Janesville native making inroads in songwriting industry

Ryan Saupp stands at the Grand Ole Opry in November. Saupp was nominated for Song of the Year in the modern country/pop country category for his single, “This Country Life.” — Courtesy photo

Saupp’s music gaining recognition with nomination at Josie Music Awards

By Andy Stine

astine@altoonamirror.com

JANESVILLE — For many aspiring songwriters, the Grand Ole Opry is a destination not many get to experience.

Janesville native Ryan Saupp, 38, is now one of the outliers in the industry, going to the Opry for the 2025 Josie Music Awards in November.

The Josies, which celebrate the best in independent music in all genres, was formed in 2015.

Saupp was nominated for Song of the Year in the modern country/pop country category for his single, “This Country Life.”

While he didn’t win the award, being nominated and attending the awards ceremony was an incredible experience all its own.

“It is a strangely powerful building,” Saupp said. “You feel the power of music at the Opry. The whole building has that feeling. It’s not because of the awards. Just being there has a presence.”

Saupp is described by IMC Productions as “an emerging independent songwriter from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, whose heartfelt blend of country, folk, and Americana is quickly finding a global audience. A lifelong listener of storytellers like John Denver and Bob Dylan, Saupp has carved out a distinctive sound that bridges traditional songwriting with modern instrumentation.”

Anyone who won awards at the event stood in the famed Grand Ole Opry circle, which is a 6-foot oak section cut from the Opry’s original location at the Ryman Auditorium. The circle is a symbol for the legendary performers that have played in the Nashville venue since the Grand Ole Opry was formed in 1925.

Saupp’s music career began when he was in a band in high school at Moshannon Valley, but he doesn’t have a lot of memories from that time.

“You’re so nervous,” Saupp said of his time in a band. “You start and go through the process, and it’s gone. The memory never even forms because you’re so focused on being terrified.”

While his time in a band came and went, it was a case of restless nights and anxiety that led to Saupp becoming a songwriter.

“I was having trouble sleeping,” he said. “It wasn’t that I was overwhelmed, but you just have moments where you’re sitting in quiet and trying to figure out life.

“I was trying to find a way to mitigate and relax, and find something that was mine. I wrote one (song) and I was satisfied with the first one. It was two or three weeks later, and I had a thought to do another one.

“I wasn’t even done with the second one, and I was halfway done with the third one. I said, ‘Maybe I should let this ride a little bit.’ Next thing I know, I have 14 done.”

Saupp’s first album, which was appropriately named Sleepless Nights, features songs about perseverance and the journey in life.

One shining moment was when Saupp’s song, “The Lonesome Road,” was played on Q94 with “The Professor” Jim Price.

Saupp said hearing his song on the FM radio waves was “surreal.”

“Everything happened mostly organically,” Saupp said. “My original thought was, ‘I could sell these to somebody.’ At the same time I can’t prove that it’s worth anything.”

“I emailed Jim and said, ‘Hey, I made this and it would be great to have it on there.’ He wrote back and said, ‘Yeah, we can do that.’ He gave me the date. When it played, it checked a box that I didn’t even know that I had.”

Saupp said “The Lonesome Road” was inspired by his travels through the Appalachians.

“We often found ourselves at diners and truck stops to stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat. While you’re there, most long-haul drivers are happy to tell you about their lives and the stories they’ve lived,” he said.

After spending so much time on the interstate, he became “fixated on how lonely the highway can be when you’re traveling alone. That trip was where I really tried to put myself in the shoes of the long-haul drivers. It’s hard to imagine spending days and weeks away from your friends and families. ‘The Lonesome Road’ was written as a testament to the sacrifices they make for all of us.”

‘Bruises and Battles’

Saupp said he has a soft spot for another of his songs, “Bruises and Battles.”

“It was one of the first three songs I wrote. I can look back on it as the one singular moment that changed my trajectory. I started writing music as a way to mitigate stress and to help fall asleep. … Bruises and Battles was defining because it turned music writing from being a stress release into a way for me to share a story with the world,” he said.

He said the song started out in a completely different direction than how it ended up.

“In 2022, I was ejected from a motorcycle in a high-speed collision with a deer,” he said, and the song was supposed to be a reflection of that moment.

“The two lyrics that really started the development of the song were ‘every scar tells a story’ and ‘still chasing the thrill,'” he said. “As the song became more defined it became less about a single incident and more of a reflection on perseverance.”

“We all have moments that define our lives. Not all of the battles we face are physical. ‘I’ve weathered the test’ was meant to be symbolic of the mental and emotional struggles. ‘Stronger than ever’ was designed to show growth through struggle,” he explained.

“At that point the correlation to the Phoenix became the core of the song. The lyrics ‘Been through the fire … Danced with the flames … I’ll rise from the ashes’ is the basis of the Phoenix,” he said, noting that’s where most people seem to relate to the song.

“Life hasn’t gone perfect for anyone but we can all pick out those moments where we overcame the struggle to become something greater than we were,” Saupp said.

Saupp’s album plus a single released last year named, “Bull’s Fiddle,” can be found on Apple, iTunes, YouTube and Spotify.

“Bull’s Fiddle” was inspired by the legendary Norwegian violinist Ole Bornemann Bull and received recognition at the 2025 Pennsylvania Heritage Songwriting Competition and has since gone on to earn international radio play on independent country stations across North America, Europe and Oceania, according to Saupp.