Check Out Rykken Vivekanand’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rykken Vivekanand

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started music at a young age. When I was in preschool, this classmate of mine brought a ukulele with her to show and tell, and I was instantly jealous. I don’t know what about the small wooden instrument that particularly drove me to want to play it, but I begged my parents. They, without too much convincing, started me in music lessons at the Ann Arbor – Saline music center. Since then I have learned piano, guitar, a little cello, bass, and I hope to start drum lessons soon. I, however, never considered writing and releasing music until my eighth grade year. For some reason, that year, I decided to try my hand at composition on piano, and after that step had been taken, I wrote the first song I ever released, “Nail Polish.” I released it on Soundcloud after recording it in garageband. Was it high quality? No. Was the writing good? Not really. But I was pretty proud of it. Around the same time I downloaded instagram for the first time, and started posting about my music, specifically, about my first EP which came out in October of my freshman year. Over the summer I taught myself some basic production, and bought Logic Pro on my laptop. My friends and classmates were super supportive of my efforts, and Hindsight was well received. I was encouraged to keep working. Over my freshman year I released a couple more singles, but I started to work on an album. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I released a thirteen-track album, Half Of Everything which included a redo of two of the songs I posted on soundcloud a year and a half prior. This album was a lot more “me” than the last, and although I didn’t promote it hard, and it really didn’t gain much traction, I was proud of myself for what I had done. I continued to make music, eventually releasing my second (and much better) album in February of this year. I’ve come so far in my production and songwriting, and this album, Chaotic Thoughts was as good as I could do. However, that same month, a friend of mine, august, and I got together, recorded a song, and released it on March first. Today, that song has eighteen thousand streams and climbing. We just finished an EP, Does She Still (Call You Mine), which I co wrote and produced. I hope that it’s as well-received as the single. Yet, no matter the result, I will still continue to make music.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I struggled with people hearing my music. Which you may think is a silly thing for a musical artist to have anxiety about, but I had no confidence. Not in my voice, and especially not in my songs. However, what changed my mind was so small, but meant so much to me. A friend of mine informed me that she had been at a school dance in a different city, and a friend of hers was talking about this small artist she had found, and how one of their songs was her and her boyfriend’s song. Turns out, that artist was me. At that moment I realized that not only do people listen to my music, but my music means something to them. From then on, I decided that I would make authentic, creative, and most importantly my music with pride.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write, produce, record, manage, and independently distribute both my own music under the artist name RYKN GREY, and I co-write, produce, and manage for my friend, august. I have released two albums, an EP, and four singles myself, and two singles and an EP with august. What sets me apart from others I think is a combination of my age and experience. As a sixteen year old, I have independently released over thirty songs, and I’m proud of that. I have done every aspect of them, too, from teaching myself how to produce and master, to teaching myself bass guitar.
I write primarily indie/singer-songwriter type of music, but I also have a deep passion for contemporary classical composition. I’m starting a new project of pieces that I have begun to compose, and I’ll release those under my own name, Rykken Vivekanand. I’m currently trying to figure out how to record orchestral arranged pieces, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out – I have to somehow.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Michigan is a state of music. From the years of motown, to jazz and rock, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Ypsilanti are hubs of music culture, and I’m so lucky to be born in area so full of music. I’m constantly inspired by my surroundings, and I’m glad to have met so many musicians in my area.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rykken.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rykngrey/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RYKNGREY
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rykngrey