Ryan Wayne is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He first came to recognition as a founding member and songwriter in the critically acclaimed, award-winning band, The Warped 45s (Pheromone Recordings).

His new album Crow Amongst the Sparrows marks a return to recording after a very difficult time in his life. Last Spring, Wayne suffered two strokes and during recovery, he was left seriously contemplating my priorities. Outside of family and health, music was at the top of his list. He had taken time away from touring and recording with his previous band to raise two young children and to complete a masters degree.

Then, the pandemic hit. Suddenly several years had passed since Wayne had released music or performed live and it became astoundingly clear to him that he needed to get back into the business, both for creative and mental health reasons. During recovery, from the comfort of his bed and home studio, Wayne recorded and produced a series of songs, and collaborated with Grammy-winning producer, Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith), for help with some final production and mixing.

The seeds of the song “Maybe I’m To Blame” were recorded many years ago during an impromptu, late night, writing session with one of Wayne’s old friends, Dave Celia. It sat dormant and lyricless for many years and was revived during Wayne’s stroke recovery. Kelley McCrae, who is featured on many tracks on the record, added a beautiful harmony later in the process to help complete the song. 

“During my initial recovery, I was only able to work in small blocks of time, but it’s amazing how those small blocks add up,” explains Ryan Wayne. “You can accomplish a lot in 15 or 20 minutes if you set the intention. I also learned, simply, that music heals.”