Growing up in Toronto, Canada, the youngest of five children, Ryan and Dan Kowarsky’s love of opera was spawned by the music of their childhood – the songs of the legendary Mario Lanza and the great Luciano Pavarotti. As teenagers they came to admire the pop harmonies of the Bee Gees, the melodies of Stevie Wonder and the smooth R&B vocals of Boyz II Men.
Guided by their opera singing father, Ryan and Dan spent many evenings of their youth watching his performances from the side of the stage.
“We never took vocal coaching or formal lessons,” says Dan. Yet their voices, which effortlessly slide from baritone to soprano, full voice to falsetto, have a stunning clarity and purity.
They have been performing on stage, in plays and musicals since they were about four years old. In high school they shared the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, though no one else could be sure who was Joseph on any given night.
It was natural, then, that they should want to become performers, and at the age of 18, they (together with a friend) walked into the offices of Sony Music in Toronto. Through a combination of chutzpa, charm and luck, they secured an audition with the vice president and walked out with a record deal. The three subsequently performed as the boyband "Before Four" aka "b-4-4", which went on to release two full length albums that had considerable success, in fact going multi-platinum in Canada and Germany. Nevertheless, they gradually became dissatisfied with pop fare.
“We reached a point at which the two of us felt that something was missing,” explains Ryan. “Dan and I have always tried to inject a lot of emotion into our singing and we wanted audiences to focus on vocal interpretation rather than on our hair. We decided that it was time to change direction and go back to our roots … to the kind of music we listened to as children.”
The emotion with which they sing is undeniable - and that emotion was evident during the recording process of their album. They composed “Tears of an Angel” in honour of their young niece Tal. “She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. We haven't played the song for her yet.” This was not their first encounter with life’s misfortunes. Their mother was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Despite the uncertainties in life, Ryan and Dan find much to celebrate. The energetic and uplifting song “High” (penned by seventies folk artist Judie Tzuke, also composer of another album track, “Like The Sun”) reflects their optimism and how they view life’s challenges.
The recording of the album was preceded by a process of elimination. To help them choose which songs they wanted on the album, they recorded over 50 songs before deciding on the final 12.
The album was produced by Steve Anderson (Kylie Minogue’s long-term musical collaborator), mixed by Ren Swan (Il Divo / KT Tunstall) and recorded in a private London recording studio owned by Grammy winning songwriter Terry Britten (Tina Turner's “What's Love Got To Do With It”). With a vintage Neve sound console once used by Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, and a microphone used by Frank Sinatra, the album combines Pro Tools technology and vintage recording equipment to beautifully create the rich orchestra accompaniment required for RyanDan's unique voices.
The fact that they are identical mirror-image twins - Dan being left handed and Ryan being right-handed - adds an extra dimension to their sound. When they harmonise they have the power of a duet yet they sound as one. “Even our parents don’t know who is singing which part,” Dan adds.
They have always shared a telepathic link. “If one of us was hurt, the other would feel pain at the same time, even if we were not together” explains Ryan. “This still happens sometimes.” Similarly their thoughts are often in harmony. One of them might start talking – only to have the other complete the sentence.
And inevitably, as children, they would playfully swap identities. “Being identical twins enabled us to play all kinds of games with our teachers and our friends” says Ryan. “We were troublemakers during our teenage years, and probably drove everyone crazy. In some ways we are very similar” he adds, “particularly with regard to staying positive. Also, we’re both very open and introspective - we get that from our mother. In other ways, we’re different. Dan tends to be more intense than I am. I’m a little more laid back.”
“It's extremely important to us that our music reflects the depth and strength of our emotions. We pour our hearts and our souls into our singing, and we want people to feel that passion.”
“We think of the album like a meal. Starting with an appetizer, you get into your main course and finish with dessert, and hopefully after you've devoured the whole record you'll feel satisfied like you do after a great meal,” they say, complementing each other in speech as in song.
Somewhere deep in their souls, their past and present fused together and is reflected in their astonishing debut album – one that is powerful and pure and is destined to turn these brothers into international stars.
I'll be there
RyanDan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love I'll be there
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll have faith in all you do
Just call my name and I'll be there
And build my world of dreams around you
I'm so glad I found you
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be your strength
You know I'll keep holding on
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness
Well that's all I'm after
Just call my name and I'll be there
I'll be there to protect you
I'll be there with this unselfish love that respects you
Just call my name and I'll be there
I'll be there to comfort you
And build my world of dreams around you
You know I'm so glad I found you
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be your strength
You know I'll keep holding on
If you should ever find someone new
You know he'd better be good to you
Cause if he doesn't
Then I'll be there
Don't you know baby
Yeah yeah
I'll be there
I'll be there
Just call my name and I'll be there
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'll be there baby
You know I'll be there
Just call my name and I'll be there
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there baby
You know I'll be there
Just call my name and I'll be there
Just call my name and I'll be there
The song "I'll Be There" by RyanDan is a heartfelt and reassuring ballad affirming the enduring nature of love and the commitment to be there for someone in need. The lyrics emphasize the pact between two individuals to bring salvation back and to create a world of dreams built on love, joy, and togetherness. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'll be there" multiple times to reinforce the message of reassurance and steadfastness. The singer promises to be the support system for his lover, filling their heart with joy and laughter, and protecting them with his unselfish love. He even pledges to be there for them even if they should find someone new, as long as that person takes good care of them. The song is an uplifting declaration of devotion that is sure to touch the hearts of many.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I must make a pact
We need to make an agreement to bring something positive back into the world
We must bring salvation back
We must bring back the good in the world
Where there is love I'll be there
I'll be there wherever love exists
I'll reach out my hand to you
I'll help you whenever you need me
I'll have faith in all you do
I trust and believe in you
Just call my name and I'll be there
Whenever you need me, all you have to do is ask and I'll be there
I'll be there to comfort you
I'll be there to provide you with comfort and support
And build my world of dreams around you
I want to create a world of happiness and dreams for you
I'm so glad I found you
I'm grateful that I've met you
I'll be there with a love so strong
I'll be there with a powerful and unwavering love
I'll be your strength
I'll support and empower you
You know I'll keep holding on
You can count on me to always be there for you
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Allow me to bring happiness and laughter to your life
Togetherness
Being together is important to me
Well that's all I'm after
All I want is to be together and happy with you
I'll be there to protect you
I'll be there to keep you safe from harm
I'll be there with this unselfish love that respects you
My love for you is selfless and based on respect
If you should ever find someone new
If you find someone else whom you love
You know he'd better be good to you
That person better treat you well
Cause if he doesn't
If that person doesn't treat you well
Then I'll be there
I'll be there for you, no matter what
Don't you know baby
Don't you understand
Yeah yeah
Yeah, I mean it
I'll be there
I'll always be there for you
Just call my name and I'll be there
All you have to do is ask for my help and I'll be there
Just look over your shoulder
When you need me, look behind you
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm serious
I'll be there baby
I'll always be there for you
You know I'll be there
I hope you understand that I'll always be there for you
Just call my name and I'll be there
Whenever you need me, call for me and I'll be there
Contributed by Ethan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.