Invitational alum · 2024 · 2025
Clayton Ryan
Rapid City, SD (by way of Winterset, IA) · A well-worn Taylor that sounds like a Martin
“"Yeah" (sung in an Eddie Vedder voice)”
Clayton Ryan is an alternative country-ish singer who has called the Midwest home for much of his life, building his craft on stages from Iowa to South Dakota and now Minnesota. His debut album Ghost Town exceeded 100,000 streams, with the title track featured on The Current's "Top 89 Tracks of 2024." He performed at Whiskey Jam in Nashville, earning one of only a handful of encores in the showcase's 1000+ show history. Since 2024, Clayton has toured 75+ dates while documenting his journey through YouTube series "With The Wild Man."
The record
On file
- Hometown
- Rapid City, SD (by way of Winterset, IA)
- Instrument
- A well-worn Taylor that sounds like a Martin
- Influences
- Slaid Cleaves, Chris Whitley, Tanya Tucker, Imagine Dragons
- Signature song
- Ghost Town
- First performance
- Various stages and dive bars across Iowa and South Dakota
- Biggest achievement
- Ghost Town surpassing 100,000 streams; "Top 89 Tracks of 2024"
- Dream collab
- Lainey Wilson
- Fun fact
- His right leg is longer than his left.
For press & bookers
In the round
Invitational record
2025Second annual InvitationalDowntown Spearfish
2024Inaugural InvitationalDowntown Spearfish