(June 11, 2008) "I live for collaborating with others and creating something new." - Ryan Hoyle.

PCM's Julie Kissane spoke to Ryan Hoyle, the drummer of the alternative band Collective Soul. Ryan's impressive music resume spans over 10 years. Julie didn't quite know how to approach her interview with Ryan, a musician with years of touring experience, millions of album copies sold and several #1 singles under his belt. It seemed pretty intimidating. However, Ryan's success hasn't given him an ego, his candid and humble answers only proved why he's been able to stay in the buisness. It was unique for Julie to talk to a band member with such a veracious passion for the drums and creating music. Ryan's hunger to keep learning and expanding his career should be inspiring to all our readers. It was truly a pleasure for Julie to talk to - not only a music veteran but also just a plain old nice guy! (She even got him to share about his cool tattoo!) If Ryan blows you away, feel free to check out his official site and learn even more about him!

Ryan Hoyle: Hey Julie, this is Ryan Hoyle.

J: Hey, Ryan! How are you? Thanks for calling. Where are you calling from?

R: I am in my house in Los Angeles. I have a little time off from the road, pretty much the whole month off which I am excited about.

J: Well, you brought me to my first question! You guys had been touring this past spring and then I saw you have some dates lined up with Live and Blues Traveler this summer as well, do you love the aspect of touring? What's your favorite part of being out on the road?

R: Well, I think definitely the shows. There's nothing like it. There's nothing like the energy you get from live shows. It's not like you can go back and re-do it over again. It's the most extreme work out you've ever been through and the most extreme energy surge. I love the music part of it. I love a band that has a good family vibe to it as well, we're comfortable with one another still and it feels like a family.

J: There's still that chemistry?

R: Oh yeah, some days better than others (laughs).

J: Do you think that in terms of touring, good advice for a new artist about to go on tour, would be that you really have to prepare yourself for what you put your body through and mentally get prepared for spending all that time out on the road? Is that something that you ever get used to?

R: It's interesting that you say that, I'm actually in a place right now where I've been going through that myself. I've been thinking about getting psyched for this next tour. In some situations, you are out on short little trips (3,4,5 days) and then you come home for a few days then go back out. That's challenging because you're constantly in transition between home mode to road mode. And then there's traditional touring where you are out weeks at a time, perhaps months even. The point I'm trying to make is that, sometimes you are having so much fun doing what you're doing and it's so exciting, then after years of doing it and as the demands get more and more - playing two hours shows, five times a week, traveling every night - that definitely puts some wear and tear on you. I find that there are always some things I wish they taught me at music school, looking back. You don't think about that aspect, the realities of what it's like to be a musician.

J: I think after a month, I would get tired!

R: One of our sound engineers told me that 21 days is where there is some sort of breaking point. 21 days is around the time that many people say, "Okay, this isn't a vacation anymore."

J: I think after reading about all the tours you've completed and all the places you've been to, I just had to ask that question. I was thinking to myself, "this guy must be tired."

R: It can be grueling. I came from being a studio drummer, that's how I came into this band and we all hooked up and stuff. So I never particularly envisioned myself touring this hard, there are a lot of bands that tour lightly or seldom at all. But our band really still tours like an old-fashioned rock band! For 6-8 weeks, several times a year. In 2005, we played about a 160-170 shows, which equals about 300 days out on the road.

J: Wow, that's a lot.

R: I am really trying to work out and eat right and make sure I'm staying in shape for it. It helps to practice an hour a day on my drum set, too. Because after a few weeks, I've found that your body does start to say, "Okay, I've had enough." And you can't let it, you can't just take a break or a week off.

J: Is there any specific city or venue that you associate having a great crowd? A place you always look forward to returning to?

R: Well, Atlanta in August. I remember the last time we played there, we had a huge orchestra with us and that was out of control. Really good venue with a special vibe there. It's wild, I'm looking forward to that, it's also the last night of the tour. I am looking forward to playing in L.A., my hometown, and already working on who to invite there! We haven't done a type of show like that in L.A. and I want to invite people out to that from home. So, I guess, L.A, New York and Atlanta, those are the big ones. My brother is out in New York, we have tons of friends there. But, I love playing the west coast and seeing a familiar face, too.

J: Well, you have another neat new project that you're working on, the Cave Studio, can you tell me about that?

