At the tender age of 16, Carter Ryan has accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime. With over 1 million TikTok fans and a non-profit aimed at helping teenagers struggling with depression, Ryan is already making a difference in the world. But now, he’s taking on a new challenge: the pop music industry.

Carter’s musical journey began with his parents’ 80s music, but as he grew older, so did his taste. He draws inspiration from a variety of artists, including Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and even the Beatles. But perhaps his biggest influence is John Denver, who was a friend of his grandfather’s. Summers spent in Colorado with his grandfather were filled with stories of the state’s poet laureate, and those memories have stayed with Carter to this day.

Carter started playing the guitar when he was just 7 years old, and by 14, he was already writing his own songs. When the pandemic hit and he lost his usual social outlets, Carter turned to the internet, where he found an audience that resonated with his music and his message. Carter’s attention to his fans and their struggles is what has helped him amass such a large following on TikTok. Now, he’s taking his talent to the next level, spending time in the studio and working on a new album.

With his powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics, Carter Ryan is sure to make a splash in the pop music industry. Before he sets out for greatness, we had the chance to sit down with the young artist, and get an insight into his journey so far.

Head below to listen to Carter Ryan’s latest track “Where’s My Love”…

Head below to read the interview…

Who and what is an influence to you?
A person that I find inspiration from and who has had a huge influence on me is Post Malone. A couple years ago, when I was starting to just take music seriously, I heard an interview with Post Malone about his journey to becoming an artist. It was very inspirational to me because he fully committed to his vision without hesitation. His levelof passion and work ethic are what I hope to embody in my music career. I am also inspired by Shawn Mendes’ journey from making covers online to where he is today. I hope to reach an audience with my music that connects with my lyrics and sound and I want to connect with each person that listens to my music on a deep and personal level.

How did you discover your interest in music?
Ever since I can remember music has always been a constant in my life. I hope my music will bring a sense of connection and relatability to my listeners. I love that I can connect personally with people through lyrics that resonate and spend a lot of time songwriting. I started off when I was younger by singing with my family in the car. My mom would always play 80’s music and I loved to just sing along with it even though at the time my voice was not developed. Music then and now has always represented a way to express my emotions and relate to those I care about.

Where does your creativity stem from?
I have always had creativity ever since I was little. But over the yearslearning from incredible mentors has greatly impacted my creative approach to writing lyrics and creating my personal sound and style.

How has your background affected your musicality?
My family is very big on music and pretty much everyone enjoys playing instruments and singing. There has always been music playing throughout my childhood and that has definitely played a big role in my sound and music.

At such a young age, how have you managed to find the direction of your sound?
My sound has developed a lot over this past year. Doing lots of writing sessions and just listening to tons of music has helped me diversified and grow from amazing collaborations and team efforts. I am still developing and learning new things every day and love that it is a lifelong process!.

Is it intimidating being your age in the music industry?
It is intimidating at times to me but I know that I have good people around me and that every journey comes with obstacles and as long as I stay true to myself, everything will happen how it is intended to. Of course following a dream to me outweighs the struggles one must go through to achieve something. I wake up everyday excited at what I get to work on and inspired to create new music!

How has your industry experience been so far?
So far I have had a great experience and have learned a lot from collaborating with other producers and writers. I’ve grown so much from doing writing sessions and I truly love making music so it has been great. I’m happy to have a lot of good people around me that look out for me.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?
The most important lesson I have learned so far is to never give up on any idea or goal. If you keep coming back and working hard at something nothing and no one can stop you from achieving it.

Talk me through your work on Persevere Project?
The Persevere Project is something I am so proud to have spearheaded with my brother Ashton. The idea of PP started when we began to get many comments on my social media page regarding mental health during the pandemic. I wanted to find a way to respond to some of the fans in an impactful way and the idea for the Persevere Project was born. It is a project that invites listeners to comment on our page and blog. We realized the reach we obtained through the media was powerful and we wanted to use it as much as we could to connect and help teenagers like us. We noticed lots of the people on apps such as Tiktok and Instagram were going through hard times because of the pandemic and being isolated for so long. I personally found the isolation extremely draining and it was important to me to communicate with other teens about this. The Persevere Project has become a safe place where others could reach and start a conversation with us. After a while the let’s talk button was becoming very popular and we were responding to multiple emails every day. Our goal that we initially had was coming to fruition and this gives us great joy to still be replying and listening to what teenagers in the media are battling. Even still today me and Ashton are responding to emails because it is extremely important to us.

Why is it important to you to give back to the community?
It is important to me that I give back to the community because of what I have also lived through with the pandemic. It was very challenging as a teen with the media being in lockdown. At times I faced lots of challenges with anxiety and stress and so I felt like It was important for me to listen to what others had also been through. Having a big reach on the media I feel like it was my responsibility to help people and it still is.

What can listeners expect from your upcoming album?
Currently I am in the process of creating songs every week with my first original song set to release in June 2023. I hope that my music will connect with people on a deep level. A lot of the music I make is about overcoming tough situations which I think everyone has experienced at some point in their life. The truth is everyone is going through something or has been through a difficult time and so my music is something that speaks to that and has a unique sound because of that aspect.

Where do you want to take your artistry?
I want to keep exploring with my art and learning new things every day. It is crucial that I keep pushing myself past my boundaries and keep trying to create music that can have a deep meaning and a big impact on listeners.

Why is making music important to you?
Music is important to me because it is everywhere in my life. There has never been a time where music hasn’t been a crucial part of my life. I use it everyday and I don’t know what I would do without it.