Ryan Fitzsimmons

Boston-based singer-songwriter Ryan Fitzsimmons brought a quartet of musicians into the studio at WERS to round out his sprawling folk sound. The mandolin and violin especially set his sound apart by harkening back to past decades and filling out his guitar melodies.

He played three standout tracks from his latest album “Cold Sky,” starting with “Your State of Mind.” He then discussed the process of recording “Cold Sky,” saying that the entire album was recorded in just a few days. He and his band played all the songs live, as opposed to recording track-by-track, because he wanted to capture the feeling of live music.

He dedicated the next song, “Dear Eugene,” to his father. It was a more melancholy track which showcased his hoarse, earnest vocals. He closed out his set with “Ashes,” a raucous, bluegrass-influenced melody.

We asked Fitzsimmons how WERS had helped him and his career, and he told us about listening to the station every day when he first began commuting from Providence. He said he first heard of countless artists here, from Antje Duvekot to the Arcade Fire, and said, “I can’t imagine life without WERS.”

 By Ella Zander