Interview: The Genre-Bending World of Rynellton. From Humbling Church Benches to Global Recognition

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PRODIGY. ARCHITECT. MOGUL:

In an industry dominated by programmed loops and artificial intelligence, Rynellton (born Garry D. Hairston) stands as a rare, genre-defying purist. Affectionately dubbed the “one-man music man,” the North Carolina native has quietly constructed an independent music empire alongside his wife and primary collaborator, the British pop-soul powerhouse TaniA Kyllikki. Together, as Co-CEOs of their imprint, Awe Inspiring Records, they have shattered the traditional barriers of the music business, earning the title of an indie “power couple” with global chart-topping success, while gathering continuous praise across global magazines, blogs, and music reviews.

Rynellton’s musical trajectory was practically written in his DNA. Raised in a deeply musical family, he was recognised early on as a childhood prodigy who possessed a natural, God-given gift to play complex instrumentation entirely by ear. Drums and guitar initially caught his attention, but by age 8, his prodigious talents pivoted toward the intricate textures of the piano and organ. By age 9, he was already writing his first original compositions, and by age 10, the young prodigy was not just practicing scales, he was entirely commanding full church services as a multi-instrumentalist.

As a teenager, Rynellton’s technical evolution exploded. He quickly began surpassing the local veteran musicians he had grown up admiring, building a vast discography of original music before even reaching adulthood. Local artists sought out his sharp ear for arrangement. Because he understood musical placement so inherently, Rynellton became a crucial bridge in his community, uniting formally trained musicians who read sheet music with soulful players who created entirely by ear. This rare gift earned him numerous local awards, TV appearances, and opened doors to play for legendary gospel groups opening for icons like Hezekiah Walker, John P. Kee, and Shirley Caesar.

But Rynellton refused to be boxed into a single genre. He polished his live skills across multiple bands, embracing everything from funk, jazz, hiphop, house, classical, pop, R&B, soul, and more. With both Rynellton and TaniA Kyllikki being genre defining daredevils, this complete mastery of the musical spectrum is what laid the groundwork for their label, Awe Inspiring Records. Born from an instant online musical chemistry between Rynellton and TaniA, the label is designed to give the world organic music that heals, uplifts, and connects across all races, ages, and cultures.

Exclusive Interview with Rynellton:

The Hype Magazine:

1.) Your journey began as a childhood prodigy in North Carolina, mastering the piano and organ and tackling the drums. How does having such a foundational, multi-instrumental understanding shape the way you build a track from scratch today?

Rynellton:

Growing up around and hearing live music taught me what things could sound like. So, when I started playing, I had a sort of photographic memory for audio. I could instantly identify which placements sounded better together. Knowing how to play these instruments and understanding how they work really helps when it comes to structuring tracks. However, once I mastered the process, I realised I had complete control over how to form those placements.

The Hype Magazine:

2.) By age ten, you were already playing full church services and wrote your first song at nine. Looking back, what was it like carrying the title of a prodigy at such a young age, and how did that intense church environment accelerate your growth?

Rynellton:

I never carried the title of “prodigy” myself. That was left up to others and how they viewed what I was doing at an early age without any formal training. I was just a little boy doing what he loved. The church experience was a great one. Church taught me discipline, meaning I needed to learn how to play with other musicians and accompany singers. The experience also helped me build confidence. I was a very shy kid at times, but being put in front of a full church congregation that expects you to perform is humbling. Even if you make a mistake, there is nowhere to hide! lol. Those experiences truly helped shape me into the musician I am today.

The Hype Magazine:

3.) As a teenager, you were already surpassing local veteran musicians and building your own discography. What was it like navigating that rapid artistic evolution while still growing up, and how did you keep yourself grounded?

Rynellton:

Before I was ever behind a drum set or a piano, music was already in my veins. I remember being about four or five years old and gathering my mother’s pots and pans, magazines, a pair of scissors for a hi-hat sound, and two pencils or sticks to play along with records on my homemade drum set, lol. I even took a white cardboard box, turned it upside down, drew piano keys on it, and pretended to play. That’s when my uncle recommended that my mother buy me an organ or something. I was still only about 5. I was learning at a rapid pace, scratching up all my mom’s albums trying to learn everything I heard.

