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Ryan Bingham’s path into music began in the American Southwest, shaped by a childhood that moved between New Mexico and Texas. He was born in Hobbs, New Mexico, on March 31, 1981, and spent much of his early life in West Texas. His teenage years included time on the rodeo circuit as a bull rider, a demanding lifestyle that exposed him to the culture and landscapes that would later appear throughout his songwriting. Music entered his life more seriously when his mother gave him a guitar at sixteen. Around that time, he began teaching himself to play, learning songs and guitar techniques from people around him in Texas and along the border region.
Songwriting gradually followed those early experiences with the guitar. Bingham spent time traveling and hitchhiking through Texas, eventually landing in Laredo, where he continued developing his playing style. The mix of folk, country, and border influences around him shaped the direction of his early songs. As he began performing in bars and small venues, his reputation slowly grew within the regional music scene. Before signing with a major label he released two independent albums, Wishbone Saloon in 2005 and Dead Horses in 2006, recordings that helped introduce his songwriting to a wider audience.
A major step forward came when Bingham signed with Lost Highway Records. His major label debut Mescalito was released on October 2, 2007, produced by Marc Ford. The album established his presence within the Americana and roots music community. Two years later he followed it with Roadhouse Sun, released on June 2, 2009, which expanded his audience and continued building his reputation as a touring songwriter and recording artist.
International attention arrived through the film Crazy Heart. Bingham collaborated with producer T Bone Burnett on the soundtrack and cowrote and performed the song “The Weary Kind.” The track became the central musical theme of the film and achieved extraordinary recognition. In 2010, “The Weary Kind” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Critics Choice Award for Best Song. The song later received the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media in 2011. That same period brought additional recognition when the Americana Music Association named Bingham Artist of the Year in 2010.
Bingham continued releasing studio albums during the following decade. Junky Star arrived on August 31, 2010, followed by Tomorrowland on September 18, 2012. After that release he began issuing music through his own label, Axster Bingham Records, continuing with Fear and Saturday Night on January 20, 2015, and American Love Song on February 15, 2019. Across these releases he developed a catalog built on storytelling drawn from life on the road, relationships, and the American landscape.
Several songs from his catalog became closely associated with his identity as a songwriter and performer. “The Weary Kind” remains his most widely recognized composition because of its award winning success, while “Southside of Heaven” became one of his most popular songs among listeners and concert audiences. Music from his catalog also gained exposure through television. The song “Wolves,” from American Love Song, appeared in the television series Yellowstone, a project that would become closely connected to his later career.
Bingham expanded into acting through his role on the television series Yellowstone, where he portrays Walker, a ranch hand and musician. His performances on the show included musical moments that directly connected his acting to his songwriting. Outside of recording and acting, he also became involved in live music promotion. In 2019, he partnered with Live Nation to create a music festival called The Western, which debuted in Luckenbach, Texas, and featured a lineup of roots and Americana performers.
His career has also included independent creative projects during periods when touring slowed. During 2020, he released a series of recordings through his YouTube channel called the Cantina Sessions, performing covers and original material during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project allowed him to continue sharing music with audiences during a time when live concerts were largely suspended.
Complete List Of Ryan Bingham Songs From A to Z
- Adventures of You and Me – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- All Choked Up Again – Junky Star – 2010
- America – American Love Song – 2019
- Beautiful and Kind – American Love Song – 2019
- Beg for Broken Legs – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Blue – American Love Song – 2019
- Bluebird – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Blues Lady – American Love Song – 2019
- Boracho Station – Mescalito – 2007
- Bread and Water – Mescalito – 2007
- Broken Heart Tattoos – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Change Is – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Country Roads – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Darlin – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Day Is Done – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Depression – Junky Star – 2010
- Direction Of The Wind – Junky Star – 2010
- Dollar a Day – Mescalito – 2007
- Don’t Wait For Me – Mescalito – 2007
- Dylan’s Hard Rain – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Endless Ways – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Ever Wonder Why – Mescalito – 2007
- Fear and Saturday Night – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Flower Bomb – Tomorrowland – 2012
- For What It’s Worth – Mescalito – 2007
- Ghost of Travelin’ Jones – Mescalito – 2007
- Got Damn Blues – American Love Song – 2019
- Guess Who’s Knocking – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Gun Fightin Man – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Hallelujah – Junky Star – 2010
- Hands of Time – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Hard Times – Mescalito – 2007
- Hard Worn Trail – Junky Star – 2010
- Heart of Rhythm – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Hey Hey Hurray – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Hot House – American Love Song – 2019
- I Heard ’em Say – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Island in the Sky – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Jingle and Go – American Love Song – 2019
- Junky Star – Junky Star – 2010
- Keep It Together – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Lay My Head On The Rail – Junky Star – 2010
- Long Way From Georgia – Mescalito – 2007
- Lover Girl – American Love Song – 2019
- My Diamond Is Too Rough – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Never Far Behind – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Neverending Show – Tomorrowland – 2012
- No Help from God – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Nobody Knows My Trouble – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Nothin’ Holds Me Down – American Love Song – 2019
- Other Side, The – Mescalito – 2007
- Poet, The – Junky Star – 2010
- Pontiac – American Love Song – 2019
- Radio – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Rising of the Ghetto – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Road I’m On, The – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Roadhouse Blues – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Rollin Highway Blues – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Self-Righteous Wall – Junky Star – 2010
- Situation Station – American Love Song – 2019
- Snake Eyes – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Snow Falls in June – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Southside of Heaven – Mescalito – 2007
- Stones – American Love Song – 2019
- Strange Feelin’ In The Air – Junky Star – 2010
- Sunrise – Mescalito – 2007
- Sunshine – Mescalito – 2007
- Take It Easy Mama – Mescalito – 2007
- Tell My Mother I Miss Her So – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Time for My Mind – American Love Song – 2019
- Too Deep to Fill – Tomorrowland – 2012
- Top Shelf Drug – Fear and Saturday Night – 2015
- Wandering, The – Junky Star – 2010
- Weary Kind, The – Crazy Heart (Soundtrack) – 2009
- Weary Kind, The – Junky Star – 2010
- Western Shore – Tomorrowland – 2012
- What Would I’ve Become – American Love Song – 2019
- Wishing Well – Roadhouse Sun – 2009
- Wolves – American Love Song – 2019
- Yesterday’s Blues – Junky Star – 2010
Albums
Mescalito (2007): 14 songs
Roadhouse Sun (2009): 12 songs’
Junky Star (2010): 13 songs
Tomorrowland (2012): 13 songs
Fear and Saturday Night (2015): 12 songs
American Love Song (2019): 15 songs
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