Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: I grew up in the southern U.S. and had little musical interest as a child. My mother passed away suddenly when I was 15, and it was only then I started playing the guitar simply as an emotional release. Someone showed me how to play a G chord, and I haven’t gone a day without playing since. I never considered whether it was something I wanted to do. It’s just a part of how I fundamentally process things. I feel that if music has helped me heal, I want to try to pass that on to someone else.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Tyler McDermott”?
A: My plan is to release music throughout 2024 and find other artist to collaborate with. For anyone discovering my music, my hope is that you’ll walk with me as I explore and bring definition to what is still a bit abstract. I attempt to capture feelings that are ethereal and difficult to put into words.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
A: John Butler has been on my mind a lot recently – particularly with his instrumental percussive fingerstyle guitar playing.Instrumental music always elicited a strong emotional response. Soundtracks and movie scores were some of my earliest influences.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the EP, “Light the Way.”?
A: The message of Light the Way is to be the change you wish to see. It’s a bit basic, but impactful for me personally. When you are left without a clear idea of what to do or how to move forward, be your own inspiration.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
A: Ethereal.
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Light the Way“?
A: Yes and no. I’ve struggled for over a decade trying to find my voice. So in a sense, there has been tremendous strife in finding my creative process. However, the writing and recording process has been coming without much effort lately. “Light the Way” is the sum of a great deal of trial and error. Moving forward, I hope to use what I’ve learned to refine the process.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
A: The message of my music is to look within for answers. We are constantly having our emotions manipulated by social media and the news – all to incite outrage and divide us in the name of power and money. My arrogant hope is to create music that will inspire awareness. As George Carlin said, “Every person you look at, you can see the universe if you look closely”. We all have an internal light that can guide us if we let it.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
A: Frank Zappa. He had such a unique approach to music that is inimitableand challenged what music could be.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Seek continuous improvement, and learn as many skills that you are suited for and then some.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
A: Don’t try to be the best at anything. There will always be someone better. Find something unique to offer the world that only you can do.
