Feature film follows Portaferry singer

Feature film follows Portaferry singer

1 September 2021

PREDICTED as the next Ed Sheeran or Lewis Capaldi, very few in the music world will be surprised when Portaferry singer/songwriter Ryan McMullan finally makes it big.

The belief that the 30 year-old is destined for greatness led Belfast documentary maker Brendan Byrne to make a full-length film called Ryan McMullan: Debut.

It premiered in Belfast on Saturday night at the Docs Ireland Film Festival after its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh on July 24.

Ryan was there with his parents, Nuala and John, his fiancée and other family members at the event.

After having a planned tour cancelled last year due to the Covid pandemic —and suffering an injury when he went back to playing hurling during the lockdown — the former St Patrick’s Grammar School student is ready to kickstart live performances and his recording success again.

With a new single — Come Over Love — and a debut mixed tape EP released to coincide with the film as it’s shown in selected cinemas this week, Ryan is gearing up for release of his first album, Redesign, early next year.

The film shows how Ryan has evolved as a recording artist, a live performer and crucially, as a songwriter over the last five years.

While he is proud of the film, from Fine Point Films and Cyprus Avenue Films, he told the Recorder he was a bit nervous about it as well.

“It’s quite daunting as you are letting me in and that can go one of two ways; people could love it or not really care. But so far, so good, everybody seems to be enjoying the film and here’s hoping that will continue,” he said.

The film shows how Ryan rose to the challenge of supporting Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol, wowing audiences in the US and Australia.

At one point, it shows Sheeran — who Ryan toured with as a support act in 2017— listening in reverence as Ryan belts out his hit, Oh Susannah.

But it also shows him doubting his own vocal performance. 

Along with his artist/mentor Foy Vance and manager/drummer Paul ‘Hammy’ Hamilton, he is working on recording songs for his forthcoming debut album, microscopically examining each track’s sound and production is the best it can be and deserves a place on the final cut.

Holed up in a cottage on Cruit Island in north Donegal in December 2019, Ryan is seen changing from being a great singer to becoming a skilled songwriter while learning how to mix and produce his own sound. 

“I was never really a songwriter. I was always a singer so the voice always came first,” said Ryan, who qualified as a civil engineer.

“I wasn’t on planning to be a songwriter. As the movie shows, I thought I was going to be a civil engineer and a pub singer at the weekend so it’s all about the transition and trying to earn that craft and having a voice, saying the things I want to say.

“It shows all of that and how that has developed over the last five years. Hopefully, it will keep developing over the years to come.”

Ryan has been on the radar for major artists for the last few years, standing for guitarist Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol at the Ward Park gig in Bangor.

McDaid and his fiancée, Friends star Courteney Cox, are close friends with Ryan’s mentor, Foy Vance, who has been championing his potential talent as far and wide as he can.

Brendan Byrne, is also a fan and believes that the Portaferry man is only one or two tracks away for major stardom.

He explained how he knew that Ryan’s talent was something special after he randomly heard of him on Lynette Fay’s BBC Radio Ulster programme in 2017.

“I was in the car and turned the radio on and heard Lynette say, ‘That was a young guy called Ryan McMillan and he’s going to be the next biggest thing in Ireland’,” explained Brendan. 

“I never even heard the track but because I knew Lynette and knew she wouldn’t say those things lightly, I went to the iPlayer and heard Ryan play a few songs on her programme, and I just thought he’s great, I really like this guy. 

“I thought how could some be that good from Northern Ireland and me not know about him. So I started digging around and I got more and more into so I thought I would get in touch with him about making a film.

“While it was not the type of film I would normally make, I was interested in telling the story of a guy on the rise, on the way up but just before that break through that invisible line between talent and recognition.”

Brendan made his mark with his documentaries on Gaza, the Maze Prison and IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, so doing a music-focused documentary was a real departure for him.

“As a filmmaker, I’ve very interested in the arts and I just thought it was a great story. It was also a chance to show a world that most people have very little understanding of what it takes to make it in the music industry. “Nowadays that’s based on a Saturday night talent show but those who know the reality of it, know its not like that at all. It’s years and years of hard work and finding a way to find your own songwriting voice.”

With a UK concert starting in September and an Irish one in late October (Covid restrictions permitting), Ryan is back and busy.

One of his two shows at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on November 19-20 is already sold out, but there are still tickets available for one night.

“I’ve got four projects on at the moment so I’m writing for them as well as finishing off recording and the movie is taking precedence at the moment but there’s plenty going on,” said Ryan.

“I really enjoying things at the moment and I’m not putting pressure on myself to be writing. I think sometimes you just need to go out and get some experiences on order to have something to write about.

“One thing that I will never do again is take for granted what I do for a living, whether it’s the pinch me moments or the hard times. 

“I played a show last weekend at the Open House Festival in Bangor and it was just so good to be back on stage. It’s a wonderful life to live and I’m very fortunate to be able to live it.”

For recording and gig information, visit www.ryanmcmullanmusic.com.