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No Hollywood Star

Ryan Sweezey


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The debut album. Young, earnest, and full of the early songwriting instincts that started it all. Released February 21, 2012. Featuring the single “One Week Down the Road.” Full-band recording.

1

Breathe 4:55
Breathe
by Ryan Sweezey
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2

Turn It Around 3:50
Turn It Around
by Ryan Sweezey
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3

Stay 4:00
Stay
by Ryan Sweezey
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4

Almost Blinded 2:33
Almost Blinded
by Ryan Sweezey
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5

One Week Down the Road 4:35
One Week Down the Road
by Ryan Sweezey
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6

One True Love 3:44
One True Love
by Ryan Sweezey
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7

I Can't Keep Myself from Loving You 3:35
I Can't Keep Myself from Loving You
by Ryan Sweezey
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8

Sailing Hearts 4:50
Sailing Hearts
by Ryan Sweezey
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9

Still 4:21
Still
by Ryan Sweezey
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10

Know That 4:34
Know That
by Ryan Sweezey
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11

From Me to You 3:10
From Me to You
by Ryan Sweezey
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The Story

No Hollywood Star was the first time my songs became something bigger than the informal recordings I had made up to that point.

I started working on the album in 2011, after my freshman year at Northeastern. My dad connected me with Boston-area musician and producer Brian Maes, initially just hoping he could offer some advice. That conversation turned into plans for a five-song EP, but the project kept growing until we had a full-length album.

Brian played on the record and brought in veteran musicians Kook Lawry, Tim Archibald and Dickie Paris Jr. to round out the band, while I handled vocals and acoustic guitar. I was still a teenager, surrounded by musicians with far more experience than I had, so seeing them take my songs seriously gave me an early sense that maybe there was something worth pursuing here.

Most of the songs came from the world I knew at the time: first love, long distance, uncertainty, reassurance and trying to put feelings into words. Looking back, I can hear pieces of the songwriter I would eventually become, even though I was still just beginning to discover who I was as a recording artist.

“One Week Down the Road” became my first official single in August 2011, with my first music video following shortly afterward. No Hollywood Star arrived in February 2012.

The title came from a line in “Know That”: “I’m no Hollywood star…” At the time, the idea was pretty simple: I might not be rich, famous or particularly extraordinary, but somehow I was still worthy of someone's love. Mostly, though, I chose it because it sounded like an album title.

I hear plenty of things differently now than I did when I was 19. That's part of what makes the record important to me. No Hollywood Star isn't where I figured everything out.

It's where I started figuring it out.

CREDITS

WRITING

Music and Lyrics by Ryan Sweezey

MUSICIANS

Vocals by Ryan Sweezey

Acoustic Guitar by Ryan Sweezey

Electric Guitar by Kook Lawry

Keyboards by Brian Maes

Bass by Tim Archibald

Drums by Dickie Paris, Jr

Misc Percussion by Brian Maes

TECHNICAL

Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Brian Maes at Briola Studios (Lynn, MA)

ART

Album photo taken from One Week Down the Road music video shot by Brian Maes