WRYT

Podcast Ep. 12: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ampraid-podcast/id1479132920?i=1000458040081 - The Ampraid Podcast

Artist: WRYT (Mychael Wright): Vocals

EP: ‘WRYT;’ Sarah Fox Schofield Wright: Additional vocals; Gabriel Solomon Wilson: Producer; Aaron Knot: Sound engineer; Chris Greely: Mixing engineer; Drew Lavyne: Mastering engineer; Released March 15, 2021

Versatile alternative rock singer-songwriter, Mychael Wright is taking a powerful stance for his political and racial beliefs with the recent release of two of his most socially conscious anthems, ‘Ivory Tower’ and ‘Milk & Honey.’ The singles, which have been paired to be released as a self-titled EP under the musician’s stage name, WRYT, bravely confront the social injustices he has witnessed throughout his life.

Through the unwavering stance he takes in his resolute and honest lyrics that reflect his defense of society’s most persecuted members, Wright forms an immediate emotional connection with his listeners. The indie rock Washington, D.C.-based musician emotionally set his highly relevant lyrics that reflect on the political injustices that many marginalized groups face in modern American society against a unique blend of instrumentals; his signature edgy grunge rock drum beats are soulfully blended with R&B and funk-inspired guitar riffs.

The first entry on Wright’s new EP, ‘Ivory Tower,’ is a spirited contemplation over how many Americans unconditionally honor the leaders they elect, despite their wrongdoings and the harm they cause to society, especially in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. In passionate vocals that are reminiscent of such alternative-pop-rock-emo singers as Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Boyd Urie and Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, Wright proclaims that he will face the insurrection to make sure that justice will forever have a place in American society. With the support of notable classic rock guitar riffs, the musician’s gripping vocals and meaningful lyrics are sure to make the track an instant commercial hit.

‘Ivory Tower’ is followed by ‘WRYT’ second entry, ‘Milk & Honey,’ which features a notably slower tempo than its predecessor, but still maintains the singer’s angst over how people, especially minorities, are being treated in American society. While the guitar riffs on ‘Milk & Honey’ are a bit more mellow than ‘Ivory Tower,’ they still intensely amplify Wright’s pain of the unjust treatment that minorities face on a regular basis. The equally somber and mesmerizing track expertly blends the singer’s hypnotic vocals with wistful guitar playing to emphasize the need to bring an end to the racial divide that’s so prevalent across America right now.

Wright is taking a powerful stance for his political and racial beliefs with the recent release of two of his most menaingful socially conscious alternative rock anthems, ‘Ivory Tower’ and ‘Milk & Honey.’ The singles on the versatile singer-songwriter’s self-titled EP fearlessly confront the social injustices he has witnessed throughout his life.

The indie rock musician emotionally set his highly relevant lyrics that contemplate the political injustices that many marginalized groups are facing in modern American society against a unique blend of instrumentals, including his signature edgy grunge rock drum beats and soulful R&B and funk-inspired guitar riffs. Through the unwavering stance he takes in his resolute and honest lyrics, Wright forms an immediate emotional connection with his listeners on both tracks, which are sure to become instant commercial hits.

For more information on Wright, visit his Bandcamp page. - ShockYa

Washington D.C. continues to produce innovating and genre-defying artists. New to the scene is WRYT and its self-titled debut EP. The moniker of singer and songwriter Mychael Wright, WRYT mixes blazing, socially conscious lyrics and waves of guitar and percussion. Rock, pop or contemporary – these songs push the envelope and share a common thread of the voice of a generation. WRYT is exceptionally skilled at crafting meaningful lyrics and cobalt guitar riffs – “Ivory Tower” and “Milk and Honey” are not two sides of the coin. Rather, these two tracks are two steps forward.

“Ivory Tower”, the more pop rock-fused of the two songs, has a lush guitar arrangement. The instrumentation aligns perfectly with Wright’s confident vocals. He holds court with a sensitive side, his vocals grounded like Joey Scott (ex-Saliva) or Chris Daughtry. Wright is definitely rebellious and made for singing rock tunes, but he has a natural warmth that can’t be denied. “Ivory Tower” has subtle bluesy tones that merit a true American sound. The richness in Wright’s delivery is palpable; his stoic stance on the state-of-the-union as being divided, not united. It’s a chilling reminder of the summer of ’65 and ’20 mirroring each other. Wright holds his listener captive, though. His stirring tale a triumphant rock twist. I’m in awe of the words he weaves, and the modest guitar sound. He really could have let go with the guitar solo, but he held back the reigns just perfectly.

