Long scaling the perimeter walls of Canada's music industry, Ryan McMahon has never fit into any one box. He brandishes folk, roots, Americana & contemporary rock songwriting, all the while delivering a show where one can expect plenty of interaction, laughs & tears. Ryan recently toured with Burton Cummings & Tom Cochrane (Western Canada) and has released 9 full length records, including 2 with his side-project, indie folk stalwarts Lion Bear Fox. He's had his music licensed to film & television (Californication, Chesapeake Shores) & share the stage with everyone from Odds & Mother Mother to Lisa Loeb & folk legend Dan Navarro. A true music lifer, Ryan spends upwards of 150 days on the road each year, singing his heart out and entertaining audiences of all ages wherever he goes.
More about Ryan
Ryan McMahon likes to tell people he’s a late bloomer. But when looking at the body of work the 44-year-old from Ladysmith, British Columbia has amassed since 2006, he certainly has made up for lost time. With seven releases under his own name, and two with his side project Lion Bear Fox, Ryan has established himself as one of western Canada’s most prolific singer/songwriters, leading to multiple Vancouver Island Music Awards and supporting slots for everyone from Lisa Loeb to Nickelback, including full tours with Burton Cummings & Tom Cochrane.
The latest addition to Ryan’s catalogue is Live Now, his first album since 2019’s In Line For A Smile, and a collection he has been eager to share since the pandemic forced him to pause all musical activity. The creation of Live Now began in early 2022 with the recording of “One More Fire,” arranged through the help of Juno-nominated country artist Aaron Pritchett.
Ryan explains, “Although we have stylistically sonic differences, Aaron’s been a great friend to me and my music since we connected at a charity event a few years back. We tracked ‘One More Fire’ as a stand-alone single at Vancouver’s Warehouse studio, with Aaron’s son Jordan and his fiancee Danielle handling production, along with engineer Sheldon Zaharko [Steve Dawson, Matt Anderson, Billy Talent]. We all found working together so organic and enjoyable that the decision was made to build an album around those first few sessions.”
With its uplifting, pop-friendly construction still grounded in banjos and mandolins, “One More Fire” set a high bar. Nevertheless, it kicked open Ryan’s creative floodgates, resulting a batch of songs he describes as containing more hope and optimism than any of his previous material. “The entire record is a reminder to myself of just how rich my life is, and how to dig in and persevere no matter what is going on around me,” he says.
A second single in the summer of 2023, “Lost & Found,” took things in slower direction, but powered by Scotty Smith’s shimmering pedal steel, it became the perfect soundtrack for gazing at the stars and taking stock of your life. Indeed, it’s hard not to feel inspired when hearing Ryan sing, “I know I gotta get out of my own way, and maybe I’m learning how / There’s time to make a change for better, I think I’m ready now.”
That may be the overriding message at the core of Live Now, as Ryan personally sees the album as the first he’s done that fully captures what he set out to achieve. It’s also contained within the finger picked ballad “A Song Can Change Your Mind,” an honest reflection of the impact music has made in Ryan’s life, and the impact he hopes his music can have on listeners.
“I’ve long had a wide variety of influences, but before creating these songs I really did some deep dives into the careers of current Americana-type artists that I really admire,” he says. “Jason Isbell, Nathaniel Rateliff, Father John Misty, Israel Nash—these artists are out there, doing their own thing using highly artistic and simultaneously entertaining methods, all the while telling their truth. That’s what I want to do.”
Date & Time
Sat, Nov 1, 2025 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Venue Details
Bez Arts Hub
20230 64 Avenue Langley, British Columbia V2Y 1N3
Bez Arts Hub
Events
Bez is an intimate live performance venue which hosts some of the most notable artists from all around North America and beyond. With an inspiring sense of community, the warmth of great sound and the close personal engagement with the artists, Bez offers a unique and inviting atmosphere for enjoying live performances.
Classes
Whether you have had years of formal dance training or have never danced before, our studio is the place to build on your technique in the best ways possible and love it! Our staff are here to equip you in whatever style you want to pursue whether it's ballet, hiphop, tap, jazz, contemporary, ballroom or break. Try a few or focus on a couple, it's your choice! AND are now highlighting ADULT CLASSES (recitals are optional and there’s no dress codes). We’ve now added acting classes, songwriting classes and Gospel choir to our list of offerings!
Post-Secondary Training in Dance, Acting and Music
We know that navigating your life in the arts has so much possibility and Bez Arts mentorship would love to be a part of that adventure with you! Skilled mentors are here for equipping, coaching and partnering with you as you craft your creative life. Choose your specialty with individual classes, intensives or our full program - dance, acting or music - take a course or two, part-time or take a gap year to try out a bit of everything in our Bez Arts Intensive.