I also heard music in my mind, sort of like having my own radio stations in my head. Music ideas would come to me while I was in school, so I’d write down the lyrics during study hall. Even earlier, in first grade, I’d be tapping my pencils on my desk when ideas came. I couldn’t help it; music just flooded my thoughts so much. By my early teens, I would come across people who read and studied music asking me how I did what I do. I couldn’t really explain it other than it being a gift from God. Plus, my mom had asked our pastor to pray for my brother and me so that we would do something in the church. She told him I was interested in playing music, so he prayed over my hands and blessed them. All of these things have kept me humbled all these years.

The Hype Magazine:

4.) You gained local recognition and awards for being a “bridge” between musicians who read music and those who play entirely by ear. How do you use that unique gift of understanding musical placement when collaborating with international artists today?

Rynellton:

I think I was given some of those awards as a way of them saying thank you. In my earlier days, my ability to learn everything entirely by ear amazed people who only read sheet music, or who played by ear but didn’t pick things up easily. There was one particular setting where one individual relied entirely on charting out and reading sheet music for everything. Then there was another individual who was visually impaired but could sing and play beautifully. However, his old-school, jazzy style clashed with the other musician, who was more classical.

I understood them both, so I was able to fuse them together. I could listen to one stanza and play along the next time around with them, improvising as we went. This allowed them to be themselves while comfortably stepping out of their comfort zones. I guess it was like being an interpreter, but through musical instruments. Most of the time, I can interpret what a person wants when they describe a song idea to me, 90% of the time, if not more. I listen to what they say, as well as how they’re singing or playing. I try to imagine and feel what they’re feeling, and then bring it to life. That’s how TaniA and I began.

The Hype Magazine:

5.) During your career, you’ve played for groups opening for gospel royalty like Hezekiah Walker, John P. Kee, and Shirley Caesar. What is the most valuable lesson you learned from sharing stages with such legendary, spirit-led performers?

Rynellton:

First, I’d like to say many thanks to all my musician friends who believed in and trusted me to be a part of their local platforms. They remembered me and invited me to help them in big situations, like opening up for major artists. I saw and learned so much from those experiences, such as professionalism, unity, and the ability to do it all with excellence and confidence. I also thank God for the gift that led to those opportunities.

The Hype Magazine:

6.) While your roots are in gospel, your work seamlessly incorporates multiple genres. How do you decide which genre elements to pull from when creating the unique sonic backdrop for TaniA Kyllikki’s powerhouse vocals?

Rynellton:

My roots include gospel, but I listened to every genre. I heard multiple genres whether it was live, on television, the radio, or records. The one thing I noticed about TaniA in a very short time was that she has so many layers to her. By that, I mean she can sing multiple styles and genres. It’s exciting working with her because her creativity isn’t kept in a box. This works great for me because I’m an explorer and an experimentalist. I love to test musical elements.

The Hype Magazine:

7.) You and TaniA met online through music and experienced an instant creative chemistry. When did you both realize that your connection wasn’t just a great collaboration, but a true “power couple” partnership capable of launching a global record label?

Rynellton:

I think we knew instantly once we started working together, long before it was made public. However, once the response to our endeavors started coming back, we felt compelled to do something greater, larger, and take things to another level.

The Hype Magazine:

8.) As Co-Owners of Awe Inspiring Records, you have put TaniA at the forefront as the main artist. How do you balance your role as her primary producer and musical architect with the business side of promoting and running an independent company?

Rynellton:

TaniA and I work together beautifully, complimenting each other because we recognize our individual strengths and weaknesses. My role as a producer comes easily because we communicate so well. There is no competition or ego, so I have no problem working alongside her. I’m always considering and keeping her best interests at heart when it comes to offers, plans, deals, promotions, and things like that. At the end of the day, she’s not just an artist, she’s my wife and my best friend, so I have to do my best to look out for her while giving her the best chances to succeed.

