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.
You Needed Me
RyanDan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every evening needs its dawn
Just as rivers reach the sea
In that moment, you reached for me
And I never turned away
Best decision I ever made
And I'll remember all my life
Maybe it was just one time
Can honestly say
That when it came to it I know at least
You needed me
You needed me
Now it's the measure of a man
That took me time to understand
That it takes courage to walk that road
You're the strongest I've ever known
Things may never be the same
But I'm still grateful, it turned out this way
[Chorus]
And until my final day
I will always feel the same
[Chorus]
The RyanDan song "You Needed Me" is an ode to someone who was there for the singer during a time of need. The first verse uses metaphors to illustrate the idea that every good thing comes with its own challenges. Just like even roses have thorns, every evening needs its dawn, and rivers eventually reach the sea, the singer's moment of need brought them to the person who was there to help. They never turned away, and as a result, it became the best decision they ever made.
The chorus expands on the idea that the person needed the singer, even if it was just for one moment. The singer feels truly honored to have been the one to help, and they will always remember the experience. The second verse focuses on the idea that it takes courage to be there for someone during their time of need, and the person who helped the singer is the strongest individual they have ever known. The situation may have changed, but the singer is still grateful for how things turned out.
Overall, "You Needed Me" is a touching tribute to the power of human connection, the courage it takes to help others, and the importance of being able to accept help in return.
Line by Line Meaning
Even roses need their thorns
Just like every beautiful thing has an imperfection, even the most perfect person can have flaws.
Every evening needs its dawn
Every bad situation or experience will eventually lead to a positive outcome.
Just as rivers reach the sea
Inevitably, as rivers flow towards the sea, certain events in life are meant to happen.
In that moment, you reached for me
You came to me when I needed you the most, showing me your unwavering support.
And I never turned away
I never left your side and abandoned you, no matter how difficult it was.
Best decision I ever made
Choosing to be with you and support you was the best decision I've ever made.
And I'll remember all my life
This moment will forever be ingrained in my mind and heart.
Maybe it was just one time
It only took one moment for me to realize how much you needed me.
Can honestly say
I can confidently express that...
That when it came to it, I know at least
In that moment when you needed me, I can say for certain...
You needed me
That you needed my support and love.
Now it's the measure of a man
The true testament of a person's character is...
That took me time to understand
It took me some time to truly comprehend this concept.
That it takes courage to walk that road
It takes bravery and strength to face difficult challenges and overcome them.
You're the strongest I've ever known
Out of everyone I've encountered, you are the most resilient and strongest of them all.
Things may never be the same
Although our situation may have changed and things may be different from now on...
But I'm still grateful, it turned out this way
I am thankful that even though it may not have been what we expected, it ultimately led to a positive outcome.
And until my final day
Until the end of my life...
I will always feel the same
I will always hold the same love and gratitude for you.
Chorus
Repeating the same meaning as above.
Lyrics © MIRANDA MILLSAP D/B/A IRONSIDE MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Randy Goodrum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind