Anna Ryder

Anna Ryder is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has performed mainly on the folk scene playing all kinds of venues from small clubs to large festivals. She’s made five albums including ‘Pockets On Fire’ which was released on the Fairport Convention label ‘Woodworm’ with Fairport playing on eight of the tracks. Attracting various invitations to perform with and for many different artists, Anna is a musician’s musician. She was invited to support Julianne Regan with All About Eve from 2000 to 2002; touring Australia in 2002 she also played again with Eddi Reader (ex-Fairground Attraction) and then performed her own songs with Jacqui McShee (Pentangle) in Germany in 2003. During this time Anna also toured with The Dylan Project and then as part of ‘The Fairport Supporters’ line-up with Steve Tilston and Bob Fox, going on to record on both performers’ albums as well as touring as part of their bands. Anna’s innovative and ambitious album ‘Paper Girl’ was released in 2004 and features, amongst others, John Rabbit Bundrick (keyboard player The Who), Clive Bunker (drums ex-Jethro Tull) and members of Fairport. Anna then toured this album in Germany with the annA rydeR Band, comprised of Martin Brunsden (Hot House Flowers, Jacqui Dankworth, Cleo Laine) and Clive Bunker. Anna is now becoming known as a bluegrass accordionist joining a host of other musicians at the famous Didmarton Bluegrass Festival at which she played in 2008, 2009 and 2012 with bass player Alan Thomson (formerly with John Martyn and with Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle). More recently Anna has been developing her career as a project-musician facilitating creativity for people in unusual settings, building sound/visual environments and making outdoor instruments. Alongside this new direction she continues to write, record and play gigs, staying involved with a flourishing Midlands music scene as well as playing further afield. RowdyMusic, Anna’s own music company was formed in 1993 to encompass all her music work including education, song-writing and performing.