KTR History
Half of the story of KTR begins with Craig's List and an ad for musicians wanted. While working in Portland in 2006, Ryan Mosher met Ryan Ferris of Happy Fun Time Recording through the ad. They both lived in Salem at the time and got together on a weekly basis to jam. A friend of Ferris', Ryan Booth, soon entered the picture. The weekly jams continued for a couple months, but didn't amount to much more than messing around. Mosher continued working with Ferris throughout the Spring of 2007 to record some song compositions that he had written.
Meanwhile, the other half of the puzzle was being pieced together. Joe Kyle and Russ Thomas met at a local construction company that they both worked for in 2006. They began writing and playing together throughout 2006 and 2007 under the name Kyle Thomas. Several shows into their endeavor, they began talks on bringing in more members to create a full band.
In June 2007, Booth approached Mosher and suggested that he meet Joe Kyle, who was then working at McMenamin's Boon's Treasury, a pub in Salem that Booth often frequented. Since Joe and Russ had been discussing a full band, Joe decided to give it a shot. The three had an initial jam session and immediately realized that there was musical chemistry. After jamming a few times and playing at a family barbecue with Joe's material, Russ was added to the band lineup and work began on bringing his material into the mix.
Slowly and steadily, the band built a song catalog and developed a unique musical style. The band played a handful of shows under the name of 'Messenger' in 2008. However, since the band's catalog was based on the song writing styles of both Joe Kyle and Russ Thomas, it was renamed 'Kyle Thomas,' as it was originally in 2006. In order to add an additional uniqueness, the rhythm section's names, Ryan Mosher and Ryan Booth, were added. Thus, Kyle Thomas and the Ryan's was born.
KTR began to really take off in early 2009 with the recording of the band's first studio demo and the establishment of KTR Entertainment, a business that promotes and supports the band and other independent artists. The 2009
season included over 15 shows, the planning and execution of the Keizer Labor Day Music Festival, and countless business connections for the band and the business. KTR's song catalog currently includes over 30 songs with another 30+ more on the back burner. The band is working on completing their 2010 Studio Demo that will feature four to five new songs. The demo will be available for purchase in March or April of 2010.
Please stay tuned as KTR continues forward. The band and the business are just getting started and there is a promising future that lies ahead!
