BIOGRAPHY

Rising musician Ryan Cabrera wasn't instantly placed in the spotlight; he had to work for it. Dallas, Texas native Cabrera began playing the guitar in eighth grade and began writing songs at a young age. Ryan's first step into music was a high school punk band called Caine. Ryan wanted to play guitar, but singing and playing guitar came hand-in-hand and Ryan was thrown upstage as lead. A short time passed and Ryan was influenced to change his style of music to something more similar to Dave Matthews. It was then that Ryan turned in his electric guitar and brought out an acoustic-based guitar for his next band - Rubix Groove.

With the help of his older brother, Ryan's new band became one of the most popular unit bands in the Dallas area. Rubix Groove headlined clubs and began playing multiple shows a week. While still in high school, Cabrera had the opportunity to share the stage with Cheap Trick, Ben Harper, and Third Eye Blind. But when Ryan's brother bought him a block of studio time for his birthday, things began to change.

In the summer of 2001, Cabrera took a break from touring - but only because he went into the studio to record his own independent album, Elm St. Ryan spent long days and nights producing, singing, and playing the music for the tracks he was recording. Ryan's hard work paid off. Elm St. flew off local store shelves and online stores and is now nearly impossible to find. The amazing response to Elm St. led to Ryan leaving Rubix Groove behind.

Ryan made the decision to really focus on music and decided to drop out of the University of Texas. He found a respected vocal coach from Dallas and began intense training to prepare him for what was to come.

Shortly after Elm St. was released, manager Joe Simpson recognized Ryan's talent and immediately signed him to his management company. A few months later, Cabrera signed a multi-record deal with Atlantic Records. Once the record deal was set, the writing process began.

Ryan Cabrera's album, Take It All Away, is co-produced by himself and John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls and is scheduled for release on August 17, 2004. Cabrera's first single, "On the Way Down" is currently on regular rotation on radio stations across the country and the video for "On the Way Down" features actress/musician Ashlee Simpson, sister of Jessica Simpson and daughter of manager Joe Simpson.

In the midst of preparing for the release of Take It All Away, Ryan is playing live as a supporting act for Jessica Simpson. Ryan is sure to be an everlasting musician with his unique sound and continuous hard work - and he's just begun.
İRYAN-CABRERA.COM

Quick Facts:
Name: Ryan Frank Cabrera
Birth date: July 18, 1982
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Fun Facts:
Celebrity Crush: Charlize Theron
Coffee Drinker: No
Likes: Cookies and socks
Dislikes: Wearing shoes
Other: Has a racecar toothbrush, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack, and Dora the Explorer bed sheets. Ryan also has a tattoo (Rubix Groove) on his upper back in between his shoulder blades.
Favorites:
Color: Green
Restaurant: Cafe Med
Movie: Dumb and Dumber, Good Will Hunting, and Dead Poet's Society
City: San Francisco, Santa Monica, Chicago, and Seattle
Song: Jars of Clay - "World's Apart"
Animal: Monkey

Post Album-release
If a Hollywood studio produced a movie trailer to introduce you to the career of Ryan Cabrera, it would feature Rockyesque moments of determination and triumph of spirit, Risky Business-like duplicity, and the innocence and absurd charm of an Adam Sandler movie. How the feature-length film would end, however, is still in question, as this burgeoning singer-songwriter has barely completed his first act.

A budding career that began as a mere lark for Cabrera has shifted quickly from a hobby, to local star status in his Dallas hometown, to the very real promise of international acclaim. And while that last qualifier might seem like a leap at this early stage, it certainly seems much closer to reality when you visit the Italian and Australian fan websites that have dedicated themselves to news and gossip about the singer for over a year now.

It's this grassroots word of mouth that has been buzzing of late with the impending release of "TAKE IT ALL AWAY," the 21-year-old's Atlantic debut. Produced by the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik and Cabrera, the album is the follow up to "ELM STREET," Cabrera's 2001 self-produced independent release that became a staple in dorm rooms across the country. In addition to songwriting contributions from Rzeznik, Cabrera was joined by the duo of Sabelle Breer and Curt Frasca - who penned two tracks on Avril Lavigne's multi-platinum debut "LET GO," - Guy Chambers, who has written for Robbie Williams, and Jimmy Harry and Kara Dioguardi.

The road from bedroom troubadour to sharing writing credits with Rzeznik - a multiple Grammy nominated songwriter - was a shorter one than you might imagine for Cabrera. Just three years ago, he couldn't have imagined where he is today.

"I started playing guitar kind of by accident," Cabrera admits. While still in middle school he was continually drawn to a beat-up guitar at a friend's house. "I don't have a musical family, nobody sings or plays anything, and until that point I never even thought about music." He first picked up the guitar out of boredom, but playing quickly became more than ineffectual picking and strumming, and in little time Cabrera had taught himself the chords to Beatles tunes.

