We asked Welcome pro Ryan Townley to make a playlist to accompany his new "Layers" Part on Thrasher. Below is a bit of insight from Ryan on why he choose these songs. Enjoy!
1. Alex G: "Snot" - Alex G is special to me for many reasons and it’s pretty hard for me to just choose one song, I feel I relate a lot with his lyrics and it's almost as if I grew up in the same environment so naturally his songs are a strong feeling of nostalgia
2. Courtney Barnett: "Avant Gardener" - Another song I related to, feeling extremely ambitious to do something one day but end up having a panic attack or extreme anxieties.
3. Waylon Jennings: "Waymores Blues" - I feel like most people don’t know this but I’m a big fan of outlaw country. Definitely a campfire jammer by one of the greatest.
4. Elvis Presley: "Suspicious Minds" - This one is just a banger from the king but also the song is about what most people have experienced in life, dysfunctional relationships and how moving on is something needed to survive.
5. Heatmiser: "Plainclothes Man" - Huge Elliott Smith fan and some people don’t know that he had a band “Heatmiser” in his earlier days. This is one of my favs from them.
6. Richard hell: "Time" - This song is amazing, plus Richard Hell is so fuckin cool and underrated, without him rock wouldn’t be what it is today. Proto punk started a revolution.
7. The Seeds: "Can’t Seem to Make You Mine" - This one just slaps. Put this one on at a party & people will feel like groovin.
8. The Rolling Stones: "Sweet Virginia" - The Stones are so damn prolific. I was under the impression Townes wrote dead flowers (who I’m also a big fan of) but it was the Stones. Just a random fact to throw in there. So much good shit has come from them and this one is great, some rock & roll jammer about finding drugs but it all turning to shit. Sweet & bitter fruits.
9. J.J. Cale: "Wish I Had Not Said That" - J.J. always strayed away from limelight which I always thought was cool. He wrote stuff for some of the bests from Eric Clapton to Skynryd. This one's just timeless.
10. Mazzy Star: "Blue Flower" - She’s the best and means a lot to me. I used “Be my Angel” for my first real video part and she holds a special place deep down.
11. John Prine: "Pretty Good" - Prine is one of the most influential country artists out there and inspired some of the greatest. Country wouldn’t be where it is without this blue collar legend. Also fuck Covid for taking him but he’s finally having that vodka ginger ale smoking a cigarette that’s 9 miles long.
12. Townes Van Zandt: "Who Do You Love" - Another legend that at his time was underrated. He inspired so many in the country folk scene and is just a fuckin bad ass. Even though it’s a cover from Bo Diddley this one is another camp fire banger. Talking about walking on barbed wire and using rattle snakes as neckties and with Townes doing it just makes it real nice I tell ya.
13. Hand Habits: "Placeholder" - Hand habits is another one of those ones that brings lots of nostalgia to me, also because they were one of the first shows Delaney and I went to together and just brings me back to early times of us. So romantic, I know.
14. Elliott Smith: "Angel in the Snow" - Had to throw another Elliott one in here, this song is almost haunting how beautiful it is.
15. Better Oblivion Community Center: "Sleepwalking" - I’m a big Bright Eyes/ Conor Oberst fan and grew up on em. This is another special one listening to Conor and Phoebe Bridgers going back and forth.
16. Smashing Pumpkins: "Perfect" - Smashing Pumpkins brings me right back to being a kid with angst and just fucking off with all my friends. I guess I’m real big on nostalgia when it comes to music.
17. James: "Laid" - This is one that just brings your mood up. Let’s all make love.