Tyler Bryant
Tyler Bryant was born to be the guitar hero of the next generation. Born in 1991, the 22-year old guitar prodigy instantly made an impact to the music scene upon his debut. His music and aura definitely proves that he has the potential to succeed in the industry. Tyler Bryant talks to MUSE ON MUSE in depth about his musical background based on blues rock, as well as about his latest TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN album “Wild Child”.
Interview / Text Mamoru Moriyama
Translation Louis Sesto (EAGLETAIL MUSIC)
Muse On Muse : Please tell us how you began to take an interest in the guitar while you were growing up in Texas.
Tyler Bryant : I heard a man named Roosevelt Twitty in a music store in Paris, TX when I was eleven years old. I was hooked as soon as I heard him play and I’m still hooked.
MM : How did living in Texas influence you in developing your musical style?
TB : I grew up in a small town called Honey Grove. There wasn’t much there that really kept me interested as a kid, so I locked myself in my room, listened to records, and tried to learn how to make similar sounds. When I got my drivers license, everything changed. That’s when I really started exploring the music scenes in Dallas and Austin. It was happening.
MM : After picking up the guitar, how did you spend your early years as a musician before you became a professional player?
TB : I don’t feel like anything’s changed since I started. I’ve played music because I love it from the beginning. I used to spend every second writing, recording, or playing shows. That’s all I do now.. I still have all night jams with my friends until the sun comes up. I can’t allow myself to make music a job. That just seems like it would suck.
MM : What was your first gig as a professional musician? Can you tell us a bit about your first gig/job?
TB : It was at the Roxton Cafe in Roxton, TX with Mr. Twitty. We each got a steak and a hundred dollars cash money. I thought I’d hit the jackpot, and I was right.
MM : You play a very soulful style while having an original sound using the slide bar, creating very cool and elegant licks. How did you develop the guitar style that you have now?
TB : It’s a mix of all my influences really. My style has developed over time on it’s own and will continue to develop the more I play and the more I listen. There’s a side of me that loves old acoustic blues. I’m obsessed with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Son House, etc.. Then there’s a side of me that just wants to rock the ****** out! The Shakedown acts as bartender basically. They help me mix both flavors.
MM : How were you able to acquire the unique tone and feeling you have on the guitar? Was there any particular practice method you went through to develop this?
TB : Not really. I just spend a lot of time playing. You have to treat the guitar kind of like a woman. Get to know her. Figure out what’s gonna make her cranky & what’s gonna make her sing. Once you find the sweet spot, you’re set!
MM : We can hear some nice energetic rock on your solo EP “My Radio”, as well as some very impressive performances with the slide bar on songs such as “Speed of Sound”. Tell us a bit about the “My Radio” EP.
TB : That was recorded so long ago! I had just moved to Nashville and wanted to make a record. Living the dream right? I had a handful of songs and had just met Caleb Crosby. We decided we wanted to work with Roger Nichols who is an amazing producer here in town. We had a lot of fun recording that and I think it’s a good snap shot of where we were at that particular point in time.
MM : How was TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN formed? Tell us a bit about each member as well.
TB : I met Caleb Crosby(drums) in a coffee shop here in Nashville. I was looking for a drummer and we had a mutual friend who hooked us up. He’s the only drummer I’ve played with since. I met Graham Whitford(guitar) in New York City at a radio interview that I was doing. He was introduced to me as the guy who was gonna put me out of a job. I heard him play and asked him to be in my band. He had just enrolled into Berklee School of Music, and I somehow convinced him to drop out and move to Nashville. We auditioned about 20 or so bass players until we met Noah. Noah and Caleb knew each other from school because Noah actually plays the drums as well. We were looking for a certain sound in a bass player and Noah just had that thing. It was fuzzy, loud, and completely out of it’s crazy little mind.
MM : Your first release with TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN “From The Sandcastle” was an EP with 7 tracks. Why did you decide to release an EP rather than a full album?
