About
Ryan Edward Kotler writes songs drawn directly from his own lives. His work deals with loss, mistakes, starting over, and the pressure of living through difficult times. He writes in a straightforward way that favors honesty over polish—while still using sly, consistent poetic devices that feel like they’ve always been there.
His music moves freely between folk, blues, Americana, and country/bluegrass. But the rock ‘n’ roll blood coursing through the veins of his back catalog cannot be mistaken. You’ll find hints of Leadbelly in the same line as a watercolor impressionistic dream inspired by Bob Dylan or Townes Van Zandt; scents of the simple-spoken love songs of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash mixed with the gentle phrasing of Elliott Smith; or a taste of the life lessons Kotler cherishes from John Prine or Simon & Garfunkel—followed by a vaudeville ditty to play him off with his $20 gold piece and John B. Stetson hat.
Truthfully, he writes music to survive—and he left his job as a commercial litigator in 2024 to write full-time. He writes songs he wants to hear. “Music means more to me than anything in this world, and I’m not selling plastic.” At its core, his music is about connection.
In November 2024, Kotler was named Best Songwriter at the Freehold Borough Arts Council’s All About the Song Circle competition in Freehold, NJ. He was also named a Semi-Finalist in the 2025 International Songwriting Competition.
His music moves freely between folk, blues, Americana, and country/bluegrass. But the rock ‘n’ roll blood coursing through the veins of his back catalog cannot be mistaken. You’ll find hints of Leadbelly in the same line as a watercolor impressionistic dream inspired by Bob Dylan or Townes Van Zandt; scents of the simple-spoken love songs of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash mixed with the gentle phrasing of Elliott Smith; or a taste of the life lessons Kotler cherishes from John Prine or Simon & Garfunkel—followed by a vaudeville ditty to play him off with his $20 gold piece and John B. Stetson hat.
Truthfully, he writes music to survive—and he left his job as a commercial litigator in 2024 to write full-time. He writes songs he wants to hear. “Music means more to me than anything in this world, and I’m not selling plastic.” At its core, his music is about connection.
In November 2024, Kotler was named Best Songwriter at the Freehold Borough Arts Council’s All About the Song Circle competition in Freehold, NJ. He was also named a Semi-Finalist in the 2025 International Songwriting Competition.