Found in the Inbox: Ryan Cabrera Burns It Down on “House On Fire”

Most people met Ryan Cabrera through a run of mid-2000s radio staples: “On the Way Down,” “True” and “Shine On,” along with Take It All Away, the 2004 album that reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The campaign Rive Video Promotion sent us for “House On Fire” opened with a challenge to that memory: “You might think that you know Ryan Cabrera.”

The single belonged to a 2014 reset. Cabrera was preparing a new EP and his fifth full-length album, and the campaign framed both as the most direct version of him listeners had heard.

A slow start, then a spark in Nashville

According to the release notes, the new songs did not arrive quickly. Cabrera began writing in 2009 but spent the following years cataloging ideas, painting the walls of his home with original work and visiting hospitals around the country to spend time with sick children and young adults. He also launched Live From Ryan’s Living Room, a bi-monthly series streamed on StageIt, with proceeds from online tickets going to charity. Guests included Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Billy Ray Cyrus and We The Kings.

The turning point came in 2013, when he wrote “I See Love” in Nashville with Nathan Chapman, known for his work with Taylor Swift. “That sparked the mindset of the new album,” Cabrera says in the campaign. “It was about writing songs that are real and honest. It was, ‘Write what you love and are passionate about.'”

Two people, every instrument

Back in Los Angeles, Cabrera worked with producer Justin Gray, whose credits include Mariah Carey, John Legend and Amy Winehouse. The campaign says the pair wrote and performed most of the album themselves, playing all of the instruments. Cabrera calls the result “organic pop music,” adding: “We weren’t trying to be anything or fit any kind of mold. It was just music we dug.”

“House On Fire” is described as moving from a percussive, tribal intro into its refrain, and Cabrera’s explanation is simple: “It’s about burning everything down and being crazy while you can. You’re living in the moment and enjoying everything you do.” He goes further: “A lot of people are afraid to let themselves go, be passionate, and express their feelings. You’ve got to burn it all down—even if just for one night.”

The same notes point to “Everest,” a song about reaching for “the highest spot” in everything you do, and “All We Have,” a love song about a relationship that got away. Together they sketch a record built around optimism rather than image.

Why it was in the inbox

The most revealing line in the campaign is Cabrera’s own: “My career has been about a lot of things from the outside. The focus unfortunately shifted to what my hair was like or who I was dating. That’s not why I started playing music.” “House On Fire” was his argument that the songs should come first. “I want people to think of the songs before they think of me,” he said. “It starts now.”

Listen to “House On Fire”

Release details and quotes from Rive Video Promotion’s 2014 campaign for “House On Fire.” Official audio from Ryan Cabrera’s YouTube channel.