BANDCAMP: https://wryt.bandcamp.com/releases

WRYT continues his critique of American society in “Milk and Honey”. This track is anything but soft, or blissful. Well, one might find the music bedrock modern and optimistic – but the biting lyrics send chills. The pain in the lyrics is stated, and felt. They deny, they take hope, they deny, they’re in control, they alight and scorn through fear, they deny, that we’re welcome here, Wright sings. His voice is beautifully vulnerable. Life’s scars coming through unscathed by the ever-present downbeat. WRYT sings with honesty, and with fiery desire in this wicked tale of juxtaposition and soured lessons. If you isolate the lyrics from the song, the storyline is consistently bold. The words flip the script, so to speak. Life is not pretty and stop acting like it is, he seems to sing. As listeners we can certainly read between the lines, and hear it at face value. The American dream is for not.

What is for certain is that WRYT is a powerful voice that deserves a broader platform. I mentioned the word beautiful about his voice and I’d like to reiterate that the beauty is deep within WRYT (and Wright!) but it’s authentic. Wright sculpts bass grooves and light wire – poetry in motion – in an audacious way. The real artistry is in WRYT’s lyricism. These words penetrate. They matter. WRYT is impressive yes, but I feel like it’s only the very beginning. WRYT should be on everyone’s radar. After listening to WRYT, I’m now convinced the future of rock music and music in general is in the perfect hands.

Loren Sperry - Music Existence

WRYT definitively has one of the more exciting alt rock sounds to come out in some time. The new two-song self-titled EP is just a glimpse of songwriting cued up for the times, with modern undercurrents. Where other bands and artists rely on floundering, aggressive rage, WRYT delivers an equally combustible punch with enlightened lyrics pushing for change, all the while doing it with a steady rhythm and nocturnal glow. WRYT is elevating the rock game – albeit two songs at a time.

WRYT (real name Mychael Wright) hails from Washington D.C. A rousing mix of guitar fuzz, steady percussion and an overall grunge like-sheen in “Ivory Tower” sets the stage perfectly for the beat heavy “Milk and Honey”. Both tracks are ideal, savory lyricism at its best. In “Ivory Tower” the idea of tearing down the walls, changing the world resonates so clearly from the modern lens. Still, the guitar work and Wright’s vocals convey a timeless tone. Wright’s tenor is rock-ready, the vocals edged with societal displeasure and hints of pleading. The artist behind this voice has seen a lot in a very little amount of time, and the urgency is there. “Ivory Tower” doesn’t placate to protests, it evolves into a passionate display of modern rock with poignant words. Even a nod to the Martin Niemöller poem written in response to the German cowardice during World War II. And I won’t break, I won’t yield, let you grovel for your fill, I would gladly march forever…and when their voice begins to fade, who is left to blame? When ash is all that still remains, who is left to save?, sings Wright.

BANDCAMP: https://wryt.bandcamp.com/releases

“Milk and Honey” is equally stunning and stirring. Communicating to the listener that all is not right with modern society, that the Black American’s struggle continues to be decried. One of the lines that stood out – these strange fruits still swinging from their vines – struck me right in the gut. Is this a reference to the 1939 Billie Holiday tune, “Strange Fruit” symbolizing lynching of Black Americans? I believe so. Wright emotionally delivers a powerful song. The rhythm section keeps time, much like the incessant seconds on a clock. I felt like the drum beat symbolized the constant battle, the relentless facing of the facts. It’s never going away. Taste of bittersweet, Wright sings, with a voice that feels let down, but undeterred.

WRYT is produced by Gabriel Solomon Wilson, with Aaron Knot (Sound Engineer), Chris Greely (Mixing Engineer) and Drew Lavyne (Mastering Engineer). I have no hesitation in calling these two tracks out as some of 2021’s best. WRYT can’t be contained in just the pop rock arena – these songs are beyond amazing. We need songs like “Ivory Tower” and “Milk and Honey” to start the conversation. We used to call these songs protest songs or politically-driven songs – these are much more than that. “Ivory Tower” and “Milk and Honey” have earned their positions amongst the greatest songs that depict struggle – from “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye) to “Alright” (Kendrick Lamar), WRYT is right where it needs to be.

