One Man's White Paper Bed
Somewhere Between Indie and Mainstream
By Jason Auslander

For music industry veteran Larry White, singer-songwriter Ryan Lindsey's approach to the music business is the best way for a young musician to build a successful career.

White - now a Los Angeles talent manager - was so impressed when he listened to the Norman, Oklahoma-based Lindsey's self-produced, 2006 debut album - "White Paper Beds" - he signed him up as a client sight unseen.

"I was totally blown away when I heard that record," White said recently from L.A. "Man, I thought, this kid is phenomenal."

Though just 24, Lindsey has been making music for 10 years, he said. Lindsey's career in rock bands began in his hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma when he was 13 or 14 and his older brother told him he would be allowed to play bass in his band - if he purchased his own bass. So Lindsey saved up the proceeds from a newspaper route, bought a bass and joined the band, called Kids Eat Free.

In college at the University of Oklahoma in Norman - where he first studied business, then switched to film, then dropped out when he realized, "If you're doing film in Oklahoma, you might as well play music and not pay for it," - Lindsey played in a band called Claire. That lasted about a year and a half before the inevitable break-up, he said, which was okay "because we played mostly my music anyways." Next he played piano and sang backup in a band called Cheyenne, which later moved to New York City.

Lindsey also played solo shows around Norman and the surrounding region while in and out of bands. About a year and a half ago, fellow Oklahomans, the Starlight Mints, asked him to tour with them. He said he hit it off with the band - to which he contributes piano, guitar and backup vocals - and now considers himself "pretty much" a part of the Mints. The band has asked him to be part of the writing process for its next record, he said.

Still he never lost sight of his own music. About two years ago, Lindsey began raising money from family and friends and working with friend and fellow musician, Chad Copelin, to record what would become "White Paper Beds."

From the packaging to the production to the songwriting, "White Paper Beds" is impressive, according to White and other music industry veterans who have heard it. The 12 songs on the record are often sparsely arranged, allowing them breathing room and texture, though the melody is never lost. However, just as often, the songs soar with Beatles-esque harmonies and sweet pop hooks you wake up humming to yourself in the morning. That said, a feeling of melancholy permeates "White Paper Beds" like a unifying theme. Perhaps that's because Lindsey wrote most of the record while he was sick with mononucleosis, he said. Coupled with lyrics that easily move from witty and whimsical to slightly mournful and lovelorn, the work reflects a maturity not usually seen in a singer-songwriter so young, White said. In addition, the graphics and art make the whole record, well, stunning, he said.

"I'm telling you, I was amazed," he said. "I still haven't met him face to face."

Asked to describe his sound, Lindsey was ready with a shopworn answer. "The thing I always say about my songwriting is that it goes back to when I was first starting to play piano," he said. "I always say Ben Folds taught me piano, James Taylor taught me how to play guitar and (Matt Freeman from) Rancid taught me to play bass."

The influences show in the songs - one would like to think the guitar line from "Introspective Personality," a song from "White Paper Beds," might make Taylor weep with envy - the amalgam is, like any gifted songwriter, uniquely his own. Still, in the touch-feely world of singer-songwriters - insert the latest "Beautiful" Jack Johnson-ite here - the tag fits Lindsey's basic sound as well. When he plays by himself, Lindsey employs a drum machine, along with pedals and loops of guitar, bass and vocals in a style he termed "a one-man show."

As well as making a great record and playing with other like-minded musicians, Lindsey plays solo, regional shows, which allows him to build a following and establish name recognition ,White said. "Those are the things I always tell bands to do," he said. "New York and L.A. can come later."

Despite his arid location, Lindsey has had unsuccessful dalliances with labels both indie and major and believes his music falls somewhere in between. "I'm maybe not cool enough for the indie kids but not mainstream enough for (the majors)," he said. In the end, however, he shrugs off the debate about where his music belongs.

"My parents taught me to be well-rounded," Lindsey said. "It's fun to play in a couple different bands and at the same time play my stuff." And while he'd certainly like to have a record contract and the opportunity to present his music to a wider audience, a recent but brief experience with a major label left him with a bit of an epiphany.

"I came to the conclusion that I'm going to write the music I'm gonna write," he said. "And that's it."

For more information about Ryan Lindsey, go to ryanlindsey.net.