The LA-based singer-songwriter is back with another signature easy-on-the-ears sound.
Born in California and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan, Tyler Allred decided to uproot his life and pursue his dreams and passion, finding himself back in California as he relocated to Los Angeles.
A keen songwriter with a penchant for relaxing, soothing melodies that seem to sap your stress away, Allred’s tendency for honest lyricism combined with nostalgic and comforting soundscapes make his music feels like a conversation with a friend.
His latest release, “Do or Die,” is a welcome addition to an impressive catalog. Over a familiarly delicate acoustic guitar and complementing drums, Allred once again delivers on his signature warm, dreamlike sound and instantly transports the listener to what can only be described as the audial equivalent of a warm, welcoming, softly crackling fire.
The song opens with a melding of the aforementioned acoustic guitar and drums. There’s some to be said about how Allred can channel such tranquillity in his music. By the time Allred’s vocals come in at the 20-second mark with an “Oh my lord / What a sight,” Allred’s instrumentals have already put the listener in a relaxed headspace. With his dreamy vocals working perfectly with the instrumentals, Allred has crafted a signature sound that is both calming and relaxing to the soul.
Tyler Allred’s “Do or Die” is a welcome, tranquil piece that is easy on the ears and seems to sap away stress and worry.
Whenever you feel like you need to jam some good tunes and mellow out, tap in and stream Tyler Allred’s “Do or Die,” available now.
We loved your last release, “Easy,” so I guess it’s not that much of a surprise that we loved “Do Or Die” as well! We have to ask, what was the inspiration behind “Do or Die?"
Thanks, you’re far too kind. I wrote “Do Or Die” about a year ago when I was in my hometown of Battle Creek, Mi, for an entire month. It came out of nowhere during drastic life changes for me. At the time, I had no idea what it meant, which is pretty much the norm with my songwriting.
Now when I listen to this song, I feel like it’s about the fine line between empathy and apathy as a survival mechanism. I feel like in life, you’re often witnessing terrible tragedy and forced to move forward, kind of. Whether that’s struggles with mental health, addiction, loss, atrocities shown by the media, etc. Living in a large city like Los Angeles, you will see incredibly sad situations daily, with homelessness at the forefront of my perspective.
The trouble is finding a balance between doing what you can help and still working on time with a smile or whatever your day requires. Also, it’s just the recognition of death coming for us all and doing what you truly want with the time you’re given.
So between “Easy” and “Do or Die,” it's becoming clearer that you’ve gotten a signature sound nailed. Each release we hear from you is so mellow and peaceful. It really feels like anytime we put one of your songs on. We can feel the stress leaving our bodies. What inspires you to make the kind of music that you do?
Wait until I drop my death metal album; let's see how chill you feel then. Seriously though, I have no idea; that's just what happens when I usually write music. I definitely have dabbled in other genres, but I always gravitate back to some chill Tyler and guitar stuff. I feel like with songwriting, if I think about the song too much, the less I like it. Any song I write that gives me the feeling I'm looking for just sort of happens very quickly, and I feel like I'm finding it more than creating it. I usually scrap if I'm second-guessing or revising lyrics too much.
Between when you released “Easy” and now that you’ve released “Do or Die,” how do you think you’ve grown as an artist?
To be honest, between the two songs, I took my longest hiatus from writing, recording, or performing. It was a little over a year with none of that. In my return to making music, one of the biggest factors is truly not caring about the outcome, I.E., if it gets heard, what people think, etc. At this point, I’m just trying to make tracks I don’t hate listening to.
What kind of message or feeling do you want fans to get from your music?
Whatever message or feeling they take from it is cool with me. I like writing the song, putting it out there, and seeing what happens. That said, I would like people to know they’re worth it, and no matter how bad things are now, find a little bit of hope and run with that.
What’s next for Tyler Allred? Do you have any big goals for 2023?
I’m recording a new E.P. at Sunset Sound in Hollywood currently might even keep grooving into L.P. territory. I've been working with a super rad engineer/producer I met at a show I played a while back. Some of my all-time favorites were recorded at the studio, so the experience has been super cool. Big shout out to Alex. Other than that, I’ve been skateboarding a lot. Expect more music, for sure.