy [sic], what just happened?” It’s hard to personally take credit, like “Oh yeah, I just wrote that song”: no, I was successful in having that energy, spirit and as it speaks through. I think that’s when the best things happen when you let yourself be lost in the moment and be and flow, and you reflect like “Holy [sic]!”
I find a lot of songs happen like that, they all have their own unique life. For me a lot of times, I have some ideas [and] in five minutes, when we hang up this phone, something you said sparked a lyric in my mind so I could write that down. But mostly what happens for me is that I write little melodies and hooks, they come to me, and then I open Voice Memos on my phone and record that idea, just to make sure it’s not lost, so I can go back to that later and take that to the studio and say “Alright, let’s elaborate on this kind of idea”. A couple of the songs happened like that, a couple of the others will just be in the studio and Zakk will play a sound. Or you can literally just have a word and be like “I think this word or phrase would be great in a song”. You don’t have a melody, you don’t have the music; you just have an idea and it’s all really unique.
You mention that RYDYR is your “protection, superhero, and guiding light” — what does the namesake mean for you?
I think that if I were to come out with music as Cole Pendery, which I am not saying it would never happen in my life! I feel that I am able to truly express myself and what I want to say. Having the shield and armor of that very name and idea: when I go in, I feel like RYDYR can say so much [sic] that Cole Pendery might not be able to as far as to be publically appropriate. Even more vulnerable, because I want to protect Cole more, but RYDYR can say whatever he wants and not have people critique so much. I feel like it is a vessel for me to say whatever, do whatever, that Cole won’t be reprimanded for whatever RYDYR says. And then it is also people discovering RYDYR, they don’t necessarily know who Cole is. Like the Weeknd! They know him as Abel, but there is a certain significance to the character of the Weeknd, I think he’s able to do more than that. It pushes me, it asks me “Okay, who can I be?” When I’m still trying to find out who Cole is on an internal reflection, RYDYR is my external voice to be there for my art.
The name RYDYR comes from your mother’s maiden name of Ryder. Has she had any significance in your musical upbringing, and how?
In searching for an alias, I still wanted to be authentic but wanted to protect the Cole Pendery brand. I didn’t want it to become a brand; I wanted to stay a human being, but still create something outside of myself. I thought that was the best thing to do because it is still a true part of who I am, but also a new brand I can create and grow with.
As far as family influence, I feel like they played a huge factor. Especially in the music I grew up listening to, all of those influences all came from my parent’s musical taste. It’s funny that my mom is the sweetest, kind and innocent little woman at face value -- when you meet her, you think she is the sweetest little thing. But she’ll turn around and she likes to listen to Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, something you would never expect out of this little light of a woman. And as far as my parents, they loved the classics they grew up with and I was lucky to be influenced by those sounds rather than what was on 2000’s pop radio. My sister as well! She is four years older than me, so she was showing me a lot of music I wouldn’t have been exposed to if not for her.
Another kind of ode to my family’s line is that I created a label, named Shadowwood Records. Shadowwood was a street my grandfather made in Northern California to their home that was built deep in the woods. He was a very amazing man, a very artistic man and he passed away a few years ago. So in making Shadowwood, taking that name was an ode to him and his artistic abilities, to keep his legacy alive.
Speaking of your label, what led you to create such an endeavor, and what holds for Shadowwood in its future?
What led me to create it was observing the music industry. It’s a very interesting business, and there are a lot of labels that you hear the horror stories about. They lose all of their control and rights, they don’t own their music anymore, which does not sound like a good time. And so, I’ve always been interested in creating something like this. I never thought it would happen so soon, but I have a lot of support around me and since we had the ability to do it, you gotta take chances in life, so why not? I was kind of not wanting to wait around and shop labels, or even consider leaving my ownership to my art. And with all of the business advice I was getting, it was smart to remain independent. I’m still learning, I have an amazing team around me that is helping educate me on how to run it and do things in the best light.
As far as the artists, I am just going to live and when I think the right people come to me… they need a platform or label to call home that they call a good match, I cannot wait to provide that. I have a lot of musical friends and artists that I have already been considering bringing that conversation up, but I wanna be with my RYDYR project. I’m kind of being the guinea pig for all of this, working with the label and saying “Okay, this worked, this didn’t” or “This could be better”. I am being the guinea pig on seeing how this all runs, so when I do find an artist or bring in an artist that I really believe in, they will be one step ahead because we learned some things.
What holds for the future of RYDYR -- do you plan on having any releases out soon? Future tours?
Well, we were about to start the touring process until the world shut down! But it is in the near future plan as soon as that can happen. This release of the project is coming soon, so I’m really excited about that. I already have a bunch of music made, the second EP or project will be soon to follow so it’s just going to be non-stop releasing at this point. Shadow Wood, I haven’t started to talk with anyone else to sign, but I will definitely be turning out RYDYR material. I’m just really excited and inspired right now: this whole quarantine time has put me in an interesting headspace of creation, I’ve been writing a lot of songs which is nice. I just want to keep on surprising myself and the world, creating some fun art, keep making visuals, which are a whole other fun part of [being an artist].
RYDYR’s latest single “Dream Alone” is out now on all streaming platforms, and you can catch the music video and BTS for it down below. Be on the lookout for his debut EP and first tour, coming in the near future!
BTS of RYDYR’s “Dream Alone” Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqEX_ewUpWY&feature=youtu.be
RYDYR -- “Dream Alone” Music Video: https://youtu.be/sHGufzCuVHs