Artist – Mike Ryan
Single – The Lemon Trees by the Sea
Released – 27th October 2025
Reviewer – Stuart Todd, Liverpool Acoustic
It’s been a productive year for Wirral based singer-songwriter Mike Ryan. The Songwriting Challenge winner released the well received album The Space Where You Should Be earlier this year and has been performing sell out shows with his new band.
The brand new single The Lemon Trees by the Sea is the first to be recorded with his band. The line up includes Mozin on keys and backing vocals, James Ryan on electric guitar and Noah Eastaugh on drums. The track was recorded at Loft Studio 2 with producer and bassist Mike Eastaugh, who also arranged the strings. Like the album that preceded it, the single is released on 471 Records.
As previously mentioned, Mike’s voice has shades of Elliot Smith but the sound on his current record has more in common with Matt Hales from Aqualung. Opening with the piano, Mike sings expressively in the upper register with an atmospheric setting. The band instrumentation builds up layer by layer, with the track in full flow by the half way point. It’s an uplifting song about someone battling depression, but finds hope when they meet someone who can help them through it.
The Lemon Trees by the Sea by Mike Ryan should sustain the momentum and is a worthy follow up to his previous single releases Leaving and Breathe Again. The single is available from DistroKid and Bandcamp as well as having a limited CD run.
Mike Ryan and the Street Spirit band will be performing The Bends Live (by Radiohead) at the Philharmonic Music Room on Saturday 1st November.
Review © 2025 Stuart Todd, Liverpool Acoustic
Mike Ryan – Breathe Again (Live)