Tyler Suarez is a name you must get used to hearing. Ever since this 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Connecticut was 4 years old, he has used music to process the world around him. Tyler’s musical atmosphere is very fluid. Creating more artistic and conceptual projects, Tyler's songs become more than just three minutes of music; They become pieces that expand on and elaborate on the themes and messages within a project.
Tyler Suarez is a man with a message. He keeps himself busy writing original music but also spreads important messages through art and activism. This is a highly attractive characteristic to not only the artistry of Tyler Suarez but also his personality as well! We learned that through the riveting music and trail-blazing sound, Tyler Suarez is a human with a voice just like the rest of us. Tyler Suarez is the perfect artist who can relate to his peers and the general public, his genuine vibe resonates through his music undeniably. We have no doubt that Tyler Suarez is the next big thing who will not only enlighten his listeners but give them radiating energy through his explosive sound that will send waves through the music industry!
Give a listen to the soundings of Tyler Suarez here.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic Tyler Suarez! Are you a self-taught instrumentalist? Did you ever take professional classes? You are amazing!
Hey! Thank you for picking my brain again and including me in your “Best of 2019.” Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have an instrument in my hands or music in my ears. At the age of four, I was drumming on pots and pans on my Grama's kitchen floor and strumming plastic Wiggles guitar toys in the living room.
My family saw this musical drive trying to escape me, even that young, and took me to an old music store called “Daddy’s Junky Music.” There I got my first guitar, and never put it down. After that, my Mom looked into private guitar lessons for me. I took 12 years of private lessons with the same guitar teacher, starting when I was just six. I was able to learn a lot of music theory and exponentially sharpen my playing skills over the years. For the past 3 years, I have been studying Music Education at the University of Bridgeport. The guitar is the only instrument I have had lessons in, everything else I have learned on my own. From drums, bass, and piano to songwriting, production, and recording. That is something I am very proud of.
Do you try to include your hope for change through your music? If so which songs would you say best represents that?
There are a lot of uncertainties in life, but music is the one thing that is constant and can bring people together, communicating nonverbal messages, and truly has the power to change the world. There are only so many things you can say with words, and only so much someone can understand your message through those words. Music transcends the constraints of everyday life places upon us and connects people in indescribable ways.
I believe if an artist is honest and creates music for themselves, and for no other reason, that manifestation of feelings formulaically can tap into the listener’s soul. A lot of music nowadays is not created in this way. The top 40 charts are a graveyard for genuineness. I do not care if anyone even listens to my music. I create for myself, and if other people can connect to it then it makes the whole experience 100 times better. The song, “I’ll Let You Know” off my most recent album, “I Don’t Feel at Home” is probably one of the most reflective and personal songs I have written. The mantra “honesty is the best policy” is spot on. With my heart on my sleeve I explain, “when I figure out who I am, I’ll let you know.”
Talk to us about your EP “Exit 26”. What was the biggest challenge in creating this project?
Most musicians are the same way, but personally, I am a perfectionist and still to this day I feel like I don’t know how to play music. I know that is a ridiculous thing to say but there is just something inside of me that is never fully satisfied, and I feel like that is what keeps me creative and creating. I am constantly trying to improve and grow as an artist, and as a person in general. With this EP nothing was necessarily challenging, besides trying to make the songs as important as the people they are written for are to me. Every new project is an adventure for me, mentally, physically and creatively.
What would you consider your favorite song from “Exit 26” and why?
Each song on “Exit 26” has a special spot in my heart, it is hard to pick one as my favorite. The first track, “All We Have” is written for and features my 9-year-old little brother on the piano and backing vocals. This song is a message for his future self and is the main point I wanted to get across in this EP, “...all we have is family, you and me and music.” “People” is the second track and is written for my role model and hero, my Pop. That song speaks for itself.
Another song that speaks for itself is “Do We Exist (Interlude).” If I had to choose, that would be my favorite because it preserves the voices of the people who are essential to my life. “You Two” is written for my Mom. The biggest thing I want for everyone in the world is to find happiness, my Mom especially. I have truly found happiness, and that is all because of my girlfriend. “My Love” is dedicated to her. The lyrics are formed from a poem she wrote to me for Valentine’s Day, and if you listen closely you can hear her singing some background vocals. To wrap up the EP, “The Journey” communicates the lesson my Grama has instilled in me. I can’t even count the number of times she has said “it’s all about the journey,” and I have begun to live my life by that.
How would you describe your songwriting approach towards most of the songs on “Exit 26”? Any specific theme this project had?
That is one of the most asked questions I get, and it is always the hardest to answer. This may sound cliché but most songs, I feel, write themselves. One thing I never want to do creatively is forced a song to be born. With “Exit 26,” each song felt like it needed to come out. That is what usually happens and why I just continuously release music but, this EP especially is super meaningful and personal to me. The whole theme behind it is family and each song focuses on and is written for, someone important to me. I try and parallel the connection family provides with the clarity music does, embodying the lessons I have learned, things I have always wanted to say and the guidance I have been given in the form of a down to earth, reflective 6 song EP.
What are you looking forward to in 2020 Tyler Suarez? What can we expect from you in the new year?
There is something within me that doesn’t feel complete without creating. Whatever the vessel may be, playing live in bands, writing and releasing my original music, making music videos or organizing events, I need to be doing something! So, I have constantly been creating since my freshman year of high school, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. For 2020, I am starting the year off right. At midnight on December 31st, I am releasing "GENESIS," a collaborative EP with one of my best friends and the most amazing musicians I know, Brenton Morrison a.k.a. TRAXX (https://soundcloud.com/beatzbytraxx). I also have another solo album in the works set for the summer of 2020. So, be on the lookout for all of that good stuff! ...and maybe more, who knows :)