SLOW & LOW BREAKS DOWN EP "WAY BACK WHEN” WITH COUNTRY ARTIST TYLER DIAL
TYLER, BREAK IT DOWN FOR US…WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST IN NASHVILLE?
I AM LIVING THE DREAM! THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS WERE INTIMIDATING BECAUSE EVERYBODY HERE IS SO TALENTED. DURING THAT TIME, IBARTENDED AND WORKED FOR A PONTOON BOAT COMPANY ON THE WEEKENDS AND WROTE SONGS DURING THE WEEK. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF HIGHS AND LOWS, BUT I AM NOW MAKING MUSIC FULL-TIME AND HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER.
SLOW & LOW SAT IN ON SOME LIVE MUSIC SESSIONS AT THE TREEHOUSE, TELL US MORE…
AFTER COLLECTING SONGS FOR FOUR YEARS IN NASHVILLE, I FINALLY RELEASED MY DEBUT EP WAY BACK WHEN. ON THE SAME RELEASE DAY, WE RECORDED SOME OF THOSE SONGS ACOUSTICALLY AS “SLOW AND LOW SESSIONS.” I LOVE WHEN ARTISTS RELEASE LIVE PERFORMANCES TO PROMOTE THEIR NEW STUFF AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR MY FANS. I USUALLY HAVE A DRINK WHEN I’M RECORDING MUSIC OR AM AT A SHOW SO SLOW & LOW ENDED UP BEING THE PERFECT FIT TO SUPPORT THE LIVE SESSIONS.
WHAT DOES BEING “LEFT OF CENTER” MEAN TO YOU?
I FEEL LIKE EVERYONE IS UNIQUE AND LEFT OF CENTER IN THEIR OWN WAY. IN MY CASE… I WAKE UP EARLY ON SATURDAY MORNINGS TO WATCH EUROPEAN SOCCER, I’M FROM THE WEST COAST BUT I SING COUNTRY MUSIC, AND I LOVE AGOOD DAD JOKE. I WROTE THAT SONG, “LEFT OF CENTER” ABOUT BEING CONFIDENT AND PROUD OF WHAT MAKES ME UNIQUE.
DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A COUNTRY MUSIC ARTIST?
ALL MY LIFE! WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, MY DAD HAD GUITARS LYING AROUND THE HOUSE AND HE WAS ALWAYS PLAYING SOME JOHN DENVER OR EAGLES SONG. ON A TYPICAL DRIVE TO SCHOOL, HE’D PLAY THE COUNTRY STATION. AS I GOT INTO HIGH SCHOOL, I STARTED WRITING MUSIC AND WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TO PURSUE IT FURTHER IN AUSTIN. THERE WAS NEVER A DOUBT IN MY MIND I’D END UP IN NASHVILLE.
IN YOUR WORDS, DESCRIBE THE TYLER DIAL SOUND…
IT’S “ELECTRIC WEST.” SINCE I GREW UP ON THE WEST COAST, I DON’T NATURALLY CREATE “SOUTHERN” COUNTRY MUSIC. ELECTRIC WEST, TO ME,IS WHERE CITY MEETS COUNTRY, PROGRESSIVE MEETS TRADITIONAL, VANS SKATE SHOES MEET COWBOY BOOTS, SNAPBACK MEETS COWBOY HAT, AND ELECTRIC MEETS ORGANIC INSTRUMENTATION. I HAVE SOME CHILL SONGS BUT ALSO TRY TO BALANCE THEM OUT WITH SOME ROCKIN’ STUFF!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EP “WAYBACK WHEN”…
WAY BACK WHEN IS THE COLLECTION OF SONGS THAT HELPED ME BUILD MY TEAM AND GOT ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY. THEY WERE SOME OF MY FIRST FAVORITES I WROTE AFTER I MOVING TO TOWN, AND THEY GAVE ME A LOT OF BELIEF IN MYSELF WHEN I BEGAN TO DOUBT THE PROCESS. I WANTED MY FIRST EP TO TALK ABOUT WHERE I’M FROM AND THE PERSON I’VE BECOME SINCE. I WANTED TO MAKE MUSIC FOR THE YOUNGER ME THAT DREAMED ABOUT MOVING TO NASHVILLE WAY BACK WHEN.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO DRINK SLOW & LOW?
I LOVE TO DRINK IT ON THE ROCKS AND LET THE ICE MELT!LATELY, I’VE BEEN INTO THE COFFEE OLD FASHIONED, IT HELPS ME KEEP UP WITH THE LATE-NIGHT INSPIRATION.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WHISKEY-DRINKING SONG?
WE PLAYED A LOT OF WHISKEY DRINKING SONGS WHILE IN COLLEGE AT UT AUSTIN. WE PLAYED ALL THE HOME TAILGATES AND ON 6TH STREET EVERY WEEKEND AND THERE WAS ONE SONG THAT WORKED EVERY TIME...FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES!
GIVE US A PLAYLIST OF YOUR TOP 3 COUNTRY SONGS…
THAT’S TOUGH BUT HERE THEY ARE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD…TRAVELER- CHRIS STAPLETON, A COUPLE WRONGS MAKIN’ IT ALRIGHT- BROTHERS OSBORNE, AND FOOL HEARTED MEMORY- GEORGE STRAIT
NO LIMITATIONS, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO DUET/COLLAB ON A SONG WITH?
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN THE BIGGEST JOHN MAYER FAN. A FEW YEARS AGO, I WAS AT HIS SHOW IN NASHVILLE, AND HE BROUGHT OUT CHRIS STAPLETON TO PLAY A SONG THEY WROTE THE DAY BEFORE. I GET ENOUGH INSPIRATION, OUT OF THOSE MOMENTS, TO KEEP ME GOING FOR WEEKS. I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW JOHN AND UNDERSTAND HOW HE CRAFTS HIS SONGS.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR TYLER DIAL?
I’VE GOT AN ALBUM THAT WILL BE COMING OUT NEXT YEAR AND I’M CURRENTLY WRITING SONGS FOR THE NEXT ONE! HOPEFULLY WE’LL BE HITTING THE ROAD AND DOING SOME MORE SESSIONS WITH SLOW & LOW!
