A Personal And Warm Single from Tyler Allred
The latest single release from Tyler Allred brings out a warm acoustic pop approach laced with a lot of unbridled honesty, making it very vulnerable but also super connective and relatable at the same time.
This is one of my favorite factors of the track as a whole. It has personality attached to it, and that's part of what you grab onto and hold throughout the song.
The vulnerability is an important factor here because the way he articulates lyrics comes from such a personal perspective that it feels like someone's just telling you these things. It feels like you're sitting with a person that you just met at a table, and they're telling you all these personal attributes about themselves and how they feel inside.
Having a song that lays out such thick honesty and lets such personal inner thought come spilling out for all the so again, is completely refreshing.
It's also something you want from a song like this.
The track is not completely stripped down, per se, but the focus is mostly on acoustic guitar, vocal, and live percussion. The percussion definitely gives it a little bit of drive and helps the pop overtone come through.
The vocals are delivered with this very one-on-one approach. It feels almost like you're sitting there watching and performing live, in person.
I love how the song puts you there in the moment and how it feels almost delicate, the way he performs it.
It's all quite beautifully done and really has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to.
The song is called "Anxious Anyway" and isn't just about being anxious or dealing with inner struggle, but more about having someone there to balance you out when those things are happening.
The song revolves around waking up in a certain kind of mindset. Waking up with that noted tension, even though you kind of don't know exactly where it's coming from at times.
And then having a person there that just says a few words to you or has a particular way of putting your mind at a different kind of ease so that it's not totally forgotten about, but is lessened in intensity.
At least that's how I took the song. Others may interpret it a little differently, but for me, the sentiment was pretty loud and clear.
So you see, this is very relatable. A lot of us wake up or at some point in the day have a certain kind of anxious feeling, and if we're lucky, we have a person or people who are able to help relax that notion a little bit or put it towards the back end of our mind instead of the front.
The whole tonality of this track was completely warm, inviting, and welcoming. Even though it had such a personal standpoint, the tonality of it all felt good.
I think it's a song that's meant to get things off his chest. I think he's appreciative of having somebody that can balance him out a little bit, and I also think it's brave to be able to write a song that is this open.
These things are not easy to talk or write about. A lot of us feel different levels of anxiety and tension throughout the day, but don't really know how to articulate it into words, let alone words and music.
When we hear something like this, sometimes it's not just about being able to relate or connect with it. Sometimes it's about how we feel a little less alone in these feelings.
This was a strong single and really came through exactly the way it was intended. It is soft, genuine, it comes from an incredibly authentic place in Tyler's personality, and I find it refreshing to listen to an artist who isn't afraid to put pieces of himself into his music this way.
Definitely check this out when you can because it is well worth your time, especially if you like songs that let you think or feel. Or both.
Upon listening to the track, I wanted to ask him where it actually came from and what might be coming up next. So, while you listen to the single, have a read through of our interview with Tyler Allred below.
Don't miss this one.
Let's talk about "Anxious Anyway"! This track was honest, with a sort of warm contemporary feel to it! Where did this song come from? What's it about?
I’d say it came from a dream. While recording the e.p. I released it on I kept getting sidetracked messing with the guitar part of “Anxious Anyway”. I needed a fourth song for the record but had been in a bit of writer’s block situation for a while. One morning I woke up with the opening line to the song in my head, grabbed my guitar and the whole thing was just kind of there. I had the guitar part for like 2 months and then that morning the lyrics came together in like 15 minutes. I’m not great at putting meaning to my own songs. That being said it’s probably about Anxiety, O.C.D. and having someone around who can level me out. I'm hearing a few different approaches to this release! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
It was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.
How did this all start for you as an artist?
I was just obsessed with music as a kid. Starting writing songs in elementary school and then playing guitar with them around 12 or 13 years old. I left Michigan for L.A. in 2017 and met some great people who helped me to start putting my songs out there.
Do you do any live performances?
I do. I used to much more than in recent years but I’m trying to get back out there. I’ve always loved writing and recording, playing live is a love/hate thing. If I have a good show I’m on cloud 9, if I feel like I played poorly I’m way too hard on myself about it.
Now that this is out, what's next for you?
I’m currently recording what I’m hoping will be my fist full length album. It could get split into two e.p.’s, time will tell. I’m also really interested in starting a band that would be a totally different type of music than my solo stuff.
Who's in your headphones right now?
Right now lots of American Football, Truman Sinclair, Microwave, Fontaines D.C., Led Zeppelin, Cardinals, Freddie Gibbs, John Coltrane and The Pogues.
What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
There’s a track on the e.p. called “Expectations” that addresses the potential danger of having any.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
I love you.
