Ryan Harvey

A little about me. I am a construction-worker by trade. I've spent most of my days for the last few years working, building homes, decks, pouring concrete, digging, getting sore and tired, and helping low-income folks get housing. I live in Baltimore, MD in a house full of wonderful, hard-working, social-change artists and organizers. I spend a lot of non-work time supporting Iraq Veterans Against the War, helping members strategize, do outreach events and stay sane in the half-crazed world of trying to fight for justice... I also do work with a local organization here called the United Workers, an organiztion of low-income folks working to end poverty through strategic local campaigns aimed at better wages and benefits for poor workers in this city.

I've been spending free time lately writing music for a punk band I recently was part of forming, and recording my own folk music at home with some stuff I bought recently. I've also been spending a lot of time reading Middle East and Arab history, learning about economics, and always reading a bit of U.S. history. Also read an amazing book called War Is a Force that Gives us Meaning by Chris Hedges. Blew my mind.

I come from a middle class family in Towson, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. I dropped out of a large public high school at 16 and entered the wide-world of activism and learning from the world. I got into veganism and animal rights organizing in 1998 or so and started setting up local events such as anti-fur protests and teach-ins about animal rights. After the Seattle WTO shut down I was swept along with many others into the larger global justice/anti-free trade movement and did a lot of organizing work around that. Sometime around when Bush got appointed the first time I started playing guitar and singing songs. Actually, I believe it was right after I first heard the early recordings of Phil Ochs. I still consider the Baltimore-area my home but I travel on occasion and live in other areas at times.

I got into writing music and lyrics through punk bands like Rancid, Crass, Operation Ivy, Conflict, Aus-Rotten along with local bands like Chaotix and A//Political. After hearing radical folk music via Phil Ochs I realized how good an avenue it is for social change. Punk bands have a history of socially active songs and messages and I wanted to relate that anger and urgency through the easy medium of the acoustic guitar. I always wanted to be in a punk band but it was always too hard to find a drummer and a practice space and keep up energy...but now I love acoustic shit anyways.

I consider my music and songs as much a part of my activism as I do an event I would help put together. I'm not really interested in opening my soul to the masses or putting my emotions out on the line. I also never developed the type of writing style where I could open up as to better understand my romatnic emotions. I'm not at all opposed to emotional music but there is a fine line between emotional seriousness and self-indulgence. I think a good song-writer who combines politics and very personal stories and reflections together in a way that people can relate to, find beauty in, and gain inspiration can really help you deal with hard times and stay grounded emotionally.

I guess my style of song comes from bands like Crass that give you such outright alarming and angry songs that you are moved to action. When I used to get depressed in high school and come home and fight with my parents, I'd go in my room and listen to loud-ass punk music until I felt better. Anger is really powerful and we misuse it too often. I bottled mine up and now I'm unleashing it against the shit I see in this world that makes me sick. As Rage said, Anger is a gift.

So that’s me. I organize, work part-time jobs, set-up events, hang out, and do all the other things other folks do. I tour on occasion and prefer to mix music sutff with a grounded life. Tour can really sweep you away from reality and make you forget how hard you’ve gotta work and how important it is to be surrounded by friends.