Ryland Moranz was born a singer-songwriter. Originally hailing from Fort Macleod, Alberta, Ryland currently resides within the quaint musical community and picturesque surroundings of Lethbridge. His concise and lyrically driven songwriting is deep beyond his years with an emphasis on storytelling and an increasing awareness that life is always bigger than you think it is. Sometimes politically satirical and often offset with fun loving humour, Ryland’s wit and social conscience shine through in the well crafted vernacular of a songwriter that has found what they believe in. Accompanying himself with acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, Harmonica, and banjo, his multi instrumental approach provides the perfect foil to the words he puts to paper. A warm and engaging performer, Ryland has shared bills with great acts like Whitehorse, Pokey Lafarge, John Wort Hannam, C.R. Avery, Corb Lund, and Soda Pony as well as playing as a member of Leeroy Stagger and the Rebeltone Sound. Some of Ryland's performance highlights include Calgary Folk Fest, Canmore Folk Fest, Americana Fest UK (London, EN), Celtic Connections Festival (Glasgow, Scotland), Rifflandia (Victoria BC) and Folk Alliance International (Kansas City, MO). Although music has always been the medium, what really runs through Ryland’s blood is words. Crafting in the spirit of great departed songsmiths like Blaze Foley and Willie P. Bennett, Ryland has developed his particular style of performance and delivery around the chosen message. An avid and self proclaimed history nerd, he draws stories from historic example and contemporary experience blending the common truths that bind it all together. The result is an honest and empathetic look at the world through a lens of a would-be true believer in search of answers. An introspective illusionist. A dreaming explorer. A believer in the knowledge that the words you speak should always mean something.