Jay Rydel is an American singer, songwriter, and producer born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Blending pop, rock, soul, funk, folk, r&b, and hip-hop, his music captures a unique combination of many popular styles of music.

 

Since 2015, Jay has been a freelance musician playing 100+ shows a year. In 2020 he began releasing music as an independent artist. Songwriting, production, and audio engineering remain his focuses. Jay regularly shares the stage with incredible musicians and has been in the studio with some of Atlanta’s best.

 

Rydel was born into a family that valued music. His parents met as concert musicians. His mother a clarinetist and his father a trombonist, started piano lessons for him at age 4. His grandad was a singer and choir director at schools and churches. His grandmother, a descendant of the famous Hatfield clan, helped to raise him and his sister. Her famous advice she gave Jay everyday as he left the house was, “Be sweet”. They sang silly songs they made up on the spot, everyday.

 

In 2019 Jay travelled to Australia and played for his first international audiences. He travelled to Denmark and Germany in 2023 to play a festival. To this day, those shows are his most cherished memories on stage. Before moving back to Atlanta, he lived in Colorado for many years where he initially started his career in Denver.

 

Over the last few years, Rydel has been writing his debut album while back in Atlanta and plans to release it in 2026. He is also building a catalogue of music for TV and film. Teaching private music lessons, coaching Ultimate Frisbee, audio engineering, and playing in a wedding band are some of his current occupations.

 

Other than music, Jay is an athlete and loves to be outside. He recently became a scuba diver, he loves to snowboard, and in 2010 he won a gold medal in Ultimate Frisbee in Germany for the USA juniors team. The word ‘balance’ might be the best word to describe how he lives his life.