A late-night jam session led to his first band, a high-school punk outfit called Caine.

"The music was just as bad as our name was," laughs Cabrera. "I just wanted to play guitar, but it came along with singing, and I really didn't have a choice. They just threw me up there. I'd never sung in my life." Still laughing, the ever-humble singer passes his own critique. "I was horrible of course."

But things changed shortly thereafter, when Cabrera was introduced to the music of Dave Matthews. The effect was immediate and life-changing. "I said okay, this is going to be my life now. I have to start playing this music." It was then that he traded in the electric guitar and aggression of Caine for the acoustic-based sound of his newly minted band, Rubix Groove.

With management help from his not so older borther, Cabrera's new band quickly became one of the most popular units in the Dallas area. Rubix Groove was soon headlining clubs and playing multiple shows a week. Still in high school, Cabrera and company shared the stage with Cheap Trick, Ben Harper, and Third Eye Blind. With momentum high, the group enrolled at University of Texas and in short order became a campus favorite.

With management help from his not so older brother, Cabrera's new band quickly became one of the most popular units in the Dallas area. Rubix Groove was soon headlining clubs and playing multiple shows a week. Still in high school, Cabrera and company shared the stage with Cheap Trick, Ben Harper, and Third Eye Blind. With momentum high, the group enrolled at University of Texas and in short order became a campus favorite.

Cabrera had no way of knowing that he was on the verge of a sea change even as his band became a regional force. It happened when his brother bought him a block of studio time for a birthday present. He could only afford to send one person in, so Ryan went without the band.

"I went in there, just by myself, and I did three songs that I had written. And it went really, really, well." Well enough, in fact, that the engineer recording the session was so impressed by Cabrera that he offered to record a full album for free. "I had never really thought of playing solo, or ever doing anything like that. I was in a band," he reflects. But the prospect of that much free recording time was too much of a golden opportunity to pass on, and Cabrera entered the studio with a cache of songs he had been storing for two years.

The self-released record became "ELM STREET," and the response it elicited would prompt Cabrera to make the second significant change in his still young career. With initial pressings of the record selling out in local stores, and Internet orders coming in from all over the world, Cabrera made the tough decision to strike out on his own as a full-time solo artist.

"And then when my parents went out of town, I quit school," Cabrera says, casually moving through the timeline. "Oh yeah, they were pissed," he laughs. "They flipped." They had left town for less than a week and returned to find their son a drop- out.

"I quit school because I wanted to start really concentrating on singing, because I was never really a singer singer. I didn't really know what I was doing." And while this may have initially sounded like a simple excuse to get out of classes, Cabrera, with sufficiently tousled hair already, had no plans to sleep in all day. He found a respected vocal coach in Dallas who began teaching him in what might be considered the Jean-Claude Van Damme School of vocal training.

"She taught me a bunch of exercises to do which were really insane, unheard of things. We would do 1200 `bicycles' a day, which are kind of like ab-crunches. I had to lift up chairs and hold them while I was singing scales. Both of these are diaphragm exercises. It was like torture, but it really helped." Having learned the exercises, Cabrera entered a self-imposed boot camp-like exile.

"For five months I sat in my room and sang for four or five hours a day. I sang scales and held up chairs and did stuff in military positions, all these crazy exercises. My coach told me not to do this, said that it was horrible for my voice, but I didn't care, I did it anyway. I didn't really see anybody. I woke up, sang, and went to bed. Five months. And then after that I felt ready."

Returned to the performing world in singing shape, Cabrera joined Howie Day for a slate of sold-out shows across the country. With new management-Joe Simpson of JT Entertainment, manager and father of pop-star Jessica Simpson- behind him, Cabrera soon inked a publishing deal with Evan Lamberg at EMI that led to a recording contract with his E.V.L.A. imprint on Atlantic. Without a moment to rest on his laurels, Cabrera headed west to woodshed songs with various writers.

"I wrote every single day, most of the time with someone new, so it was insane. I ended up spending three months there. That's where I met John." Cabrera's publisher arranged a meeting between Ryan and John Rzeznik, and the two wrote a couple of songs together. They enjoyed each other's company and were very happy with their collaboration.

"When it came time to make the record and we were looking for producers, we were really looking for someone who had the same vision I did, who would let me still have my hands on the music, and not take it away and do their own thing with it. I knew that I wanted to co-produce the record.

