FAISAL RYAN | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW

Faisal Ryan is carving out a space in the Australian music scene where garage grit meets timeless pop charm. Growing up between Darwin and Brisbane, his influences are stitched together from heavy, nostalgic moments — from The Cranberries’ “Zombie” to Powderfinger’s “My Happiness” — and filtered through years of playing in bands, experimenting with every instrument he could get his hands on. Now fronting his own project, Faisal blends the raw energy of garage rock with the vintage-pop sparkle of artists like The Ronettes, Dusty Springfield, and The Byrds, creating music that feels both familiar and fresh. In conversation, he’s candid about his roots, his eclectic inspirations, and the drive to make songs that last — whether they spark chaos, connection, or a little of both. This is a paid collaboration with Faisal Ryan.

TRACK REVIEW

The phased-out guitar intro instantly grabs you and sets the tone for this indie gem we’ve just stumbled upon. The gritty, almost snarling vocals give off a raw Nirvana-esque energy, while the chugging rhythm guitar and vocal effects wrap the song in a cave-like nostalgia. It’s the kind of track you can already picture screaming back at a festival crowd, arms in the air.

The lead riff is addictive, carrying that same emotional edge you’d find in a Briston Maroney cut, yet it still feels fresh and distinct. The tones throughout are rich, the mix nostalgic but punchy, and the energy undeniable. It feels like we’ve caught this artist right on the cusp of something bigger — the kind of discovery you want to brag about before everyone else finds out.

LISTEN HERE

When you’re writing, do you lean more into raw garage rock energy first, or the polished pop hooks? 

I tend to lean more towards garage rock in the writing stage, it's a more familiar place to create and try out new ideas and from being in a bunch of bands over the years it helps me to arrange my songs the way I do, it’s only when it comes to the lyrics and melodies that I lean towards pop hooks but they’re usually more vintage pop like the Ronettes, dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin and the Byrds.  

Growing up between Darwin and Brisbane, what influence did those places have on your sound? 

Darwin always reminds me of "Zombie" by The Cranberries because that was the last song I heard when I left as a child. However, when I first arrived in Brisbane, the first song I heard was "My Happiness" by Powderfinger, which was kind of bittersweet. I think that blend of heavy but nostalgic music helped shape my sound a lot.  

As a multi-instrumentalist, which instrument feels most like your “voice”? 

I started on drums first then when that was too loud for my parents and the Neighbourhood I moved over to electric guitar and that's where I really found my voice and I studied every and any album that had guitar on it but funnily enough I’ve moved over to bass because of the more melodic possibilities you can put into a song to give it more energy so I would have to say currently it’s the bass. 

What’s the first song you ever wrote that made you feel like an artist? 

12:19, when I played it to a friend of mine, he said “that’s your sound, not anyone else's,” which was surprising because I was trying to write a Velvet Underground song, but I still have a very soft spot for that tune. 

Your music has been described as both fresh and timeless. What do you think makes that balance work? 

Same same but different, offer something new but with enough things that are familiar to help hook people into listening, also just being odd helps a tad, not like Captain Beefheart odd but more like DEVO or St Vincent. 

What’s one genre you’d love to experiment with that fans might not expect? 

Full pop, I have an album of songs that are pure sugary pop, but that was for another project. But I think if ever I need a remix or something to shock my audience, I can release one of those songs and see what happens. 

What’s been the most unexpected source of inspiration for a song so far? 

A couple of songs by Selena Gomez and Carley Rae Jepsen, that sugary disco pop stuff, have helped a lot with recording and producing and with crafting melodic hooks. 

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would you pick and why?

Death From Above 1979, there is nothing heavier but danceable than them, and they laid the groundwork for dance punk, and even though they took a decade-long hiatus, their comeback albums and releases since have been nothing but perfection. I would strongly recommend checking them out, and who knows, maybe they need a second bassist. 

What’s the most important feeling you want people to walk away with after your live shows? 

I want people to rock out, of course, but to also reminisce and resonate with the story I’m telling and find their own connection to it, cause it’s all about connection, but you can’t control how people connect to your music, so you do the best you can and hope for the best. 

In five years’ time, what do you hope people will be saying about Faisal Ryan as an artist? 

If you can get past the yellow and the moody guy behind it, some amazing songs will hopefully last the test of time. 

LISTEN HERE