Anne Hollister - Skope Mag

Rock is rebellious in nature. Rock music of the 90’s and early 2000’s embodied this, with the genre diversifying into a huge number of subgenres to reflect the expression of the artists. WRYT chose to take the grunge style of rock and make it into his own with his self-titled EP release. With it, Mychael Wright puts forth two tracks that harness the power of rock and roll to tell his own stories of personal struggles and his passion for toppling the powers that have kept him down. From the beginning, ‘Ivory Tower’ shows off passion and power.

Ivory Tower is a track that embraces the ‘90s grunge rock aesthetic whole-heartedly. From the top, the soft, distorted strumming cradles you in before the drums bring it down and flip the mood of the track. The audible electricity in the distortion of the guitars feels melodic when its subtle licks create interesting surprises that continue to reveal themselves beyond the first listen. The vocals create a friction that is contained by the instrumentals until the epic guitar solo gives way to an explosive and emotional outro sequence, where the pain the vocals are palpable as he utters “And when their voice begins to fade, who is left to blame?” It all comes together to create a powerful track that nails the aesthetic it goes for in a unique and progressive way.

‘Milk and Honey’ follows up with an interesting drum and bass intro gives way to a smooth guitar riff that sets the stage for an emotional vocal performance from the top. The vocals take front-and-center in this track and are powerful, as are the lyrics themselves. Lines such as “this dream is not the one we had in mind. Divided we still stand. Forgetting redemption” and the catchy chorus of “oh this land of milk and honey tastes so bittersweet, this is defeat” hit hard and force your focus during the track. The instrumentals unfold behind all of this slowly until it all hits you at once just before the 4-minute mark when the guitar solo turns the entire track up for the final impact when Mychael Wright says “so lie to me again.”

There is a powerful story in the tracks of this EP. The lyrical content is most certainly the focus of the piece, with hard-hitting vocal performances that echo with emotion and pain. These create powerful moments in each track and serve as their focus, making them great for repeat listens for those it speaks to. This is backed up with some fantastic instrumental work that is easy to rock out to in ‘Ivory Tower’ and is built up excellently in ‘Milk and Honey’ to give it its own personality. It comes together to make this EP one that fans of a retro-rock aesthetic will enjoy, but will find its home on the playlists of those who can appreciate the lyrical depth. - Review Fix

D.C.-based pop-rock artist WRYT, aka Mychael Wright, recently released a brand-new, self-titled EP, made up of two tracks – “Ivory Tower” and “Milk & Honey.”

A few years back, Wright was deeply involved in Contemporary Christian Music, working as a church worship leader, as well as half of the duo The Lovely Vine, who released an EP, entitled Grace. Following a turning point, Wright decided to move in a different direction musically, while still resolving to help the oppressed and tackle discrimination.

With a nod to the Wyld Stallyns of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, he reinvented himself as WRYT, followed by releasing “Ivory Tower” and “Milk & Honey.” The two songs deliver hefty grunge-rock flavors reminiscent of the ‘90s – Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Lenny Kravitz.

Co-produced by WRYT and Gabriel Solomon Wilson, “Ivory Tower” was written while Wright lived in Pentagon City and suffering depression. Then the 2016 election took place.

According to Wright, “It fueled me with so much disappointment for where our country seemed to be headed. My office faced the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol building, which sparked the opening line ‘We build cathedrals made of sand.’”

Explaining “Milk & Honey,” he shares, “I think of it as a love letter to my family. It’s an examination of the reality that many marginalized groups face on a daily basis. While I’m focused on my family’s narrative, I think it echoes similar journeys that many families have undergone. It comes as no surprise that a song written years before George Floyd’s murder can still be relevant today. For me as an artist, if you have a platform for your voice to be heard, it’s important to use it to educate people and create a dialogue. When I write songs, I am conveying the emotion of what I feel in the moment. If I say something personal that can also help even one person see life differently or help them out of depression or suicidal thoughts, I’m happy for the opportunity to help in that way.”

“Ivory Tower” opens on grungy guitar tones conjuring memories of Pearl Jam, followed by a hefty rumbling rhythm topped by gritty sonic layers chockfull of thick muscle. WRYT’s evocative voice infuses the lyrics with passionate urgency.

Whereas “Milk & Honey” travels on more luminous colors, riding a thumping kick drum accompanied by gentle, gleaming platinum guitars. Melodic and suffused with tenderness, WRYT’s vocals give the lyrics wistful textures. A potent, dark, and dirty guitar imbues the solo section with searing energy, topped by WRYT’s piercing timbres and insightful lyricism.

