Ryan Wayne: Functioning Dysfunctionals
- Folk Canada
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
Functioning Dysfunctionals is the latest album from Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Wayne, following his critically acclaimed 2023 release, Crow Amongst the Sparrows (Ruby-Lu Records). A richly woven collection, it balances raw, metaphorical storytelling with immersive production, shifting between quiet intimacy and full-band intensity. The album takes its name from its lead track, a phrase coined by Ryan’s wife, Sarah Craig McEathron.
Longtime collaborator Annelise Norohna lends her signature touch with mixing, co-production, backing vocals, and instrumentation, while select vocal sessions were captured by Tim Vesely at Woodshed Studio. Steeped in the blue-collar storytelling traditions of a childhood spent in Oshawa and music-filled nights at a family cabin near Algonquin Park, Wayne’s songwriting carries a deep sense of place, history, and hard-won wisdom.
"...will undoubtedly leave you yearning for more." ~ Last Day DeafÂ
"Combines that out-of-this-world guitar-based rock sound of Pink Floyd with the storytelling and down-to-earth Americana vibes of Neil Young" ~ Raised By Casettes Â