Out country music artist Bryan Ruby’s new EP Playing With Fire plays like a love letter to unforgettable summer nights and the moments that happen between sunset and sunrise.
In 2021, Ruby made history as the only active out and proud gay pro-baseball player at the time. Since then, he headed for Nashville where he swapped his cleats for a guitar and earned recognition as one of Nashville Scene’s 2026 Artists to Watch.
The lyrics for the opening track from the new collection, “Both Sides Of The Sun,” set the scene for a perfect summer night from dusk to dawn.
Ruby says the inspiration for the new EP came during a camping trip with friends along the Oregon coast following a romantic breakup.
“One night we were sitting around a campfire, picking guitars and singing songs under the stars,” Ruby told RAGE Monthly in a recent interview.
“Somewhere in that moment, I realized there was a whole story to tell. That trip became the spark for Playing With Fire — the idea of one unforgettable night around a bonfire where you take a chance on love again.”
The former pro-baseball player adds that every song is a different moment in the story.
From showing up to the party in “Both Sides of the Sun,” to locking eyes with someone new across the bonfire in “Bonfire,” to feelings beginning to grow in “Linger,” to finding something steady and lasting in “Controlled Burn.”
You can listen to my 2023 podcast chat with the talented Mr. Ruby here.
The six-song EP Playing With Fire is now available on all major streaming platforms. For tour dates and more info, visit bryanrubymusic.com.
(lead photo credit: Jake Robinson)
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