TB : We were home from the road for a week and decided to record that EP. We recorded 7 songs in 6 days in my basement, mixed on the 7th, mastered on the 8th, the boom! Off to the races. We were just having fun. We called it “From The Sandcastle” because at the time we didn’t want anyone to know it was recorded in my basement.
MM : After the EP you released your first full album “Wild Child”. What was your goal for this album?
TB : We wanted to make a record that sounded like you were standing about 12 feet away from the band at the best rehearsal they ever did. We just wanted to make an album that we thought was cool.
Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown
L to R) Graham Whitford-Guitar-, Noah Denney-Bass-, Tyler Bryant-Vocal Guitar-, Caleb Crosby-Drums-
MM : The credits on the album show that many of the songs were co-written by you with other songwriters. How were the song/lyric writing tasks shared? Can you tell us a little bit about the song writing process, how the songs on the album were actually written?
TB : I have a couple of friends here in Nashville that I call up when we’re not on the road. “Hey, you wanna come over and write a tune?” I love the writing community here in Nashville. I wrote most of the tunes off of Wild Child with Neil Mason. We’ve probably written 50 songs together. We’re buds and have similar musical tastes. It just kind of works. The ideas come from all over the place. There’s really no process for me. It just happens when it happens.
MM : The live feel on “House That Jack Built” and “Say A Prayer” sound very impressive. What was the reason behind having the same songs you had on the previous EP featured again on “Wild Child”?
TB : That was a thing that the label asked us to do. They felt like since this was our first full length album it would be good to put those tunes on there to help people understand who we are. If I remember correctly it was a “We’ll do those tunes if we can put “House On Fire” on the album” situation. I think we all ended up happy!
MM : The later half of the album have a great energetic rock vibe with songs like “Still Young(Hey Kids)”, “House On Fire”, “Where I Want You”. Sounds like some great tunes to play live!
TB : For sure! We go to town!
MM : The closing song on the album “Poor Boy’s Dream” sounds magnificent with a great vibe. The album seems to have a nice mix of blues, soulful passion, and energetic rock, making it a superb album.
TB : Thanks very much. That’s my favorite song on the album. It’s the most personal to me. I’m glad you like it.
MM : How do you divide the guitar duties with Graham Whitford, both on the album and during live situations?
TB : I can normally tell when he’s champing at the bit to blaze, so I just scream “WHITFORD”!! You can hear it in “Where I Want You.” He kills the first solo in that song. We divide things up based on style. If he plays something cooler than me, or if it fits his tone better, he better take it. It just happens. There’s not a lot of planning really. We don’t rehearse much and we don’t plan what we’re gonna do much. It just happens. We know each other pretty well on a musical level.
MM : You opened up for Jeff Beck on his tour. How were you able to land that gig as opening act?
TB : Someone from his camp saw a video of us or something and they called and asked if I’d be down to do the tour. I freaked. He’s been my favorite guitarist since I was in middle school.
MM : You were also able to perform on stage with Jeff Beck. How was that?
TB : The scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was terrified at first, but I ended up learning so much. Jeff is one of the most amazing artists of all time. Just feeling the energy on stage with him was huge for me. Contributing to it? I was in heaven.
MM : What do you have coming up next? Tell us about your upcoming schedule.
TB : We’ve got a ton of shows coming up and we’re working on a new album as well! I’m really excited to dive into that!
MM : Please give the Japanese fans a message.
TB : WE CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU!
Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown official site : http://tylerbryantmusic.com/
Wild Child / Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown
1. Fools Gold
2. Lipstick Wonder Woman
3. Cold Heart
4. Downtown Tonight
5. Say a Prayer
6. House That Jack Built
7. Last One Leaving
8. Still Young (Hey Kids)
9. You Got Me Baby
10. House on Fire
11. Where I Want You
12. Poor Boy’s Dream