R: Yea, the Cave Studio, the name came about because it's up in the Hollywood hills area where all these juxtaposed homes and buildings are located. It's a bunch of like, little tree houses. It reminds me of a little cave. Everyone who comes here just says, "Wow, look at this little cave you have back here!" (laughs) I've had a lot of questions coming in and I thought, especially for the people who aren't in L.A., that I need to try to make it that people can see the studio online.

J: My immediate first thought when I heard about this was that I was impressed that you are still keeping busy with this studio even when you aren't out on tour, I think it shows a real love for what you do and really impressive that you want to allow others to view your music 'world.' It's really cool that you want to continue to keep learning! This is your home studio, who do you have come and visit and primarily use the studio?

R: Well, the studio is primarily for artists and producers. It's a way to export my music. I love to record and coming into a situation and watching something grow before your eyes. I live for collaborating between others and creating something new. For me, the idea came from, when I am touring and all the sudden out on the road all the time, my studio time is cut down. I wanted to continue to record but it became challenging when you're out on the road so much. It became logical to make a home studio. It made sense. The technology aspect was there to, to do a record for someone in Boston or Atlanta and have all my gear around me from home, it was natural and made sense. I am continuing to be creative while being at home, yet being all over the place at the same time, you know?

J: There are tons of videos of you on Youtube that let fans in to see you on the drums, laying down beats and recording. It's personal. How do you feel about that - sites like YouTube and Myspace?

R: I think that it's a great thing, I really got into my own site and I've been interested in sites for a long time. When MySpace came along, it became an obvious extension of that for me. I think it's a great thing that connects people who like that you do with you. It's a good marketing tool as well for people. MySpace has been a great way for me to get that info out there quickly that I want to remain creative off the road and can be available for others. It's an incredible network! I'm interested in Facebook too, I haven't been on there yet though, someone told me about it.

J: Facebook has got a huge college network! I have a a few lighter questions to ask now, if you weren't a drummer, what other profession would you like to attempt?

R: I don't think I could ever answer that, I've always wanted to be a drummer! I think maybe though, I would be a sushi chef, it's similar to drumming anyway, multi-tasking! I always wanted to have a sushi bar in my house.

J: I saw on your site that you have a very big tattoo on your arm, would you mind telling us about that? Or is it too personal?

R: Well, it's just a tattoo that for me, at the time, well, I have to think about it! I haven't been asked that in a long time. For me, it was a time in my life that.. (pauses).. Ah, I don't know how to explain it!

J: I stumped you! Wow!

R: I think there are definitely different sides to people, and this tattoo represents for me, a time where I have differences between what I may crave and want spiritually and what I may want through my ego. Sometimes, there's a battle between those two things. Throughout my twenties, I definitely experienced some battles and it was a time when I documented that through a tattoo. It also has to do with some astrological things, it's got a couple coy fish, which represent the sign pisces, and each coy fish has some of the moon sign / sun sign in them as well, it's interesting. You have to look at it up close, there's just a bunch of dichotomy and what I mean by that is just opposing forces which co-exist together perfectly. So to sum up the question, I'd say that through understanding and realizing there may be a battle, the victory in it is understanding that that battle is perfect and needs to be that way, that's the dichotomy in it.

J: Well that's for explaining and answering that, that's so cool! Really, to wrap this interview up, I'd like to ask..

R: (interjects) Oh man, let's keep going! (jokes & laughs)

J: (laughs) Well, we could keep going if you want, Ryan! What is on the horizon for you? Where do you see yourself in five years, will you be in the same position that you are in now? Touring and working with this studio?

R: Well, I think the first thing on my mind would be that the concept of this studio and whatever it expands to, I really it believe in the concept, that drummers and musicians should be accessible to use on projects. What is exciting about it, for me, is that I'd really like to build this concept on a worldwide level. Especially with the Internet and wave-file transfer that's going on. Being able to live in L.A. and collaborate with people in Australia would make me extremely happy. I know I will always love playing life and I respect and adore the thrill of playing in front of a live audience. I don't see that ever going away. I don't see live music ever going away. It's a vital part of society. I'm happy to see all the touring that's going on, in general. I see myself playing live and I know I really believe in the concept of creating a world-wide demographic and record daily. That's what I really know I want to do.

J: Well, thank you very much for taking the time out to talk to us today. I really do appreciate it. I'm going to have to come out and see you in the Philly area if you come out!

R: We'll be at Penn's Landing, you are definitely welcome to come out!