One Republic

While still at high school in Colorado Springs, Ryan Tedder and his friend Zach Filkins got together musically. With some friends they formed a band called This Beautiful Mess, performing at a number of small local venues. After school Ryan left Colorado Springs to go to University in Tulsa.

In 2000, whilst still at the University, Ryan competed in and won the MTV 'Free Lance Search' Talent Show, playing his own composition The Look. But the lauded prize of a record contract with the show's judge, Lance Bass (from N Sync) fell through. Fortunately for Tedder, the record producer Timbaland, who was watching the show, was impressed enough to call Ryan, offering him a job as a producer. For over a year Ryan worked in the master's music studios learning the craft from the bottom-up

Eventually though Ryan decided to branch out by himself, to spend more time writing songs for other artists. He also got back together with Zach to form a new band, 'One Republic'. Things seemed to be on the up when they secured a record deal with Columbia Records. But they soon split from Columbia when the band's promotion became sidelined.

One Republic went back to Timbaland, who produced their debut studio album Dreaming Out Loud. The first single off the album, Apologize went on to become a world-wide hit.

Ryan Tedder has also achieved major success as a writer - he co-wrote and produced the mega-smash Bleeding Love for Leona Lewis.