If you know Knuckle Puck, you know Ryan Rumchaks has always had another side to his songwriting. The solo releases have been there for years, sitting alongside the band rather than replacing it. Now the focus shifts.
Ryan’s new single My Old Wallet marks his first release since Peace of Mind and continues the quieter, more personal direction he explored on Around The Corner In The Near Future. The rollout reflects that approach too, arrived first on YouTube, then Bandcamp, before landing on streaming platforms on February 27.
The decision behind it is straightforward. “I’m simply ready to put all of my focus here. I owe it to myself.”
That mindset carries into how the music is made. Instead of leaning into heavy production, Ryan prefers leaving songs closer to how they were recorded.
“I don’t always like to touch things too much after recording them,” he says. “In an age where it’s so easy to lean on heavy production I find that stripping a lot of that back is just simply refreshing. It literally makes me feel happy to go see a band or artist play live and sound different than their recordings. There’s more life in the room that way, in my opinion.”
My Old Wallet sits in that space. Indie leaning, emo rooted, built around small details rather than big moments. The kind of song that feels familiar if you’ve followed his writing before, just presented with a different level of focus.
The influences behind this chapter reflect that shift. Jeff Tweedy, Lizzy McAlpine, Jack White, Elliott Smith, Anthony Green, Neil Young, Pat Egan and The Heavy Hearts. Artists known for trusting the song first.
There’s also a live plan already in motion, with Ryan aiming to bring these songs out both solo and with a full band. Letting them change night to night is part of the appeal.
This doesn’t feel like a reset. It feels like Ryan focusing in. My Old Wallet keeps the songwriting front and centre. Follow Ryan to stay up to date. Out on Bandcamp tomorrow.
