Rainfeather Recording Artist Ronny Criss

ABOUT

new album - Hurricane Heart

available on limited Edition vinyl & cd

"Hurricane Heart" is Ronny's highly anticipated follow up to his solo debut "Highways". Where "Highways" let the road tell the story of life and it's journey, "Hurricane Heart" is a storm of emotions that all come from the heart. The new album is a powerhouse 13 track album that explores relationships of all kinds and reaching into the deepest parts of the emotions those relationships bring fourth. Each song mines a different feeling from a different angle and its a whirlwind from top to bottom. With this album Ronny also expands his sound with elements of 80's alt rock, country soul, pop, and alt-country all blended together into a unique and one of kind listening experience true to the subject matter and honest to the artist.

THE ARTIST

RONNY'S STORY

Ronny Criss is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose music lives at the crossroads of Americana, rock, and country soul. After two decades of writing, recording, and performing, Ronny has emerged with a clear voice, a seasoned perspective, and a growing audience reflecting the years he’s poured into his craft. First gaining recognition as half of the indie folk duo Sea Changer — with standout tracks like "Heart is Home" featuring Birdtalker and "See You There" featuring Molly Parden (as heard on Grey's Anatomy) — Ronny stepped into his own in 2021 when he signed with Rainfeather Records. His debut solo album Highways, released in summer 2022 and recorded at the legendary Blackbird Studios, was produced by Bryan Clark and featured collaborators like Katie Cole (Smashing Pumpkins) and Shawn Byrne. Hailed as the “ultimate road record,” Highways explored themes of movement, transformation, and the ever-unfolding journey of life. Since then, Ronny has taken his music on the road across the Midwest, Southeast, and Texas, and earned recognition at major songwriter events including the 2024 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, Sandy Lee Fest (2024 & 2025), and Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival (2024 & 2025). Now, after 20 years of climbing, and creating, Ronny returns with Hurricane Heart — his boldest work yet, slated for full digital release summer 2026 and available now on LP & CD. The first single “Julia” dropped in April 2025, signaling a new chapter of artistic depth and sonic range. Produced by Shawn Byrne and recorded at Great Hill Studios, the album features a guest appearance by the legendary McCrary Sisters and delivers a powerful blend of heartland rock, Americana soul, and lyrical honesty. For Ronny Criss, this isn’t just music — it’s the culmination of a lifelong journey. And it’s only just beginning.

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DEBUT ALBUM

The Story of Highways

With the American highway as the backdrop and life blood of the journey, Highways is an album about running from and running to, set on vast open roads fueled by the longing for a higher way of being.

Born the son of an Arkansas trucker and raised in both the North and South, Ronny’s lived experiences in Southwest Chicago to the farms of Eastern Arkansas have always inspired his songs. After moving to Nashville and writing thousands of songs over a 10 year stretch for countless different projects, a special theme emerged in his writing touching on a deep seeded need to tell a personal story in a universal way. Some of these songs are brand new, some over a decade old, but together they're a study on the lifetime search for one’s heart and soul in difficult world and a perfect story to tell for Ronny’s debut solo achievement. Each song expresses different sides of the human desire and struggle to find the person or place we’re meant for. From beginning to end Highways is a beautiful and vivid ride through the landscape of the American heart and Ronny’s as well.

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HIGHWAYS SINGLES

Ten and Two - Released 3/25/22

"Ten and Two" is the 4th single off of Ronny’s new album Highways. Written with his supremely talented co-writers and friends Katie Cole of the Smashing Pumpkins and Shawn Byrne, "Ten and Two is a monster track of mystery, mood, and groove about the general pressures and anxieties of life accented by soaring rock guitars and rumbling drums. Like driving through the wrong part of town, at times life makes you feel like you're just trying to keep your eyes on the road and make it through without crashing and burning. Ten and Two is an awesome ride and a killer track off the new album Highways. Shawn provides his masterful guitar work and Katie's soaring 4 part harmonies lift the tension and vibe to atmospheric heights.

