RYDYR gives us a taste of his forthcoming 2020 EP with the collection’s first single, “Dream Alone.”
IM5’s Cole Pendery embarks on the next chapter of his career as RYDYR. “I decided to go by RYDYR which is my mother’s maiden name. I wanted to have a brand outside of ‘Cole’ that I could use as an outlet for my music,” he tells POPSTAR!
Fans can “expect to dive into my mind a bit,” he says about his upcoming EP. And he shares that the inspiration for “Dream Alone,” is when he was “living through a time where I felt pretty lost. At first, being lost seems scary, but then it kinda becomes fun.. and then you don’t want to be found.”
With finger-picked acoustic guitar, a snappy beat, fluttering harmonies, and vocals that stretch from vulnerable verses into a hummable hook, “I dream alone,” RYDYR’s catchy tune is a must-have on your quarantine playlist.
RYDYR also puts on the director’s hat to realize his vision for “Dream Alone.” Check out the music video he co-directed.
He also gives POPSTAR! the lowdown on how the stirring music video came to be.
What was going through your head when you wrote “Dream Alone”?
I just wanted to express a story and feeling of being lost in life. And the fear and beauty that comes with it.
What were the ideas/concepts that inspired the visuals of the music video?
Very simply – the song itself. I wanted to give a visual representation of the depth of the song.
Aside from starring in the video, what made you decide to also co-direct the video? What was it like being in control of how you wanted the song to be presented visually?
The story we told in the video was my vision, I then brought the idea to Erik Rojas and he guided with some adjustments to make it most effective as possible. We both knew what we wanted to execute on the set, so it was a tag team effort. I trusted him behind the camera, but I was always checking in to make sure each shot made sense – and we were really capturing this story in the best way.
What lessons have you learned sitting from the director’s chair vs. being in front of the camera?
Just like with everything you do – you learn lessons each time. One of my first videos for RYDYR I had to scrap and not ever release because I failed to do my job at making sure we were truly capturing what the vision was. I was only focused on “being the artist” and not taking the extra time to sit behind the camera and make sure it was going to turn out how I wanted. Since then I’ve made sure I am very involved with every aspect of the creation process.
You wrote the song about the time in your life when you felt lost. What has changed since and how have you been realizing what you envisioned for the next stage of your career?
I think just growing and learning more about myself each day. Gaining clarity on my life and what factors and things influence me. Or did influence me. Just trying to stay conscious and make each move wisely with the best foot forward.
What do you think is the difference of being alone and being lonely? How did you overcome the feeling of lost or disconnected?
I feel like being alone means you’re isolated. Being lonely doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing. You can feel lonely in a large group.. I think both are difficult at first. I like this quote – “if you’re lonely when you’re alone , you’re in bad company“ – Jean-Paul Sartre.
I think it’s important to find peace in being alone. You’re all you got at the end of the day. That’s what I realized. Then once you get past the pain of feeling lonely or alone, you’re liberated and set free.
What message did you hope to share with your song and with the music video? What was the most memorable feedback you’ve gotten?
I want people to not give up on themselves. That’s the main thing.
It’s been a great response , the most memorable stuff is when people say the music has saved them… that’s incredibly powerful.
Lastly, what would you like to say to all the people staying at home during these times?
IT’S GONNA BE OKAY! At least we are all in this together. Take this time to get to know yourself even better. Eat healthy. Can’t wait to see everyone when this is over 🙂 much love.
