Ryan Sinn (The Dead Life / The Distillers)

Ryan Sinn is the former bassist of The Distillers, a band that rose to fame quite quickly behind the voice, songs and persona of front woman Brody Dalle.  Unlike a lot of rockers, Ryan has always been down-to-earth friendly and very approachable.  I hung with him after a show the band played in Ottawa last year and he just chilled for half an hour or so, chatting about everything. He was interested in knowing all about the city, the clubs, and of course, our great Canadian beer.  He joined the band for their mind-blowing �Sing Sing Death House� record and stayed with the band until early this year.  He is currently putting together a new project called The Dead Life and hopes to start shopping it around shortly.  I chatted with him via the Internet recently about the breakup of The Distillers and his new musical endeavors.

antiMusic: I guess, first things first. What happened to The Distillers and is it official that they are no more? 

Ryan: I have no idea....Andy quit in January, that sort of started it all, I guess. There were a few months of not knowing what the hell was going on. I had joined another band with some very big musicians, and quit that because Brody said she wanted to put The Distillers back together and look for a new drummer. I got f---ed on that one ....I got a letter from the band's lawyer stating that Brody has left the band and the band is deemed to have broken up. Although now I hear the band's still together, the band's management won't say either way, and no-one's returning my calls. I also read in NME that I've quit the band. Hell, maybe it's just a way to phase me out.. 

antiMusic: What were the factors leading to the breakup? 

Ryan: Again, I have no idea. I guess other people's ulterior motives. I had absolutely nothing to do with the end of The Distillers. I got a phone call saying Andy quit, then another saying the band was over...then over about 5 months calls saying the band was on again off again. I wanted to keep going.  If Andy didn't want to do it anymore, then we can find another drummer. I have nothing against anyone from the band, but I don't think everyone needs to stop what they love because of one person, unless I was the only one who loved it. I know Brody cannot not make music, so I figured once things settled we'd move on. Maybe that's what they're doing now.... 

antiMusic: Are you still in contact with Brody, Tony and Andy? 

Ryan: I haven't spoken with Andy or Tony since January 

antiMusic: Is it true that Brody�s pregnant? 

Ryan: That's none of my business, but my sister-in-law just had a baby the other night, so I have a new niece 

antiMusic: When did you sense things changing for the worse in terms of the band? When she hooked up with Josh? 

Ryan: There were many factors I think; the constant touring, making no money, deteriorating from the inside. Josh had nothing to do with it.  In my eyes anyway. You'd have to ask the other members, as although I was drowning myself away with alcohol, I didn�t foresee things coming to a head like they did. 

antiMusic: If this is really it for the group, what were the highlights of your time with the band? Fav gig? Fav song or album? 

Ryan: Anytime I was on stage really. I had one show I hated, but that was my own fault, it was the one time I was too intoxicated to play. The one highlight I can think of is Slash teaching me �Sweet Child of Mine� on his guitar. That was the very first song I taught myself how to play, and he showed me how to play the one part I couldn't quite get just right. Distillers wise, traveling everywhere, playing in a country you've never been and having tons of kids there that know every part of every song....I just love being on stage, and meeting everyone our music has touched....cliché, cheesy, that's me I guess... 

antiMusic: Are there any recordings of you guys, perhaps that you were doing for the next record, that could see the light of day? 

Ryan: We hadn't recorded anything after �Coral Fang�, maybe Brody has. I was really excited about the stuff for the new album. Hopefully she'll do something with the songs she started for it. They're good.

antiMusic: Tell us about your new project The Dead Life. Who is in the band, direction of the material and what is your involvement? 

Ryan: The Dead Life pretty much started when I was in high school, although that name was just thought of a few months back...it's a lot of stuff that I�ve been carrying in my head for years. Musically it's hard to describe right now, as I�ve yet to record the vocals, and I change and adjust things daily. I always hear f---ing organ music, in everything, I think - wait, this melody would sound perfect with an organ right here...and as it is right now none of the songs have any organs...well yet anyway. 

I'm doing all the recording myself.  I don't want to bring anyone in on a promise that something may happen. I'll wait until I have a budget of sorts and label support. Once it comes time to actually record the album, I'll bring in other people. There's definitely people I want to work with on this, but I�ll wait until things are further along before I say anymore about who may be involved. 

antiMusic: Tell us about your plans for the group; recording and otherwise. 

Ryan: Well my plans for now are to finish recording the demos, get the labels support, sort out a line up, get in a studio and make the god damn best dark rock record. Then of course, global domination 

antiMusic: Any songs done so far? Can you give us titles? 

Ryan: Titles are all tentative, as I�m just recording basic ideas to show the label. 
but the notes I have to know what's what are: 
�love, lies and revenge� 
�chasing fireflies�
�tears of immortals�
�November�

antiMusic: I know you were doing some composing of classical music on the side. How�s that coming along? 

Ryan: I do that to sooth myself, it�s a very melancholy mood thing. Some of what I�ve done will see light with The Dead Life, while others may surface under different projects....I keep everything so they all may show up somewhere, someday... 

antiMusic: For those turtles that are new to you, what is your musical background and how did you come to be in The Distillers? 

Ryan: I grew up in a suburb of Oakland, California, played guitar in local bands, mostly with friends. I had a mutual friend with Andy. Andy asked me if I could play bass for The Distillers. I said no...thought about it for a week and called him back, said I�d give it a shot. He said to learn as much as I could, cause we practice in four days. I went and auditioned and that's that. 

antiMusic: What are your Top 5 all-time favourite albums and why? 

Ryan: I hate picking favorites, cause it just marks your likes at a moment in time, if you change your mind, it's like you lied to yourself... 
There's a lot of records that I love, but I couldn't narrow it down to five... 
bands that have had a huge impact on me would be - Amorphis, Cradle of Filth, At the Gates, Bauhaus, HIM, Guns �n Roses, Chris Isaak, The Cure, Johnny Cash, Nirvana, Mortiis.... I don't know, there's too many to have to think of all at once 

antiMusic: Anything else you want to tell us? 

Ryan: Don't trust anyone, not even yourself, and 35 mg's of valium can kill you, even though you don�t think it will.....

antiMusic wishes Ryan all the best with his new project. If it�s true good guys finish first, we�ll be hearing a lot from Ryan Sinn in the near future.
 

Visit the Myspace page for The Dead Life for the latest!

Visit the official site for The Dead Life