“Nashville needs good ol’ country guys like you.” - Luke Bryan, country music star

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“You’ve got a great voice!” - Katy Perry, pop music star

 

“Trust yourself to go to Nashville and get in the business. You can circle the pond, but one day you’ve got to jump in the water.” - Lionel Richie, legendary singer, songwriter and producer

 

With a unique sound and stage presence, influenced in equal parts by Travis Tritt and Van Halen, Ryan Harmon seeks to continue country music’s long tradition of "three chords and the truth," while adding a healthy dose of rock and roll.

 

The Arkansas singer-songwriter became an instant internet hit, after his performance of his original song “I Knew This Would Happen,” during an audition for season 3 of ABC’s American Idol in March 2020. The video of his audition racked up nearly 20 million views on the show's official social media, with thousands of viewers echoing the advice of celebrity judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan for Harmon to set his sights on Nashville, as opposed to Hollywood.

 

When the COVID pandemic changed his plans, Harmon took the time to continue honing his craft as a songwriter and performer, as evident on his 2020 release “Country Fried.” The album features an acoustic version of “I Knew This Would Happen,” along with the band version of the song that was released as a single in February 2020. The song reached over one million streams in 2020 alone, while Harmon received coverage in major outlets such as Billboard and USA Today, highlighting his musical style, humor and personality.

 

Preceding "Country Fried" was Harmon's self-titled debut album. The 2017 release, which was recorded as a raw demo, includes the humorous song "You Left, My Dog Died, and My Heart Did Too," which was featured on an NPR Music playlist of dog-themed songs in January 2018.

 

Harmon was named Acoustic Act of the Year at the 2022 Arkansas Country Music Awards. Over the course of his fifteen years in music, Harmon has performed for a wide range of audiences with acts ranging from Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson to 90s metal icon SteelHeart.

 

In 2024, Harmon released "The High Road," produced by fellow Arkansas singer-songwriter Travis Mobley. The five-track EP opens with a new version of Harmon's "The Likes of Me," which features country star Jerrod Niemann on lap and pedal steel guitars. Following the opening track are some of Harmon's most personal songs to date, from the southern rock inspired "Making a Living," to the breakup ballad "I Bought Her Roses."

 

"It doesn't matter if it's a love song, a sad song or a funny song. Life throws all of those different emotions at us. As long as people can relate to it and enjoy it, I feel like I've done my job," Harmon said.