Artist Spotlight- Riun Garner- Not Just Another Sad Guy With a Guitar
By Maddy Cristall
Vancouver’s indie-folk artist Riun Garner is what you would call a modern-day Renaissance man. The multi-hyphenate is not only an impressive musician but an accomplished actor and director. People like him obtain a special power that makes most people feel A) lazy and B) moved. It is clear that Riun is only interested in the latter as his craft derives from an impossibly passionate, inspired and kind place.
Riun’s journey developing his debut solo album it just as romantic as his emotionally generous music. He has been recording gentle tunes as voice memos on his phone for years. This past fateful November some friends encouraged he turn his Nick Drake-esque lullabies into something for the public to take in. He recorded four tracks on an analog reel to reel tape machine he once found abandoned in an apartment hallway. The cozy spartan sound is reminiscent of Elliot Smith and early Bon Iver.
Riun garnered some well-deserved attention through his lo-fi musical project Snowbeast. The man has many creative facets that he utilizes differently. The first track and video from the upcoming album is entitled “Trouble” and it is a complete knockout. You immediately feel as if you’re sitting next to Riun, exchanging secrets of your wayward youth while sitting on his kitchen floor. It’s intimate, rare and above all-authentic. Riun states that he doesn’t want to “just be another sad folk singer-songwriter with a cabin in the woods.” While his music is certainly sad but it’s so much more than that. He bravely explores the wide tapestry of human emotions. It’s like the sonic hug we all desperately need right out. His next track “Fabric” will be released on May 29th. Stay tuned for his upcoming material as he is definitely one to watch.
Check out ‘Trouble’ here