Ryan O'Reilly (Duo)

Ryan O'Reilly

Ryan O'Reilly is a songwriter from Oxford whose Irish roots and English upbringing shape his music with powerful storytelling and great emotional depth. His journey began as a teenager with open mic nights in Toronto, studying poetry in Dublin and busking on Portobello Road in London – where his street performances went viral and earned him a loyal fan base across Europe and Canada.

In the summer of 2011, when Ryan and his band were at the height of their popularity on Portobello Road – a street deeply rooted in music history, from The Clash and the Sex Pistols to Bob Marley's Exodus and the final moments of Jimi Hendrix – Ryan was brutally attacked by law enforcement officers from the Kensington and Chelsea district. In an attempt to stop the band's performance, the officers broke Ryan's hand and destroyed his guitar. Despite acclaimed performances, such as in front of Mark Knopfler's house, and growing popularity across Europe, the borough took no responsibility and even had Ryan arrested on false charges. After two court cases and with the help of talented lawyers who were also fans, Ryan won the case, received compensation and the officers involved were dismissed. This experience had a lasting impact on him – it aroused both defiance and a deep disillusionment with the methods used to silence artists.

Almost everything that happened in Ryan's career after that had a connection to Portobello Road and the special energy that lives on in the memories of his fans around the world – many of whom first discovered his music through homemade CDs such as Emily and The Blighted Apple. This DIY spirit remained intact as he made a name for himself touring old churches, playing intimate concerts and supporting artists such as Lissie, Arkells and Anaïs Mitchell.

His debut album, The Northern Line (2016), chronicles the challenges of life in London and was released on Katars' first indie label, DNA Records. The follow-up album, I Can't Stand the Sound (2018), recorded in a cinema in Brooklyn with members of the Canadian band Dwayne Gretzky, reflects the turmoil of a journey across the United States during a turbulent election year. His third album, Other Plans (2023), was written in Berlin during the isolation of the pandemic and recorded at Chale Abbey with producers Spencer Cullum and David Granshaw for L.A.-based Bicycle Path Productions – it focuses primarily on the themes of loneliness and mental health.

Ryan has collaborated with renowned artists such as Flyte, Amistat and Naviband. His music has been featured in film and television, including After The Flood (ITV), McDonald & Dodds (ITV), Station 19 (ABC) and Dr. Jekyll (Hammer Films). He also works regularly with composer Blair Mowat and lectures on songwriting at BIMM University Berlin.

Hailed by Communion as ‘mesmerising live’ and described by the London Evening Standard as ‘the perfect antidote to our era of assembly-line pop music’, Ryan's performances are characterised by intimacy, passion and poetic spirit.