This Must-Follow Denver Account Spotlights Local Talent

The Hail Denver Music Instagram page boasts a collection of clips that peek into the artistic stylings of musicians from all over Denver. Some show indie and folk artists strumming softly on acoustic guitars, while others are shots of musicians mixing electronic beats and pounding on keyboards. But each of the videos makes one thing abundantly clear: Denver is ripe with musical talent, and Ryan Leavelle, the man behind the camera, knows how to capture it.

Leavelle, a musician himself, has been playing the guitar since he was fourteen. In 2013, he moved from New Orleans to the Mile High City to be closer to his family, and he's been entrenched in the Denver music scene ever since. A ska expert and multi-genre dabbler, Leavelle is in a melodic punk group called Hotel Bar as well as the country ska band Skank Williams, and often covers guitar, keys and vocals.

In 2023, Leavelle got his hands on a professional camera, and his interest in videography bloomed. In the past year, he's done promotional videos for friends who host podcasts and educational clips about a local mushroom farmer; in February, he even began working on a horror movie.

"I've always wanted to do [videography], so I just started learning — just looking at YouTube stuff and learning how to color-grade," he says. "I always had a fun time making movies and stuff [in high school]. So I picked it back up and started learning how to do it again. I thought it would be fun."

In June, inspiration struck for another filming project: helping other local musicians promote their music online. "I knew a lot of really awesome musicians around town, and I feel like a lot of singer-songwriter types are bad at promoting their own music. They kind of need a little nudge to get them to make something cool," he explains.

"That's really the whole thing," he adds. "I have a lot of respect for musicians around town, and I have a good time doing it."

Now he rolls around Denver filming performances with professional cameras and microphones — for free — then edits and uploads the clips to his Hail Denver Music Instagram. Leavelle's first video showcased Ian Gassman, the drummer of Hotel Bar and a longtime friend. Eventually, other Denver musicians caught a whiff of his project and began to reach out.

Each video is simple and honest — a straightforward shot of a musician sharing tidbits of their work and life. Leavelle records the videos in the artist's home, capturing them in the environment that is the most comfortable and genuine. "Aesthetically, it's fun to go into their space where they actually spend a lot of their time during the creative process," he says.

He sets up lights, shoots a couple of quick test takes and then gives the musicians free rein. He asks them questions while he's setting up, and clips of their playful chatter serve as the video's introduction. "It's fun for me to ask them questions about how they started and how long they've been doing it, and the types of things that they've been up to and the projects they're in," he says, adding that he gets to know each artist better through the filming process.

One of his most interesting conversations was with musician and songwriter John Hyde, an old friend of Leavelle's. The pair spent some recording time chatting about kids, family, and how life unfolded as they aged.

"A lot of these people...are closer to my age as well," says Leavelle, who is 38. "That was an interesting conversation [with Hyde], just learning how music can fall off the wall and to the side for a bit when your life changes so much. Hyde loved playing music, and it was awesome seeing him get back into it."

The project is about publicity, but also a celebration of self. "It's hail yourself — look at you going out there and making stuff and doing things. It's all about showing that appreciation, like exalting your friends and saying, 'You're awesome for doing what you do and sticking with it,'" he says. "Like, hell, you kick ass."

Leavelle records as many songs as the musicians want, publishing one on Instagram and giving the rest to the artists. He promises that as long as artists are interested, he'll keep the project running. "I just hope that people can watch them and gain appreciation for the musicians around their town," he says. "There's so many other projects and larger touring acts and things that can suck the air out of the room for people who are just as talented if not more so, that'll just be playing at Lion's Lair that night."

Pointing to algorithms on streaming platforms like Spotify, Leavelle believes changes in music consumption are responsible for constantly pushing big names to listeners' ears. Hail Denver is a fresh reminder that unimaginable talent lies behind the doors of small local venues such as hi-dive, Lion's Lair and the Mercury Cafe, too.

"People really appreciate it when someone takes the time to show them that you care," he says. "Musicians work really hard on their songs and what they do and...people appreciate you taking the time out of your day to make it about them and their stuff and show that somebody's listening and somebody cares."

Follow Hail Denver on Instagram and YouTube.