Can’t Change The Colour Of Your Eyes

Resist the urge to laugh at Skinny Dyck, the playful performing artistic alias of Western Canadian artist Ryan Dyck, or don’t, that’s kind of the idea. If you do elect to chew down on the name, it’s likely that a familiar flavour profile comes about, which is to be expected given the traditional country associations.

What began as a side project to his steel guitar focused pursuits emerged as a principal form of expression, beginning with 2020’s "Get To Know Lonesome" LP, followed by the "Palace Waiting" EP in 2022. But inherent in the songwriting and production choices has always been a thread of something different. A careless recording mistake left unedited, a flippant lyrical bluff, or a single mic on the drums instead of 10, “It reeks of creativity and originality not found in average country songs” (Americana Highways) and serves to set Skinny apart from the crowd.

Now, Dyck is sharing the new single, “Can’t Change The Colour Of Your Eyes” via Victory Pool Records, a mid tempo twang pulsator with muted shades of psychedelia. Mixed by Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Bonnie Prince Billy), it seems representative of a small retreat from country music, an extended stay at the outdated lake cabin that leaves you wondering if you ever want to come back home.

“I have this guitar that’s setup in D and I kept playing the hook line from the song on it”, Dyck says. “It sounds better lower, closer to the ground, harder to tip over. Lyrically it’s a look in the mirror, which for me at this time was a wet blanket of enlightenment reminding that there are things about yourself that you likely can’t change, natured and nurtured, like your eyes”.

Marinating in the success of his off brand twang is a new batch of material that sees the celebrated songwriter stepping further away from a genre defined by its traditions. It’s a sound underwritten by the richness of time that’s been unmoored by the wandering eye of creative expression. A sort of Mac DeMarco meets Merle Haggard mishmash, like a second mezcal negroni before dinner.

Following successful Canadian and European tours in 2023, with showcases at Reeperbahn in Hamburg and Come Together in Toronto, Skinny sets his sights on a new album in 2024.