By Vanessa Blankenship
Photograph by Donnie Hedden

Ryan Bingham, the Grammy-winning songwriter, is more than just a country star. Bingham’s songs lie within the realm of folk, country and blues and give listeners an insight into his often-heartbreaking life stories. Most of his songs are inspired by the music he listened to and his childhood growing up all over New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and California. At the age of 16, music became Bingham’s identity after his mother gave him his first guitar. “Once I kind of learned a few chords and started to create this music, it really became my voice, in a way, to process the world around me and make sense of things,” Bingham says.

The artist is best known for his song “The Weary Kind,” featured in the film Crazy Heart, for which he won an Oscar. The lyrics tell the tragic story of his alcoholic father, whom he lost to suicide. Currently, he’s working on songs for an upcoming acoustic album and filming for Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone.” On the modern Western series, Bingham plays a cowboy named Walker, who works on the Dutton Ranch. Bingham is also excited to return to Austin this November to play two nights at the Paramount Theatre.

“I really have a lot of respect for the city and the community that supported a young songwriter starting out playing songs and all of the different venues where you can go perform and cut your teeth and learn your craft,” Bingham says. “I always look forward to coming back to Austin. It’s a special place for me because of that alone.”