The Hype Magazine:

9.) Your label’s mission is to deliver organic music that spreads love, healing, and truth across all cultures, races, and ages. In a modern music landscape that often prioritizes trends and algorithms, how do you keep your production process strictly organic?

Rynellton:

If you are trying to do something just to keep up with the trends, it makes you feel the need to follow. But if you’re innovative, then you create and start trends instead of following the current ones. That way of thinking comes from a flat-out refusal to be labeled or put in a box.

The Hype Magazine:

10.) The ultimate vision for Awe Inspiring Records future is to build a physical and creative refuge for fellow musicians and songwriters to collaborate. How are you actively building your label to be a safe haven for independent creators?

Rynellton:

By starting our own revolution and continuing to push the boundaries with total creative freedom, we will welcome the future generation of independent artists. These are the artists who seek the freedom to find and become the absolute best versions of themselves.

The Hype Magazine:

11.) Your partnership has famously shaped TaniA’s musical evolution, transforming her into a bold, multi-genre chameleon. How did you work behind the boards to push her out of her comfort zone and guide her through genres she hadn’t explored before?

Rynellton:

Honestly, TaniA has always been a musical explorer from her earliest moments. She just didn’t necessarily recognize it or identify it the way I did. Keep in mind, she was just being herself, and I was listening from the outside of her inward experience. All I had to do was listen, and upon listening, you immediately became aware that TaniA was, and is, special. The multi-layered style and sound were always there.

The Hype Magazine:

12.) TaniA possesses an incredible five-octave range, but it takes immense trust to unlock that level of vulnerability. How did you push her to come out of her shell and unleash those deep, hidden layers of her artistry that you knew were there all along?

Rynellton:

As I mentioned before, those layers were already there. TaniA loved holding long notes and singing in her light lyric register. Once, she was talking about experimenting with her range to check how low she could sing. I heard a richness in those lower octaves that she hadn’t used very much. She wasn’t keen on it at first, but then I remember her covering Toni Braxton’s song “Unbreak My Heart,” as well as a cover of “Goldfinger” from the James Bond movie. When you think about the fact that this woman has done covers from artists including Etta James, Charlotte Church, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Minnie Riperton, wow, that is an incredible amount of range.

The Hype Magazine:

13.) Her highly anticipated album FREE-SPIRITED represents a major milestone for your label. Can you pull back the curtain on your role in shaping the sonic architecture of this record, and how it pushes the boundaries of organic, healing music?

Rynellton:

Of course, I could pull back the curtain to reveal what’s coming next, but that would ruin the surprise. I like surprises, don’t you? However, I will say it is a giant step forward in our evolution from one project to the next. TaniA is the architect behind the healing, using her lyrics, arrangement ideas, and voice. I’m simply the painter adding some colours.

One thing I remember from growing up is being so excited about opening a gift, whether it was for Christmas, a birthday, or whatever. I also remember buying my favourite artists’ albums, cassettes, or CDs just because of the hit song I liked on the radio. But after listening to the album in its entirety, I would discover songs that were like hidden gems and be so pleasantly surprised. That is what I mean by a gift. You usually wrap a gift up in a box, and the person gets the experience of being totally surprised. That is how I choose to describe FREE-SPIRITED. It is our gift from us to all of you.

The Hype Magazine:

14.) With FREE-SPIRITED capturing the world’s attention and Awe Inspiring Records continuously growing, what is planned next for you? What is coming down the pipeline that fans and the industry should keep their eyes on?

Rynellton:

We obviously love and are deeply passionate about the music we make. So, we will continue to deliver our art to everyone. There are many ways that we can expand our reach, and we are always looking for new ways to do so. All I can say is that we are incredibly excited for the future and what we have planned. We also are so appreciative, grateful, and thankful for all the support from our fans and the media! We thank God for the opportunity and for our gifts. And I thank you for this interview. Much success to everyone who is on their own musical journey. You can do this!

Website: Awe Inspiring Records

Out Now Worldwide: HUMAN