RY X

Ry Cuming^[4] was born on 6 May 1988 on Woodford Island, where he became a surfer.^[5] He now resides in California.^[6]

Cuming has cited Pearl Jam and Jeff Buckley as his greatest influences;^[7] he started writing music at the age of 16 after hearing Buckley's 1994 album Grace.^[7] His song "Let Your Spirit Fly" appeared on the soundtrack of the 2006 film Hoot. Cuming then moved to Los Angeles, where he was signed by Jive Records, releasing his self-titled debut album on 20 July 2010.^[8] He briefly toured with Maroon 5, becoming their opening act in select venues.^[1]

Cuming won the 2010 Dolphin Awards for "Best Pop Song" and "Best New Artist".^[9] In 2012, he collaborated with Frank Wiedemann to release "Howling" on the German record label Innervisions, including a remix by Âme.^[4] Cuming's EP Berlin, released on 28 August 2013,^[10] was made available as 12" vinyl and digital. The title track charted in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.^[11][12][13] The track also caught the attention of singer Sam Smith, who covered it.^[14]

In 2014, Cuming became the lead singer of the band The Acid, which he formed with Adam Freeland and Steve Nalepa. The trio released an album titled Liminal, in July 2014.^[15] Together with Wiedemann he formed the band Howling and released a full length album Sacred Ground on Ninja Tune and Monkeytown Records. Cuming's single "Howling" was featured in the movie Everything, Everything. The remix by Âme was featured in the movie Taken 3.

In May 2016, Cuming released his second album Dawn through Infectious Records and Loma Vista Records.^[16] The album charted at number 34 in the UK Album Charts as well as charting in Germany, France, Canada, and Australia.^[17] It gained favourable reception from the media, with a New York Times review saying, "His voice is a pearly, androgynous tenor, a vessel for liquid melancholy that blurs words at the edges. He stretches pop structures with repetition that grows devotional, obsessive, hypnotic."^[16] In support of the album, Coming began an extensive tour across Europe and the U.S. as well as appearing at many festivals throughout 2016, such as Barn on the Farm and the Montreux Jazz Festival.^[18]

Cuming's third studio album, Unfurl, was released in February 2019 via Infectious Music.^[19] The single "Untold" was released from the album in October 2018, which coincided with the beginning of his global tour.^[20][21]

“Cuming has previously appeared on tracks by Diplo, ODESZA, Duke Dumont, and Black Coffee, and was commissioned to remix Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain”.”^[22]

Blood Moon, Cuming's fourth album, was released in June 2022 via BMG.^[23] The album was recorded, produced and engineered almost entirely by Cuming at his home studio in Topanga.^[24] Blood Moon was released on the same day as Drake's album Honestly, Nevermind. "It was a dual celebration for RY X, who co-wrote and co-produced the Honestly, Nevermind track “Sticky”.”^[22] Blood Moon features collaborator Ólafur Arnalds on the track, "Colorblind".^[25] The project also took Cuming to Iceland to collaborate with Imre and Marne Van Opstal and nature photographer Benjamin Hardman for the official videos of "Your Love" and "Come Back".^[26] Blood Moon Remixes was released the following year, in June 2023.^[27]

Moths was released in September 2023 with its debut on Youtube with the official video, shot in the Sahara desert.^[28]

Cuming, performing as RY X, has played non-traditional venues throughout his career, including a Cercle livestreamed show from Brazil's Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.^[29] In 2021, Cuming performed a livestream show produced by Driift from Vibiana Cathedral.^[30] In September 2023, Cuming performed at London's St. Paul's Cathedral with the London Contemporary Orchestra.^[31] It was said that this show sold out so quickly, the waitlist consisted of over 4000 people.^[32]