 Courtesy: Jonathan Newsome
Born and raised in Wolfe County in the Southeastern region of Kentucky, Tyler Booth has been writing songs and honing his craft for years. But, it's his voice - a smooth baritone accompanied by a sweet southern drawl - that caught the attention of one of Nashville's finest songwriters in Phil O'Donnell. Recently, the two worked together on Booth's self-titled EP which contains six songs that showcase Tyler's unique voice via ballads and foot stompers. Here, Booth took the time to answer his Essential 8 and talk musical mentors, songwriting, what he's listening to, and more!
Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? My Dad honestly. He managed my Uncle Gene and their band Stitch Rivet when I was growing up. I saw how hard they worked and it was always something I wanted to try. Dad has always believed in me, even when I tried to sing rock. Thankfully we figured out a few years ago that my voice is way more country than rock. But my Dad has always been the guy I always go to. Why did you chose to anchor the album with the songs you did? Phil O'Donnell was given a demo that I did. He liked what he heard and invited me down to Nashville. He had a whole bunch of songs that he wanted my voice for. Phil has wrote or worked with just about everybody in Nashville, so having him help was a true blessing. Phil helped me pick songs that fit who I am. I wrote "Surrender" and co-wrote "Greyhound or a Slow Train" with Moose Brown and Don Sampson. Those guys have wrote some of the biggest songs in Country music, so together we picked what we thought suited my voice. So far people seem to like em. So I'm really blessed to work with those guys. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? Most of what I write is about life. Whether it's about me or somebody or some story I've heard, it has to make sense for other people or you're wasting everybody's time. I had a guy tell me that if I don't believe what I'm singing, ain't nobody else going to believe it. I always remember that when I sit down to write a song. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? The best advice I could give is practice every day. Write everyday. Sing every day until it becomes a habit. Songwriting is no different than shooting a basketball or hitting a baseball. The more you do it, the better you get at it because you find out who you are along the way.
What has been your biggest struggle so far?
My biggest struggle has been opening up to people. I'm sort of shy and like to listen more than talk. So changing that onstage has been the hardest thing. I was always one way, like shy, for most of my life, now I have to be open and connect with people that I've likely never met. I've gotten much better, but I still struggle some shows with that. I wish there was a switch to flip or something to make it easier. What’s your dream venue and why? I've seen a lot of shows on TV at Red Rocks in Colorado. That's such a beautiful place. I think that's pretty high on my list. Just about every DVD of a concert seems like it's made at Red Rocks, so it must be an incredible place. I'd love to play at Rupp Arena here in Kentucky too. I'm a lifelong Wildcat fan, so that would be really awesome I think. Who would you love to collaborate with? Jamey Johnson. We have a similar tone, but the way we sing is pretty different. He's a big influence on me, so that's something I'd love if I got the chance. I met Jamey in Nashville recently. He was the nicest guy. He did a benefit for Mike Owens. Alison Krauss was there too. They sang a Keith Whitley song. It was amazing. Made me want to work with Jamey even more. Is there a recent release you cannot stop listening to? Tyler Childers is from close to me in Kentucky. He worked with Sturgill Simpson who is from the next county over. So Tyler's Purgatory is nearly perfect. Our styles are really different, but I just love his storytelling. I can relate to almost everything he sings about being from the same area. He's really talented and I'm so happy that he's having so much success. Website IG
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |