“This is the record we have always wanted to make,” says Boland. “It is the right record at the right time and we really just let it flow.”

Boland and the Stragglers’ newest contribution to country music arrives at a time when memories of the ‘Outlaw’ movement have all but faded from the conscience of country music. With songs like, “No One left To Blame,” and “Up And Gone” this talented group of musicians has delivered a timely wake up call to those who have turned a blind eye to the ghosts of music past. The Bourbon Legend stems from a mixture of musical influences culminating in a truly modern (yet sternly vintage) country record. Each song on the record shares a common bond with its classical counterpart and proves to be a re-generation of the outlaw country of old.

The first single, “No One Left To Blame,” carries with it heavy overtones of a music reminiscent of Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. while providing an edgy musical dose of a new generations’ varied influences. The majority of the songs on the record were influenced by acts such as the Marshall Tucker Band, Johnny Paycheck, Merle Haggard, among others.

The Bourbon Legend, produced by Grammy Award winner Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Lucinda Williams) is his first collaboration with the Stragglers. According to Boland, the chemistry between he and Anderson was immediate upon his arrival in Los Angeles: “Pete, taught us not to force things and to take a less is more approach.”

Boland hales from Harrah, Oklahoma and carries with him the reputation of being a modern day country music outlaw. Both he and his band have been leaders in the Texas and Oklahoma music scene for several years generating such hits as, “Mexico Or Crazy,”

“Somewhere Down In Texas,” and “Pearl Snaps.” Boland, backed by his band of stellar musicians: Roger Ray (pedal steel, lead/rhythm guitar), Brad Rice (drums/backing vocals), Grant Tracy (bass), and Noah Jeffries (banjo, mandolin, and guitar) have sold over 100,000 records since 1999.

The Bourbon Legend is Boland’s first record with Sustain Records, an independent Texas-based record company distributed by Universal Music & Video Distribution.

Featured as a co-producer on the album, Ryan worked alongside the multi-talented producer/engineer/drummer, Ken Tondre, of the Compound Recording Studio in Austin, TX. Also taking part in the album were some of the finest players around the state including the renowned Lloyd Maines, members of Bruce Robison's and Pat Green's bands, as well as other outstanding musicians from the Austin music scene. Almost immediately, the albums release was met with an enthusiastic buzz, which was followed up with one exciting opportunity after another.

At this early stage in his career, Ryan has already seen his fair share of accomplishments. In the summer of 2003, Ryan won a statewide amateur songwriting and performance competition at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth. In March of the following year, his former band, LiveWireDown, was invited to showcase its talents at the esteemed South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin. That performance helped to broaden Ryan's following from Texas all the way to Europe, producing e-mails and phone calls demanding more music. With this in mind, soon after the SXSW performance, the idea to create a full-length album became the number one priority.

During his high school days in the small prison-town of Gatesville, Texas, Ryan picked up his first guitar and started writing songs. His musical tastes were shaped from a variety of influences. Classic sounds from the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beach Boys, John Mellencamp, the Beatles, the Eagles, George Strait and Tom Petty have all made their impact on Ryan. Along with the greats from the past, he also credits many current song men as mentors. Bruce Robison, Radney Foster, Darrell Scott, Rodney Crowell, and many other behind-the-scenes songwriters are among those he chooses to study and learn from.

At the age of 20, Ryan took a break from college and carried his songs and dreams to Nashville, where he lived and worked for a couple of years. There he began playing open mics at the famous Blue Bird Café and before long was invited to join the invitation-only Sunday Writer's Night show. During this time, he also obtained an internship at the Country Music Association on Nashville's famed Music Row, working with Fan Fair and other exciting projects. However, with his roots still firmly planted in Texas, he returned home to finish college, earning his degree at Texas State University, in beautiful San Marcos.