New album grows out of experience of musician in recovery

PORT CLINTON — If "keeping it real" is still a virtue in music, look for the new album "What a Bummer" by the singer Paco Is Desperate! to attract some attention.The entire album was recorded in a closet at Light House Sober Living in Port Clinton, where the artist, known in real life as Ashlee Ryan Nunley, 21, lives as an addict in recovery.And the album itself, featuring titles such as "A For Effort, F for Posture" and "Nosebleed at the Indians Game," is an autobiographical chronicle of Nunley's life and the hard times he often went through.The approach of the album, carefully composed and tuneful, reflects the emo style music that Nunley is interested in, said Nunley, known as "Ryan" to his friends. He took a lo-fi approach to the sound, double tracking acoustic guitar and vocals to the jury-rigged recording studio he put together in a closet at Light House.Nunley explained that emo can be described as intimate, introspective music."This is the kind of stuff I'm going through," he said. "It's a tool and an outlet for the more negative emotions that I have."Born in Bellevue, Nunley grew up in Fremont, raised by his grandmother, Opal M. Nunley, 69. She died on Feb. 19 this year, a serious blow for Nunley."She was the best mom I could ever ask for," Nunley said.Nunley explained that he began using pot and alcohol at a young age, moving on to prescription pain pills and then to heroin and cocaine.But he also got interested in music early. He got a guitar for his birthday when he was 10, became more serious about learning it when he was 13 or 14 and was writing his own songs by age 16. His influences include Mineral (the first concert he ever attended) Elliott Smith and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.As a teen, Nunley romanticized tragic rock heroes such as Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Janis Joplin, who died from their addictions."To me, it was like, I want to be like them," he said. "I'm learning to recognize that's an unhealthy thing for me."The album is laced with blunt references to Nunley's recent past, including songs about his best friend, who moved away, and a young lady he loved who told him he was a mess.She wasn't wrong, Nunley admits. "I was a walking dead man."Kenn Bower Jr., the executive director of Light House Sober Living, said he supported the music project once he realized it was therapeutic for Nunley.In fact, when Nunley hit a snag in finishing the album, Bower encouraged Nunley to complete it."I knew it was important to him," Bowers said.He said Nunley has worked hard on his recovery and listens to Bower's feedback.As for the album, "At first it wasn't necessarily my style. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me," Bowers said. "Ultimately, whether it's my style, it's totally awesome."Nunley works as a cashier at a Port Clinton business and has performed at the "Fight for Recovery" open mike night at Main Street Cafe in Clyde. He is working on lining up gigs for the summer.Nunley has been a resident at Light House, which offers a sober living environment for men in recovery, since January. He isn't sure yet how long he'll stay."The longer I work on getting my life back together, after seven years of drug addiction, the more comes into focus. Right now, the focus is, I really need to find some routine and some positive things to grasp onto, so when I do decide to go back out into the world, I'm not unprepared," he said.Want to Listen?"What A Bummer," the new album by Paco Is Desperate!, can be streamed in its entirety for free at Bandcamp, pacoisdesperate.bandcamp.com. Downloads of the album are available at the same site for name-your-own-price, and CDs may be ordered for $7.Many of the songs also are available at the Paco Is Desperate! channel on YouTube.Ashlee Ryan Nunley stands with his guitar at Light House Sober Living in Port Clinton on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Ryan recorded an album while in recovery.Ashlee Ryan Nunley stands with his guitar at Light House Sober Living in Port Clinton on Thursday, June 1, 2017. Ryan recorded an album while in recovery.Ashlee Ryan Nunley describes how he layered his music while creating an album at Light House Sober Living in Port Clinton on Thursday, June 1, 2017.