DYNAMIC ALTERNATIVE HIP-HOP DUO LYAN PARIS BURST ONTO THE SCENE WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA SIGNING AND DROP NEW SINGLE “PROBLEMS”
03 OCTOBER 2022 (Toronto, ON) – Universal Music Canada (UMC), the country’s leading music company, is proud to announce their latest artist signing, Toronto-based alternative hip-hop duo Lyan Paris. Comprised of Luke Marshall and Ryan Goulding, who at only 20-years old have been making music together for nearly a decade. Now, after years of collaboration, not to mention millions of TikTok views and independent song streams, are bursting out of the gate with a melodic and charismatic sound that reflects a generation.
Lyan Paris flaunt their talent with their first Universal Music Canada release “Problems,” a track bound to be a seminal break up song for the youth of today and reminiscent of artists who influenced their sound including Lil Peep, Drake, Juice WRLD and Post Malone. “Problems” affirms Lyan Paris’ apt creative capacity to capture the mainstream sound of their peers and make it uniquely their own with authentic vulnerability of personal experience. The song is released alongside the official music video directed by Nicolas Jandora (Bankroll Hayden, Lil Skies, Blackbear, 24KGoldn, Arizona Zervas: ‘Roxanne”) and follows the tormented band members through an apocalyptic world, avoiding a seemingly ominous reunion, a symbolic interpretation of escaping the dangers of a toxic relationship.
“Problems,” uncovers only a layer of Lyan Paris’ versatile style with so much more to discover in future releases. Their music is addictive, bursting with the heartfelt melody and naked lyricism, they’ll sing openly and honestly about heartbreak or drop some impressive bars about a good party. They easily slide from the celebratory highs of adolescence to the painful lows of dealing with anxiety. No matter what they’re doing, they’re always aiming for honesty and purity. That’s what makes their music so infectious.
Lyan Paris flaunt their talent with their first Universal Music Canada release “Problems,” a track bound to be a seminal break up song for the youth of today and reminiscent of artists who influenced their sound including Lil Peep, Drake, Juice WRLD and Post Malone. “Problems” affirms Lyan Paris’ apt creative capacity to capture the mainstream sound of their peers and make it uniquely their own with authentic vulnerability of personal experience. The song is released alongside the official music video directed by Nicolas Jandora (Bankroll Hayden, Lil Skies, Blackbear, 24KGoldn, Arizona Zervas: ‘Roxanne”) and follows the tormented band members through an apocalyptic world, avoiding a seemingly ominous reunion, a symbolic interpretation of escaping the dangers of a toxic relationship.
“Problems,” uncovers only a layer of Lyan Paris’ versatile style with so much more to discover in future releases. Their music is addictive, bursting with the heartfelt melody and naked lyricism, they’ll sing openly and honestly about heartbreak or drop some impressive bars about a good party. They easily slide from the celebratory highs of adolescence to the painful lows of dealing with anxiety. No matter what they’re doing, they’re always aiming for honesty and purity. That’s what makes their music so infectious.
The moniker “Lyan” combines both of their first names, Luke and Ryan, which is fitting because their history is so deeply intertwined. They’re so on the same wavelength – both in life and in the studio – that people often assume they’re twins, or at the very least brothers. “Sometimes, it’s like we’re the same person,” says Ryan. “We write together, we bounce ideas off of each other, we hype each other up. You get to be with your friend in the studio, just living your dream.”
Luke and Ryan started making music together in grade six at their school in Hamilton, Ontario. At first, they were just playing around, recording in Garageband on their parents’ iPhones and singing through T-Pain’s autotune app. Childhood drum lessons gave them a sense of rhythm, but a lack of musical training and a less-than-lively small-town scene made them reluctant to share their music. They’d release the odd song on SoundCloud but didn’t start taking it seriously until their friends started to get behind them in high school and ask them when they were going to drop something official.
That support gave them the confidence to start singing and sharing music on social media, first on now-defunct platforms like Vine and Musical.ly and then on TikTok. At first, it was mostly covers of rappers they admired. Despite the low-quality recordings, they were able to listen back and hear that they actually didn’t sound so far off, hitting the same notes as the artists they idolized and often impressing themselves with their delivery.
Soon, it wasn’t just their friends asking them to drop music, but also thousands of fans in their comments and DMs. So they got more personal, now rapping over open verse beats they found on TikTok with original verses and melodies. In 2021, a catchy duet with Chicago-based producer PdubCookin caught fire and they had another multi-million-view viral hit. This time, they rode the momentum right into the studio and developed the song into the certified banger “Dimes,” their debut single.
It’s connected with listeners and followers, many of whom send DMs letting the duo know how much a certain song or message meant to them. The communication goes both ways, with Ryan and Luke often checking in to see how their fans are doing. Music has helped Lyan Paris cope, and now they’re happy to be a voice for others and let people who might be going through a hard time know they’re not alone. Whether up or down, high or low, they’re not in it for the hype. They’re always genuine, never fake.
They’re letting that multidimensional approach guide them as they continue to explode. Next up: more studio time, more recording, finally getting on stage, and ultimately a full album to show the world just what they are capable of.
Photo credit: James Baxter