Ryan Mendolla

I started playing guitar at the age of thirteen. My Mom drove me to lessons every Wednesday at Electric City Music in Kaukauna, where I would unveil my signature Jay Turser Electric and shred every arrangement of G/C/Em/D known to mankind. For awhile I longed to be a guitar virtuoso without any interest in learning how to actually play the instrument, hence the eighth grade talent show where I ripped a two-minute solo to "Louie, Louie" that was ~97% out of key (the remaining 3% was by luck). Once I graduated beyond perfecting "Wonderwall" and "Save Tonight" in the hopes of securing affection from women, a friend turned me on to Lindsey Buckingham. I was blown away by the rapid fire banjo-style fingerpicking adapted to guitar, and the soulful chords in open tuning. Diving further down this rabbit hole, I discovered Jorma Kaukonen's "Embryonic Journey" and M. Ward's "Duet For Guitars", connecting with the raw, visceral melodies and willingness to chase some elusive feeling. Ever since I've fallen in love with this journey of musical discovery.