Texas singer-songwriter Mike Ryan is fighting off heartbreak — with alcohol, naturally — in his new single “Can Down.” As he releases the brand-new song on Friday (April 9), he’s sharing an acoustic performance exclusively with The Boot’s readers.
Ryan co-wrote “Can Down” with Brent Anderson, Smith Ahnquist and Will Weatherly. The song’s protagonist is utterly broken up over a “five-foot-two, blue-eyed girl” who is small in stature but packs a punch well outside her weight class when it comes to a breakup.
“So here I am, on the back porch / It’s lookin’ like I’m stuck / Between a case of Rolling Rock and a heartache,” Ryan sings. “It’s gonna be the end of one of us … It’s gonna be my heart or these Double Rs / Crushed up on the ground / Can down.”
The former flame in question has taken his University of Texas hoodie, and she got the last word in the breakup. But, Ryan sings, “I’m killin’ these cans, ’cause I’ll be damned / If she’s gonna steal my Saturday night.”
Ryan filmed this acoustic performance of “Can Down” in Granbury, Texas. He’s joined by guitarist Hunter Pierrotti and fiddle player Jerry Reynolds for the song.
A San Antonio native, Ryan is releasing “Can Down” after scoring two back-to-back Texas country radio No. 1 singles: “Ghost Town” and “Dear Country Music.” His most recent studio album, 2017’s Blink You’ll Miss It, includes the chart-topping “Damn Good Goodbye” and “The Rewrite,” a collaboration with Brad Paisley, with whom Ryan co-wrote the hit “Last Time for Everything.”
Ryan’s fifth studio album was halted due to COVID-19 pandemic-related studio shutdowns in Nashville around this time last year. However, now that his home state is opening back up, he’s finishing the project and scheduling live performances.
Keep up with Ryan’s goings-on at MikeRyanBand.com.
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