With “Ivory Tower” and “Milk & Honey,” WRYT parades his vast talent for intelligent verses and authoritative melodies. - Rawckus Magazine

WRYT is a band from Washington D.C. that recently released a two-song self-titled EP WRYT. The songs are a mix between pop and rock.

The first song “Ivory Tower” starts with strummed major and minor chords and vocals. Drums and other instrumentation comes in around thirty seconds.The vibe feels large like a song that could feel an arena. As the song progresses it gets more intense and feels like a single worthy song you might hear on the radio.

The song does a good job building energy and eventually has nowhere else to go but down with guitar and vocals. There are no surprises as the song unfolds but it’s delivered well and it is a song that I can picture a lot of people singing in the shower. The melodies are familiar.

Next up is “Milk & Honey” and it is more pensive, moody, cerebral and melancholy. The song begins with warm picked guitar, a straightforward beat and emotive vocals. A little before the two-minute mark the song gets some bass and drums and is definitely a killer groove.

I especially enjoyed the bass work on this track which sounded really good against the guitar. Similar to the last song this song builds and builds like one big crescendo. I was a little surprised how epic the song tries to become around the four-minute mark.

The production of these songs sounded great. All the instrumentation had clarity and I thought the use of compression was well implemented to control the dynamics of the song. These songs felt like a solid introduction to the artist. The vibe felt more pop oriented and I thought the artist did a good job at making accessible songs that a broad demographic might appreciate.

​Overall, this was a solid two-song release and I look forward to hearing where the artist goes from here. - Divide & Conquer Music

Hi Mychael, welcome to Vents Magazine! How has the first four months of 2021 been treating you so far?

Thank you for having me, incredibly grateful to be with you. So far, 2021 seems like it’s helping me come out of my quarantine shell a bit more. I’m ready to re-enter the world and play some shows!

Congratulations are in order for your debut singles Ivory Tower and Milk & Honey! Can you talk with us a little about the genesis of both songs and what they mean to you as an artist?

Thank you very much, I’m incredibly proud of these songs. Both were written as a means of processing much of my personal experiences with oppression, race, and a bit of anti-establishment. These were written around the same in 2015 and 2016 while I was living outside of Washington, DC in Arlington, VA. We had an apartment with a perfect view of the entire DC skyline and would sit on my balcony many nights just looking at the city. I made the comment to my former partner along the lines of “What a beautiful city. It’s a shame the slaves that built it will never get the credit they deserve.” That thought, along with all of the rhetoric surrounding the 2016 US Presidential Election created a lot of personal strife that ultimately made its way into these songs.

You recorded these striking pieces of music under the artist name of “WRYT.” Who are the members of WRYT?

You’re talking to him! It worked for Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails for decades, I figure I’d give it a shot. I did start WRYT with my former partner and am immensely grateful for her encouragement and help in every step of the journey. She is featured in both videos and sings harmony on all of the tracks I did in this project. The goal is that WRYT will ultimately be a group but knew artists like Dallas Green of City & Colour and Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional were solo for quite some time. Granted, they were both in incredible bands before their solo efforts, I’m hoping to carve a similar path.

WRYT features a delicious cocktail of one part- social commentary mixed with the sounds of Grunge-influenced guitars. This is such a distinctive and memorable style. Can you speak to us about how you view your music?

I firmly believe that if you have a platform that can reach people, you use that to educate and inspire change. I recognize that’s not for every artist and respect that many people just want to be entertained. But WRYT will always be about raising the social consciousness of the people that listen. It’s an opportunity for me to strengthen my understanding and education, but also deepen my empathy and stand in the margins. I think many people have lost sight of the fact that no one gives a damn about which church you go to, how much money you have, what school you went to, or what job you have. They care about your heart and how you treat others around you. I loved the grunge-era so much. Alice In Chains, Nirvana, and Soundgarden definitely earned their names on my backpack in middle school. The angsty guitars and tense melodies caught me and pulled me in from an early age and helped create the foundation of much of the music I’m still attracted to today. I love knowing that while so many other pop artists are hearkening back to 80’s electro pop, WRYT reaches the grunge fans.

Your music began as Contemporary Christian. Do you still ply that genre in your recorded work?

