Editor’s Note Inland Years is the home-recorded indie project of Brooklyn-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Daniels.
The project’s sound, according to its bio, is a mix of “fuzzy jangle, lo-fi pop, and melodic noise”, with songs that are “short, emotionally resonant songs that echo the tape-hiss warmth of the ’60s and the DIY immediacy of the ’90s. Fans of Guided By Voices, The Byrds, and Bill Fox will find familiar touchstones here. Jangly guitars, bittersweet melodies, and raw, unpolished charm.”
For the project, which started as a song-a-month project during the pandemic, Daniels writes, performs, and records every instrument himself. He heavily favors “analog imperfections and textured stereo blends that turn each track into a small, self-contained world.” His experiences living in urban New York and out-of-city escapes has seeped into the songs, with themes of isolation, nostalgia, and reckoning present.
Earlier this year, Daniels had an opportunity to record and reimagine songs from past releases with a full band at Studio A at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY. He was backed a talented band made up of Daru Oda (vocals & tamborine), Michael Figgiani (bass), Shane Kerton (drums), and Andy Plovnick (keys). On Friday, Inland Years will release an EP from those sessions, entitled The Bunker Sessions.
You can stream the release below via Bandcamp:
To further celebrate the sessions and EP, Inland Years is excited to share video captured from the session for their entry into SWT’s Water Tower Sessions. Daniels also penned an accompanying essay about the session’s backstory.
Inland Years: “The Bunker Sessions”
The approach was simple. Capture everything live, no overdubs, no fixing it later. The truest form of music. Raw and intentional. It wasn’t about perfection; it was about presence. The goal was to bottle that rare moment when sound, space, and people all fall into the same rhythm.
The visual setup was simple, too. A few iPhones were placed around the room, catching different angles while the band played. No intention of overproducing; just sharing whatever came out.
This is Inland Years live in Studio A at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Inland Years – The Bunker Sessions – “Fuck Your Notoriety”
Inland Years began quietly as the home recording project of Ryan Daniels. Late at night, trying to turn restlessness into melody. His music lives in a space between DIY demos and shimmering jangly pop. Moments of quiet acoustic reflection one minute contrasts with layers of sound buried in hiss the next.
This session was different. It was the first time he had recorded with a full band outside of his home and without the comfort of multiple takes. Accompanied by Andy Plovnick on keyboards, Michael Figgiani on bass, Shane Kerton on drums and Daru Oda on vocals.
The session included three songs. “Fuck Your Notoriety” and “Same Old Town” from Daniels’ 2023 release 14 songs on Oliver Glenn Recordings, as well as “Make You Feel Better” from his 2025 release Keep your eyes on the road out on the Japanese label BSDJ. Each one takes on a completely new shape with this newly formed band.
Inland Years – The Bunker Sessions – “Same Old Town”
The Bunker Studio is in Southside Williamsburg, open in its current location since 2011.
Founded in 2005 and originally based out of a basement loft apartment nearby, hence the name.
The studio has been involved with a wide spectrum of artists over the years, including: Brad Mehldau, Yo La Tengo, Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Brian Blade, Parquet Courts, Big Thief, Mary Halvorsen, DIIV, Ryuchi Sakamoto, Iggy Pop, and US Girls. So quite an eclectic mix of incredible jazz, indie, and legendary icons coming to make music.
Aside from the incredible mic locker, brimming with vintage offerings from Neumann, RCA, and others, the centerpiece of the studio is the 1970s Neve 80-series console. Formerly in service at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ, the console has been a part of some amazing records in its time.
This session was masterfully engineered live by Jasper Leach and Lillian Slattery while Ricardo Lopez and Nick Hartman orchestrated the filming.
The group played together in the main room. Pine-paneled walls, audio pane separators, but all within view of each other and close enough to hear every string scrape. The entirety of the session was recorded in just a few hours with two or three takes on each track before moving on. That rare mix of looseness and intention.
Inland Years – The Bunker Sessions – “Make You Feel Better”
Inland Years has already started to build a reputation. The latest album has been commended by indie music blogs and critics alike. The songs have also found a home on national and college radio stations, including NPR, WFMU, and KXLU, amongst others.
The Bunker Sessions feel compact, emotional, and easy to get lost in. Fragile but still showing the same care and intention that runs through the album recordings. The performance itself feels close, like you are in the room watching it unfold. You can feel the air, see the hesitant ”are you ready?” glances before each take, and hear the “I fucked up” and “just leave it” commentary throughout. Imperfection as its own perfection.
Inland Years’ “The Bunker Sessions” is out today exclusively on Bandcamp, and you can see the full performance on SWT’s YouTube page.
You can connect with and listen to Inland Years with these links:
Their website: Inlandyears.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/InlandYears
Bandcamp: Inlandyears.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: Youtube.com/@Inlandyears
Ryan Daniels
Contributor
Ryan is a Brooklyn-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who performs as indie band Inland Years
