Ryan Star Blog

Sept. --Nov. 1993

3 cassettes

1. Shine

2. Green

3. Confused

4. Home

5. Burn

6. True

7. Lies Never Did Me Well*

8. Crying Dog*

*later added

One year into starting to consistently write and record I had put together what I would consider my first album. It was called "Green" from the title track about my feelings when I am in the ocean. I was proud of this but knew it was not recorded for anything bigger than my family's ears. Still to this day I am always so proud to play a new song for the people who love me and for those that I have love for. "Green" was the official start of what I knew would be my life. Listening back to it now I am very proud of the young boy who didn't go to his friend's house to play Nintendo but spent the time in the basement learning drums, guitar and how to sing on record. The songs are very early 90's Seattle influenced but I would have it no other way. These were the recordings that the original drummer (Michael Sofia) of "Stage" probably heard when he asked me to join a band that he and his friend Greg Meyer were putting together.

1998
50 handmade compact discs - out of print

1. My Nubby Sweater
2. An Angel Screams From Outer Space
3. Milked
4. Live Happy, Live With Anorexia

The cover art was a photo that I took of my younger sister in the hallway of the house that I grew up in. It was the house where Stage rehearsed. It was a time that I was very much into photography and did not go anywhere without my camera. The colors of this photo found their way into a lot of things I have done including the boxes on my last web site. I was actually making money taking pictures of aspiring models but I had to drop all of that because we started getting very serious in the studio.

The words behind Stage are lyrics from the song "Live Happy, Live With Anorexia." A song penned about starving yourself of love. The song went on to be recorded for Stage's Maverick Records release and also was a staple song in the live performances. The song would usually start our set with Greg on the stage alone and then I would walk out and we would do the first verse alone until Peter and Justin would walk out and then the magic would kick in. This recording was a breakthrough for the band. We recorded it at a studio in New Jersey and it was our first time working with more pro engineer/producers. At the time, they just finished recording demos for an incredible band called "Ours." The lead singer actually lived next door to the studio and would pop in when we would be working. We all envied his musical life considering at the time he just signed the biggest record deal of the year.

This recording was the first time that we paid more attention to the actual sounds and tightness that was being recorded. In a way, it was the end of our innocence. "Milked" was originally recorded on "Historical Underdosing" but our managers at the time thought that it was a hit. It was a song about hitting the snow hard as a snowboarder and I think that it actually got placed in a snowboard video, but I never saw it. This version is a favorite of mine mostly because of the surfy sound in the guitars and the saxophone I played in the verses mixed with pure aggression. "My Nubby Sweater" was also re-recorded again because it was also getting a lot of attention. Although it definitely sounds better, it was our first taste of this not always making it better. I believe Stage was always at its best in the home recordings. "Angel Screams" was really different for us because it was keyboard based with some crazy sounds. It later became a favorite track on the Maverick album and a t-shirt, which said "don't follow me home" on the back.

2005
100 numbered handmade copies

1. We Might Fall
2. So Ordinary
3. Perfect

I started recording right as Stage ended. The plan was to sit at the piano and get back the excitement of making music. I got so excited that 2 months later I had 20 songs ready to go. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with the music. I didn't want too much time to go by before anyone heard anything, so I burned 100 copies of the first three songs. A pure piano version of one of my oldest songs, "Perfect", "We Might Fall" and a complete autobiography of where I, like so many others, was in my life called "So Ordinary." I sent these 100 CDs and a personal letter to loyal Stage fans that I knew would join me on my new ride. I was overwhelmed with the positive response that I received. I decided to hold nothing back. I then released all twenty songs in their original form.