As often as possible. With roots in gospel, R&B, rock, and CCM, there are parts of each that I love and adore. I’m very intentional to not just focus on making the song sound like one-specific thing, rather a blend of what sounds good to my ear. There’s this moment that happens most noticeably in Christian music that I don’t think many secular artists always recognize happening in their world too. But, that moment that you look around and see all of these people singing along in unison with as much emotion and passion as you are. Even speaking of it makes my skin tingle. It’s a pure feeling that doesn’t care about your genre, skin color, sexual and/or gender identity, religious belief, economic status, nothing. None of that matters in that moment where we are all unified and connected. If there’s ever a feeling I’m chasing after, that one’s pretty close, if not at the top.

A notable figure in pop music that began his career in the world of Gospel before switching over to Secular was the legendary Sam Cooke. Was Cooke ever an influence on your style?

Without a doubt. “A change is gonna come” was one of many songs I listened to so much when writing Milk & Honey. It’s a poignant example of the black experience in America and one that I have etched in my heart. I’d like to think I made Sam, Otis, Marvin, Nina, Billie, and so many more proud of the songs that continue to push America, and the human race forward and away from the divisiveness that plagues our country even today. Sam was right, it has been a long time coming and we still have such a long way to go.

You’re from Washington DC. How has that city shaped you as a person and as an artist?

I actually grew up all over the east coast and am damn proud of that. I got to experience so much in every state that I’ve lived in. DC is such a unique place where you have a liberal, progressive city with our nations capital smack in the middle of it. It’s always interesting to me to see the tribalism of politics play out in DC neighborhoods. But beyond that, we have so many musical inspirations I look up to: Duke Ellington, Marvine Gaye, Animals as Leaders, Bad Brains, Minor Threat. So many great artists. It’s good to know there’s something in the water that’s helped so many achieve so much.

With everything going on in the world at the moment, do you use any of it as gist for your own songwriting?

Honestly, I don’t think I really know of any other way to write. As someone that has battled depression or anxiety for most of my adult years, music is the peak of the mountaintop for processing emotions. I usually find myself stuck on one topic for days at a time and use music and lyrics as a means to process them out. I’ll start with creating a melody that stirs up the emotions I’m feeling and let those emotions tell me what the song needs lyrically. A number of artists I grew up aspiring to be like have talked about using this method before but object writing and morning pages are other means that I’ll use. Highly recommend songwriters take a look at both of those! True lifesavers for songwriting!

For you, which comes first: The Music or the lyrics?

A mix of both, but definitely leaning more heavily to music. My voice memos on my phone is a mix of melodies I’m humming out and lyrics I think might sound cool. Technology really is a lifesaver these days!

How has the worldwide pandemic altered your performing schedule? Has it made appearances more problematic?
Absolutely. After releasing these songs, my goal was to immediately structure a band to support them – then the pandemic happened. Like many artists, it took away any chance to play live music. I took that as a great opportunity to start writing again, taking voice lessons, and even working on my composing and theory knowledge. My music teacher actually pointed it out the other day in a really unique way: At the beginning of quarantine I knew every instrument had a place in the band, and that’s the role they served. Today, I see the song as a canvas and can take my various paintbrushes and colors, and create something unique and true to me as an artist.

Your producer on Ivory Tower and Milk & Honey was the legendary Gabriel Solomon Wilson. What was that collaboration like?

Probably one of the more exciting moments in my life. As a former CCM artist, I was embarrassed that I didn’t know who he was until another artist he works with dropped his name at a concert. I reached out to him through his website and we connected shortly after that. Gabe has a great ear for what a song needs and I still consider it to be a privilege to have worked with him. I believe we were kindred spirits in that we were constantly just chasing after good songs. Songs that move you melodically, lyrically, and thematically. We’ve been able to accomplish a lot over the years we’ve been working together and I can’t wait for the world to hear more of what we came up with!

Your music often addresses the cluelessness of opportunist and corrupt politicians who exist seemingly only to drive a wedge among people. How do we as a people resist the stereotypical used car dealers that seem to control so much of our world?

Man, what a great question. I honestly think they will always have the ear of many people. If you prey on people’s fear and position yourself as their savior, you only further the megalomania and god complex many of these characters have to offer.

When can fans expect a new LP from you? Any plans in the offing?

I’m always writing and using it as a means to help me process life. So I’ve got a pretty decent amount of songs prepared that I’ll start releasing more of later this year!

Final – SILLY! – Question: Knowing that you derived the name of WRYT partially from the famed Bill & Ted films, which of the three would be your choice for a desert island movie? If you absolutely had to choose just one, which one would it be?

Bogus Journey. Without question. Getting to shred with Death would be the dream of a lifetime…or end of lifetime. - Vents Magazine