"Ten and Two is just one mighty vignette from the new album with the American highway and roads as the backdrop and life blood of the journey, Highways is an album about running from and running to, set on vast open roads fueled by the longing for a higher way of being.

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It Ain't - Released 8/28/21

It Ain't with it's tribal drum beat and gritty slide intro draws you right into this Country Rocker about young love on the rocks. The song is a quick peek into the moment a young couple is on the brink, one boldly confident the end isn't near and another not so convinced. With an up tempo groove and infectious hooks throughout, It Ain't feels good and makes you want to believe things ain't all that bad. Lyrically though there is a little more evidence to the contrary. The song speaks to the optimism and naivety of youth and paints a cinematic moment when idealism is about to meet reality

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I-40 - Released 8/28/21

I-40 is a life song hiding behind a road song. Inspired by Ronny's experience living and working in Nashville as a songwriter, I-40 is a romantic look at that life and how one road has a way of symbolizing and connecting it all together. A friend of Ronny's once said, "Everyone has their own I-40" and that seems to be true many times. Whatever and wherever that road is, it always seems true to you, sure to take you where you wanna be and sure to take you home.

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DEBUT SINGLE - Tanks of Gas - Released 5/27/21

The debut single was Tanks of Gas and is the ignition switch that kicks it all off. Inspired by the simple life and landscapes of Eastern Arkansas, Tanks is all about a youthful heart needing to escape what's already known for the mystery of what's left to discover. The universal story of being young and wanting to escape one's small town is a common tale for every generation, but what Tanks offers is not only the hope "We can go somewhere and baby we can get there fast" but a dose of reality and awareness that we don't always know exactly what we're looking for and sometimes "we are as close to where we're going as we'll ever get". In Tanks of Gas and throughout the Highways album, the highway always provides the freedom to seek it and a means to reach it.

From the opening drum beat to the rolling thunder of the baritone guitar the mood is clear. It's bold, at times ominous, but always looking for hope at every turn and every chorus. Even though the road may get dark with only "tail lights to lead us through the night", the spirit of Tanks is that taking the chance to find who or what we're looking for is still worth the risk of the unknown. So like a mini movie the characters fill up their tank, head out into the darkness and leave it all on the road.

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If It Rains Like This Tomorrow - Released 7/23/21

If It Rains Like This Tomorrow is the second single off of Ronny’s new album Highways. A song written after a long and rough drive home in the pouring rain, If it Rains… is about a moment in time. The moment when one realizes the sound of a thunderstorm is no longer something that brings frustration, but comfort. Comfort in knowing that every drop of rain is another excuse to crawl back in bed with the one you love, putting the world on hold to be together. A welcome sound for sure!

Initially written in a quick 30 minute session back in 2008 fueled by the inspiration of the moment, If it Rains… would be destined for a bigger, more important place in Ronny’s life over time. As the story goes, in early 2009 Ronny was performing the song at the world famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN when unknown to him a beautiful young songbird named Sarah Ashley (new to town) was just sitting down for her first Bluebird show to the sounds of this great song. She was captivated by the song and artist, but was too shy to say hello to Ronny after the show. Four months later the two met at another show they were both booked to perform and hit it off right away. A relationship formed which led to the fateful day when Sarah asked to sing harmony on a song with Ronny and his band at rehearsal. The song: If It Rains Like This Tomorrow. The sound that was created and discovered that day was felt by all involved and further cemented a love that would lead to a loving marriage and now in 2021 a new family!

That one of a kind sound can be heard in this recording of If It Rains… as Ronny’s wife Sarah sings the beautiful harmonies on the track. The song is about a moment in time that NOW represents a lifetime of love. If It Rains LIke This Tomorrow release on July 23, 2021

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“Criss is able to write lyrics and melodies the likes of Eric Church would be proud of.” - Lesley Janes

— The Nash News

“Many Americana performers who dismiss country out of hand forget how easy it is to write an obscure, four-chord dirge set in your own frightening head space. Clean, accessible country is very hard to pull off. Ronny makes it look easy.”

— Nicolas Beaudoing of Runner of the Woods