Ontario Songwriter Turns Personal Adversity into a New Music Career with First Official Release
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. — Niagara-on-the-Lake musician Ryan Bissell has released his debut single, “Get Up Get Ready,” introducing listeners to an alt-folk rock sound shaped by years of unrealized songwriting and a life-changing personal experience. Produced by Paul Gigliotti and released independently through Bissell’s own label, the track marks the beginning of a growing catalogue that emerged under extraordinary circumstances.
The release signals the arrival of a songwriter whose creative journey took an unconventional path. Although Bissell has played guitar and sung since childhood, he spent decades developing melodies and lyrical ideas without completing full compositions. That changed in 2023 after a serious injury prompted an unexpected creative breakthrough.
A Life-Changing Accident Sparked a Wave of Songwriting
Bissell’s transition from unfinished musical ideas to completed songs began following a vacation accident in Costa Rica in February 2023. A stingray sting left him with a six-inch wound that remained unhealed for six months, leading to prolonged medical treatment and significant personal challenges.
According to the artist, months of antibiotics disrupted his health and triggered severe insomnia, leaving him awake through much of the night. During that period, music became both a creative outlet and a means of coping.
Before then, Bissell’s songwriting largely consisted of improvised melodies and lyrical fragments rather than structured compositions. The discipline required to transform those ideas into complete songs had never appealed to him in the same way as spontaneous creativity.
Faced with long nights and limited rest, he challenged himself to complete a single song. That initial effort quickly evolved into a steady stream of writing, with new material arriving almost effortlessly. Some evenings, he awoke with complete songs already formed in his mind, allowing him to sit down and perform them as though they had always existed.
The unexpected burst of creativity reignited a passion for music that had remained dormant for much of the previous decade.
Working with Canadian Producer Paul Gigliotti
Debut Single Captures a Moment of Urgency and Transformation
As his catalogue expanded, Bissell partnered with producer and musician Paul Gigliotti to bring the songs into the recording studio. Gigliotti is widely recognized as one half of the Canadian pop-rock duo Wave and worked with Bissell to shape the recordings for release.
The debut single, “Get Up Get Ready,” reflects the urgency and momentum that defined Bissell’s songwriting resurgence.
The song opens with the lyric, “Five more minutes ‘til the van’s here, how can you just stand there,” before building into a driving arrangement that leads to the repeated chorus, “Get up, come on get ready, for anything.”
The lyrics portray a pivotal moment just before significant change, mirroring the personal transformation that inspired the music. The energetic arrangement reinforces themes of resilience, readiness and embracing the unknown.
The release serves as the first public introduction to a broader body of work that Bissell developed during months of late-night writing sessions.
Independent Release Marks the Beginning of a Growing Catalogue
With “Get Up Get Ready” now available, Ryan Bissell begins a new chapter as a recording artist after years of quietly developing his musical abilities.
His story stands out for the unusual path that led to his debut—from decades of unfinished ideas to a prolific period of songwriting sparked by recovery from injury and months of insomnia. What began as a personal challenge to complete a single composition ultimately evolved into an expanding catalogue of original music.
Produced by Paul Gigliotti and released through Bissell’s independent label, the debut single introduces an artist whose music is rooted in perseverance and personal experience. As listeners discover “Get Up Get Ready,” Bissell presents the first chapter of a catalogue created one late-night song at a time.