Rylan Kline from Burdens Within opens up

Interview conducted on January 30, 2018

By Dan Locke

Burdens Within formed in 2010 when bassist Ryan J. Kline and guitarist Mike Riley’s previous bands came to an end. The duo ran into each other and decided to get together to write some music. They wanted to write songs with no barriers. Both men united, armed with one purpose: to make kickass rock music!

With its roots in the alternative grunge movement of the ‘90s and added elements of classic rock, hard rock, and metal, Burdens Within covers all the bases and has created its own unique sound. Rounding out the lineup is Craig Thomas on drums, Ryan Alan Battering on lead guitar, and Daniel R. Rivers on vocals.

After inking an artist partnership with Pavement Entertainment, the band is adding final touches on their self-titled debut album, available January 26, 2018.

UnRated Magazine: How did you find each other? Tell me about the development of the band.

Rylan Kline: Mike and I work at the same place. We occasionally talked music and were in separate bands. It just happened both of our bands came to an end about the same time. We were talking and decided to get together to try to write some music. We both came from different music backgrounds, so it took a few tries to figure each other out, but once we did it came together. He wrote the melodic guitar riffs and I wrote the catchy heavy hooks. All we really knew was we wanted to make music that rocked and didn’t have any barriers. We wanted to be able to bring together any style of rock and make it our own sound.

How did you pick your name?

I wanted to call the band Everything’s Eventual. Because everything is eventual. If it has not happened yet, it most likely will. We Googled the name and there was already an independent band called that. We wanted a name no one else had. We wrote down about fifty names and narrowed it down to about ten. Then Googled all those. Burdens Within had not been taken.

Tell me about your backgrounds.

Mike played guitar in a hard rock band called Past Life Curse. Over the years, I have sang lead vocals for a punk band called 10,000 Mopboys, played bass in an industrial metal band called Schmerzen, a deathcore band called Rejicide, and an alternative rock band called Stillframe. I also played keys and samples in a new metal band called LeveL 9. Danny, Craig, and Ryno have musical backgrounds in several bands as well.

You are Crawfordsville, IN. Can you tell me about the music scene there?  And what is your favorite club to play in

Ryan Troy Kingma of Kingma Films (Director) with Burdens Within

Crawfordsville and why is it?

Here’s how I can sum up the Crawfordsville music scene. Over the years, I have found there are many very talented musicians in this town with little or no outlet to show their talents. We regularly play the Hideaway 3, formerly known as East Side Bar and Grill because it’s really the only place here in town to play.

What is great about Crawfordsville, IN?

It’s small and secluded which can be great but also a curse.

How do you describe your music?

We make rock music with no barriers. The songs are about the burdens people carry in their everyday lives, hence the name Burdens Within.

Did you record the video for Dead End Town in Crawfordsville?  How did you find the location? What is the story line behind the video?

All the shots featuring Ron Moore (the older man having a dead end day) were shot in Crawfordsville. The shots of us playing in front of the abandoned building were shot in the neighboring town of Lafayette. We have grown up in these locations. It’s our everyday life. The video is about living in small town America with little or no opportunity to make your dreams come true. It’s kind of a bleak atmosphere of factories and fast food and not much else.

What type of music did you listen to growing up?

My dad listened to bands like the Beatles, Eagles, and Led Zeppelin. My mom listened to bands like Depeche Mode, Phil Collins, and Genesis. So I spent my youngest years having those bands engraved in my mind. When I was a teen, the grunge bands were becoming popular. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains are some that come to mind. I spent my teen years listening to them and Metallica. Mike is a little older than me. He grew up listening to bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison, the hair metal bands.

Who influences you and why?

Man, there is honestly too many bands to name. We love all forms of rock, from classic to metal. We try to use all those influences to make our own sound and music.

How did the Artist Partnership deal with Pavement Entertainment work out? 

I sent some demos online like I always do to several different labels. I usually never hear anything back. This time I did. Tim King, Soil’s bass player, is vice president of Pavement Entertainment. He listened to the demos and liked the raw sound we had, so he got in contact with us.

