Ryan Hurd Says He Feels ‘Really Lucky’ to Be on Platonic Tour (Exclusive)

Ryan Hurd kicked off his Platonic Tour on Jan. 30 in Columbus, and he’s already played four shows, including a sold-out stop in Nashville. The trek continues through the end of March, and Hurd told PopCulture.com that being out on his very own tour is still a surreal feeling.

“We did a lot of headline shows last year but this feels like the first ever package,” the Michigan native said. “The tour’s got a name, and it’s got openers, Niko Moon and Joey Hyde, and we’re taking Adam Doleac out later on the back half of this tour. And it’s cool.”

“I still don’t think anyone’s gonna come,” he joked. “I’m like, ‘Man, what if they find something better to do?’ You’re just always nervous about stuff like that. But I think it’s a good kind of nerves. I don’t take any piece of this for granted. And I’m really lucky to get to play these songs for people that are here to hear those songs. It’s something that’s really special to me.”

The Platonic Tour is in support of Hurd’s Platonic EP, which was released last year and contains his current single “To A T.”

“I think that Platonic is just an extension of what we did with ‘To A T,’” Hurd shared. “I think we’ve kind of found a sound, so we’re just in this groove sonically that feels like what I wanna do. And that’s a really special thing to be able to experiment and to figure out what the sound is gonna be. I think it’s our best work, and I’m really excited to keep pushing our stuff in that direction.”

Along with writing his own songs, Hurd has also found success writing for other artists and has penned hits for Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum and more, explaining that he couldn’t see himself as an artist without also being a songwriter.

“I think I take the pressure off of my artist side by kind of chasing down songs with other artists and it’s how I started,” he said. “I really love that part of what I do. I think about my career as a pair of shoes. Got a left one and a right one, and I can’t really do it without both of them. I’ve had so many opportunities open up because of my artist career, just getting to know people, and I’ve also had just so many opportunities open because of my songwriting.”

“I’m just really blessed to get to do both things,” he continued. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep both of those balls up in the air juggling, you know what I mean? But it’s just been such a cool year, and such a cool thing seeing ‘To A T’ finally crack the Top 20 and feeling like the writing side’s still viable for me. I’m really just a lucky dude.”

Photo Credit: Getty / Jason Kempin