“Falling so long I feel like I’m still”: Ry F.M releases single, "Fall With Me"
By Payton Cavanaugh
Released on July 21, along with a music video (directed by Jake Fay), “Fall With Me” by Ry F.M. (recorded and produced with Charlie Burket) is a song about the euphoric and simultaneously disheartening feeling of falling for someone who just doesn’t seem to fall for you.
“I’ve been falling so long I feel like I’m still / girl I’m starting to wish for the ground.”
The piece toys with the ever so resonant experience of unrequited love as it relates to the physical experience of endlessly falling.
Ry shared his journey in writing the song and claimed it was an older song that he recently reworked.
“I was thinking one day about skydiving and how if you were just to be falling for a long time, would it get to the point where you feel motionless?” said Ry. “I had a similar relationship where I felt like I had been falling for someone for so long that I was starting to run out of that feeling because it wasn’t being reciprocated.”
Ry went on to describe the pairing of the two thoughts and experiences as inspiration for the single.
“I just started writing about that; getting to the point of trying to ask someone if they’re ever going to take the leap with you or not.”
While working on the song, Ry collaborated with Berklee student producer, engineer, and mixer, Charlie Burket. Ry met Burket at Brighton Music Hall when he opened for Copilot in Samantha McKaige’s band. Upon hearing McKaige’s music Ry had an immense appreciation for her work and its production. He later found that Burket produced the music, and he reached out to work together.
“He is an absolute wizard on protools and just has a great sense of the sonic space,” said Ry.
Ry elaborated on his experience collaborating with Charlie, saying he really had an ear for what the song was missing.
“When you get to work with people that are talented that can hear those things, it almost sparks something in you,” said Ry. “It’s like they can turn a lightbulb on in your head when you’re working on it and it’s awesome to have that in the room.”
For Ry, this release brought about excitement to have more under his solo project name. More than that, it brought an opportunity to collaborate within the creative space he adores.
Ry went on to speak to the experience of collaborating with Jake Fay on the music video. In terms of the concepts, Ry didn’t go into much detail with Fay.
“It was really interesting to give someone a song and have him listen to it and interpret what was going on,” said Ry. “I was excited to see where he would go visually with it.”
Fay utilized a lot of imagery surrounding reflection, with items such as mirrors or a solo game of chess.
“He did a great job of using different scenes and scenarios where I seem to be chasing something and trying to get towards something that’s always out of reach,” said Ry, “ I really like that if you’re in that situation you need to know when to look at yourself and know when the person is not reciprocating; you need to be able to be honest which is really tough. I thought he did a really good job at pulling some things out of the song that I didn’t even know were there. I always think it’s really cool when someone interprets art that you made differently, and when it means something different to them.”
Ry looks forward to many more solo and collaborative projects in the future. Currently in the process of releasing a solo EP, and with music set to release with local artist Fia James, as well as one of his self-proclaimed mentors, Joe Gittleman from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, there is lots to look forward to from Ry.
“There’s definitely a lot on the plate right now, but it’s good because this is what I like to do,” said Ry. “I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I was working for a moving company over the pandemic, and not having to do that and just being able to focus on music has been unbelievable.”