Any tour plays yet?

I am not sure what a tour play is.

How is the LP doing?  Are you getting any bids on getting played on radio or any Internet stations?Burdens within LP

Burdens within LP

It’s doing pretty well. It just came out January 26, so it’s yet to be determined how well it will do. We have had some radio interest and it is still in the works to get more.

Any plans for a tour?

We would love to tour. However, it is very expensive. We hope the record will generate enough interest to get us paying shows that can get us out on the road.

Do you have any endorsements?

Not as of yet, but we are always in the market. HINT HINT.

What is the year, made and model of band’s instruments?

Not sure of the years, but I use Yamaha, Mesa Boogie, and Fender. Mike uses Schechter, Ibanez, ESP, Peavey, and Ernie Ball. Ryno uses Agile, Ibanez, Peavey, and Marshal. Craig uses Tama Zildjian and Vic Firth Sticks. Danny uses Shure Mics.

What are some of the bands you have open for?

We have opened for Soil in Detroit, Michigan, and Psycho Stick in Indianapolis. We are really just getting out there in the public eye.

What type of clubs have you played in (size)?

We played the Diesel Lounge in Detroit and the Emerson Theater in Indianapolis. Probably 500 capacity is the biggest so far.

What music fests would you like to play in?

Any and all would be awesome.

Have you ever performed at SXSW?

Burdens Within shooting the Dead end Town Music Video on Location

We applied for South by Southwest this year, but unfortunately our album was not out yet and we were turned down. They said please apply again as our career grows.

What is your feeling of Van Warped Tour since 2018? Is this the last year for it?

I love the tour. The guys in the band and I have been several times as fans. We would have loved to have been able to be a part of it.

Have you looked at Rock on the Range yet?

Mike and I have gone to Rock on the Range religiously for about the last five years and Burdens With in’s other members have been on and off in those five years. We love it. It’s the biggest spectacle in rock music. Since the first year, Mike and I have vowed we will play this festival one day. Obviously, it’s a bit late for 2018 but 2019 is in our scopes if they would have us. It would be a huge honor.

How would you explain your live performance?

We just have fun. We try to have an energy and keep a fast pace so we can pack as many songs in as we can. I mean that’s really what it’s about—playing the songs and making a connection with your audience.

If had a headline tour, who would you want to open up for you?

Oh man. There are so many great bands out there that we would love to play with. We will have to cross that bridge when it comes.

If someone was listening to you for the first time, what 3 videos or songs would you tell them to look/listen to and why?

That’s hard to choose. Obviously “Dead End Town” is our singe and video, but beyond that I would have people check out “The Devil’s Due” and “The Great Deceiver.” These songs are very different and cover topics very relevant to issues in the world around us. Then again all of our songs talk about relevant topics, but I would push these three first.

How do you see your band in the next 5 years?

I’d like to see us touring and playing festivals full time with a few more albums under our belt. We just want to gain fans and make music for a living.

Any guilty pleasures your fans would be surprised you listen to?

Like I said, we listen to everything from Buddy Holly to Slayer. That’s a pretty wide variety to choose from, LOL.

What is on your bucket list?

Well, some of the achievements we are making right now with Pavement were on that list, but I’d have to say playing Rock on the Range would be one of the highest.

What is on your phone for music now?

I really enjoy the band Gemini Syndrome. I have a guitar I had signed by them at Rock on the Range a few years back, and I also chat with Aaron Nordstrom, their lead singer, on Facebook occasionally. He is very humble and nice. Other bands I’m currently listening to are the new releases from Nine Inch Nails, Soil’s best of album, and the new Powerman 5000 album.

Anything in closing you would like to say?

We are just very thankful to Pavement for giving us this opportunity. We really hope people connect to our music and we have the chance to grow. We also thank anyone who listens to or supports us in any way. Without the fans, we are nothing but a band in a “Dead End Town.”

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