"And then John was back in the picture, and he said, `I've never produced anything before, but I could do this, we could do it. I said, `I'm not saying no,'" Cabrera laughs. " So we went into the studio a week and a half later, and we recorded the whole record in a month. John had to go on tour, so we were under the gun." Rzeznik turned out to be the perfect co-conspirator for Cabrera. The Goo Goo Dolls' massive success is thanks in large part to the band's solid songwriting, and a clean production style that doesn't out-gloss the songs at hand. Both of these qualities infuse "TAKE IT ALL AWAY" from start to finish.

The months of heavy vocal lifting are on display as well. Cabrera slips into a husky falsetto on the beautiful lilting "True," and on the album's title track. The opening "Let's Take Our Time" bounds along on a Ben Foldsesque piano line while "Exit to Exit" is paced by a thumping acoustic rhythm. Wire to wire, "TAKE IT ALL AWAY" is punctuated by one undeniable chorus after another and lifted by the liberal use of soaring vocal harmonies on songs like "On the Way Down."

In preparation for the release of "TAKE IT ALL AWAY," Cabrera is out doing what he enjoys most, playing live. He's in the midst of a month long college campus tour that will take him from coast to coast. He's set his bar as high as possible, and looks to legends like Van Morrison and Paul Simon for inspiration. "I have to be that good," Cabrera says with matter of fact determination. "The same feeling that they create for me, I have to do for someone else. I still have a long way to go, but I know what I have to do to get better. I'm going to do whatever it takes to be able to affect people the same way I've been affected by the music I love."

Pre Album-release
"Ive been breaking it down since 83, oh you didn't know, whateva"

There are few artists that can truly connect with an audience they way Dallas, Texas singer / songwriter Ryan Cabrera does. ATLANTIC RECORDS agrees as they just signed Ryan to a multi-record deal. So what does this 20 yr old on the verge of turning 21 have to say about it all. "So when do I tour?" he asked manager Joe Simson who also manages Jessica Simpson. For those who don't know, for Ryan its all about performing live.

"I sometimes feel I can move mountains with my music. When people come up to me and say how something I wrote or a performance I gave changed them or moved them in a great way, it truly makes me feel alive. I now know I can put a positive message out there and people feel me." Ryan Cabrera

Ryan began playing guitar and writing songs at a young age and gradually matured into an accomplished performer. While still in high school Ryan began performing at and eventually headlining elite Dallas venues such as Trees, The Gypsy Tea Room, and The Curtain Club. While performing at Dallas venues on a consistent basis, Ryan began to branch out into the Lone Star State and began performing in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and South Padre. While playing in the Texas area Ryan was opened for several national touring bands such as Sister Hazel, Nine Days, Wheatus, Dexter Freebish, The Pat McGee Band, The Old 97s, Monte Montgomery, Sugarbomb, and many more.. Ryan has also performed on side stages for Third Eye Blind, Tonic, and Ben Harper.

At 19, Ryan continued to boast an impressive touring schedule spanning out to several cities across the U.S. Some of the clubs Ryan has performed at include The Village Underground in New York City, New York, Schubas Tavern in Chicago, Illinois, Juanitas and Sticky Fingerz in Little Rock, Arkansas, George's Majesitc Lounce and JR's Lightbulb Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, The Still in Towson, Maryland, The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri, Flannigan's in Shreveport, Louisiana, The Grape St Pub in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Point in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Antones, La Zona Rosa, Lucy's, Mango's, and Momo's in Austin, Tx, The Laboratory in San Antonio, and Fitzgerald's in Houston.

In the summer of 2001, Ryan took a brief break from touring to record his independant debut CD entitled ElmSt which is currently sold out. Ryan spent several long nights at Deep Ellum Studios recording ElmSt in which he produced, arranged, played all guitars, keyboards, drum beats, and even beat-boxed. Saxophonist Raoul Shroff joined Ryan in the studio and performed on several tracks.

"I was excited about the opportunity to join Ryan on the CD. He pushed me to try new things and really explore my own creativeness. I think we were able to capture something truly unique and something that stands on its own." Raoul Shroff

Soon after Elm St, manager Joe Simpson caught wind of Ryan and immediately signed him to his management company. A few months and several trips to LA and NY, Ryan signed a publishing deal with Evan Lamburg of EMI Publishing and a multi-record deal with Atlantic Records. Once signed the writing process began.

When the album was written, producers were quick to try and sign on for Ryan major label debut. Ryan eventually chose to work with Johnny Rzeznik of the GOO GOO DOLLS to co-produce the record. Ryan will also share co-producing credits.

"I think the chemistry between Johnny and I when we were writing songs together solidified my thoughts of having him produce. He brings such a unique quality to my songs and he's able to capture so much more than I thought was possible no to mention the fact that I spilled his glass of red wine on his brand new freakin billion dollar white persian rug and I figured I should throw him a bone."

With his very personable attitude, mature songwriting, and catchy arrangements many predict great things for this unique artist.

Back?