When: 7.30pm on Thursday 19 May 2022
Where: YES (Pink Room), 38 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB

We’re delighted to be welcoming Ryley Walker back to Manchester – with guest Simon Joyner!

Ryley Walker began his career in the early 2010s, after moving from Illinois’ provincial town of Rockford, and settling into Chicago’s independent scene.

After a slew of cassette and vinyl releases, Tompkins Square put out his debut album in 2014, which was then followed up by the Dead Oceans released Primrose Green a year later. His most recent album, Course in Fable, was released on his own Husky Pants Recordings label in 2021.

Having toured with the likes of Richard Thompson, and with a supporting slot for Dinosaur Jr. forthcoming – as well as a tremendous Burt Jansch tribute show behind him, wherein his hero Anne Briggs called him the ‘c word’ – Walker has rubbed shoulders with the very best.

While, in the past, his desire to be as great as his influences may have dogged and hindered him from bringing his own personality to his music, now, Walker’s music is undeniably his. A mix of Twitter and sobriety may be partially responsible. ‘Music is an exciting thing I get to do because I’m alive and well. I take every opportunity I’m given very seriously; I’ve gotta pay tribute to that by staying alive and being as good to the people who love me as I can,’ he said.

Special guest is Simon Joyner. Simon Joyner is among America’s best singer-songwriters, so says Gillian Welch, Conor Oberst, Kevin Morby and others. ‘Singer-songwriter’ is a frustratingly confining term; to truly understand exactly just how confining, look no further than the recorded works of Simon Joyner, an artist whose work consistently transcends the narrow parameters of genre classifications and record shop bin cards. Though his music has always honoured, reckoned with – wrestled with – the tradition set forth by his songwriting forebears (Cohen, Van Zandt, Ochs, Dylan, Reed to name a few), Joyner can always be counted on to defy expectations; as a lyricist, melodicist, and arranger, Joyner likes to keep us on our toes.

Joyner is a singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska. He’s been flying under the radar since 1991, releasing music on various independent labels including: Team Love, Jagjaguwar, Sing Eunuchs!, Catsup Plate, One-Hour, Shrimper, Brinkman, Secretly Canadian and Unread. He is also the co-founder of Grapefruit Records and an occasional producer of other people’s albums. Joyner’s new album, Songs from A Stolen Guitar, will be released on 13 May by BB*ISLAND.

Book tickets now. Tickets are also available from Dice.fm, Ticketline.co.uk, Wegottickets.com and on 0871 220 0260.

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