Missouri Brothers Ryan, Tyler on the Rise

Douglas Boultinghouse
Arts & Entertainment Editor

   Brothers share many things growing up. The Spragg brothers of Thayer, Mo. share a love of music that strengthens each time they take the stage or write a song.

Courtesy of the Ryan Tyler Band

Brothers - Missouri brothers Ryan Spragg and Tyler Spragg released their EP "My Guitar" in 2008.  The full-length debut releases later this year.

   Ryan Spragg, 16, and Tyler Spragg, 14, known simply as The Ryan Tyler Band, blend the styles of southern rock with those of country, blues and pop. Ryan Spragg plays guitar and sings harmony while Tyler Spragg sings lead and serves as the percussionist.

   The duo released an EP titled “My Guitar” at the end of 2008. The release included recent pieces of work, but due to a mistake understanding the process of releasing the EP to CDBaby and Amazon, seven more songs were tacked to the end.

   Though an accident, the attachment of the old recordings and demos created an added bonus that can be looked at as a few hidden gems.

   “We are still in the studio working on an album called ‘My Guitar’ with our producer Doug Deforest,” Ryan Spragg said.

   According to him, the album remains in the country-rock genre and will include all new music.

   The brothers wrote all of the songs released on the EP and Ryan Spragg explained the country flares in their music by saying, “That's where we live and it makes it easier to write music about our experiences.”

   Having written the music, the two picked favorites. While Tyler Spragg chose “Inside My Soul,” his brother Ryan Spragg picked “My Guitar.”

   “I think it’s an addiction or something more than I have ever known before / Gets inside our head / Have to fight it out / Sometimes I know how to ignore it / But other times / It controls me / And makes me feel so down and out,” the duo sings on “Inside My Soul.”

   “Inside My Soul,” a mid-tempo rock song that builds, shows off the brothers impressive abilities to write, as well as their vocal strengths.

   “My Guitar,” throws country into the mix, along with giving The Ryan Tyler Band a motto to follow.

   “I live my life from day to day / With these six strings I made my way / Don’t need nothing else in life / Got my guitar / I’ll be just fine,” the brothers sing.

   Another track on the EP, “Letting Go,” mixes the styles heard on the two tracks before it.

   “I hear your leaving town / To find a place to settle down / And I just can’t let go,” they sing.

   With EP releases, the few songs selected provide a preview of what the full-length album will sound like. If the songs released on “My Guitar” shed light on what The Ryan Tyler Band plans to release later, prepare for great music.

   Though the future cannot be predicted, The Ryan Tyler Band’s days of making music show no end in sight.

   “We both feel like we were born to do this in life, so neither of us can imagine living a life without entertaining people,” Ryan Spragg said. “We feel confident in the fact that we will make it to where we are hoping to go.”

   In between working on their debut album, they will play various shows and events across the country, including one in Arkansas.

   For tour dates and a preview of their music, check out The Ryan Tyler Band on MySpace.

  A copy of the “My Guitar” EP, complete with additional tracks, can be purchased at Amazon or CD Baby. 

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