About Bryan

Oblivious to the staggering turns that 2020 would have in store, Bryan Rahija vowed on New Year’s that it would be a year marked by two births. One was to be his first child, due in the summer. The other had been in gestation for over a decade: a batch of instrumental guitar pieces workshopped during the little interstices of life as an American millennial. Although his daughter ended up arriving a little ahead of schedule, his music arrived a little late, and can now be heard on his debut solo album, Timber.

Bryan began publishing music in the mid 2000s, recording five albums and playing hundreds of shows across the U.S. with Bombadil, a cult favorite North Carolina indie folk pop band. Timber represents a return to his musical roots. As a teenager, Bryan became fascinated by the Piedmont Blues that originated in his hometown of Durham, and how the finger-picking guitar style of the genre featured driving rhythms interlaced with crisp melodies. Between various touring and recording stints with Bombadil, Bryan gradually stockpiled a batch of instrumental pieces written in the Piedmont vein, drawing inspiration from N.C. greats like Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Boy Fuller, and other country blues legends like Mississippi John Hurt and Willie McTell.

A handful of those songs went on to serve as the musical foundation for Bombadil’s 2017 album Fences. After recording that album, Bryan was inspired to develop those compositions further and test out other acoustic guitar tones. He paid a visit to a classical guitar school in Manhattan and he fell in love with a guitar from Spain. He started listening to guitar and piano composers, especially Fernando Sor, the 18th century guitarist, and Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, the Ethiopian nun renowned for her ebullient piano pieces. 

Upon moving to Portland, Ore. in late 2019, Bryan learned he'd soon be a father. The news evoked a mix of emotions equal parts joy and urgency. He borrowed an old dobro and ordered a 12-string guitar. Recording in his apartment as the plague descended, he enlisted the help of his far-flung Bombadil bandmates to push the album across the finish line. Daniel Michalak offered guidance on the arrangements from a village in France. From their homes in North Carolina, Stacy Harden contributed a handful of bass and percussion tracks, and James Phillips provided mixing services. 

As the dust settled on the tracks, the word Timber began to feel like the best word to describe this body of music. It’s an oblique nod to the idea of furniture music, coined by the French composer Erik Satie, which is intended to subtly enhance an atmosphere, not demand attention. It’s a warm handshake to the lumber-rich state where Bryan recorded the songs and where he’ll raise his daughter. Finally, it's a wink to Fences, as Timber comprises the raw material used to build that original album. Bryan hopes that to listeners it feels like something warm and organic; something crafted with care; something to settle into while you watch the world go by.