“Everyone wants something to be remembered for. I hope it will be for something I’m proud of, and not getting caught with a hooker that turns out to be a man. But with my luck … ,” and the raspy voice of singer/guitarist Matthew Ryan trails off to other thoughts.

The 25-year-old from working-class Chester, Penn., will have plenty of time to create such memories if he keeps his musical drive going.

Ryan’s debut album “Mayday” is working its way through radio stations across the country.

“I feel good about it. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback,” he said. The album has been described as wholesomely beautiful — a balance of untempered expression and quiet self-reflection.

Ryan, who learned to play guitar from a friend’s dad, said the first record he learned was “Full Moon Fever” by Tom Petty.

Other influences included the Replacements, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and even the Scottish band Blue Nile. “It depends on the weather,” he joked.

After college, with a poor student-teaching gig and a bad breakup roughening his edges, Ryan introduced himself to Nashville by playing solo at writer’s nights in various clubs.

After a few shows, he eventually had drawn enough attention to form a band.

Ryan’s sound is a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. At times he strains to squeeze the words out, while catchy rhythms help contrast his sometimes woeful sound.

With lyrics mixing vivid and often surreal imagery and a bit of punkish humor, Ryan grates out songs invoked with passion and injured pride.

He blames his melancholy sound on the breakup. It turned his world upside-down, he said.

Out of that chaos, however, came some beer-soaked ballads and songs he plays with such authenticity that his truths could very well be our own.

Ryan sometimes comes across sounding very intelligent and inspiring, despite his tough-guy persona.

Through his music, Ryan said he is “trying to shed light encouraging people to look at themselves. Then they’ll find their relationships better, and more people will get along until whole countries are finally at peace.

“I like thinking crowds,” he explained. “I’m very mood-oriented. “Seeing me is not like going to see the Cowboy Junkies. My shows are more cerebral than that.”

Ryan toured for a while with the Refreshments earlier this year. He described them as his favorite band to work with.

“They were really fun guys. I’m officially a fan,” Ryan said.

Ryan will play Ames this weekend with the Freddy Jones Band, with whom he has been traveling for the past few weeks.

“Sometimes I say too much, so I’m just gonna say they’re really good,” he says poking fun at his quotability.

Matthew Ryan will open for the band Sunday at 9 p.m. at People’s Bar and Grill. Tickets are sold out.