Tyler Elden is a songwriter & producer hailing from New Jersey. Elden’s music incorporates elements of folk, indie rock, and post hardcore. His latest single “Lighthouse”, provides a glimpse into the challenge of self-preservation amidst the loss of one’s support system.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
This solo project started last year when I decided that I wanted to spend a lot of time out on the road, and the most practical way to do that was to use my own name. I have used monikers in the past where my collaborative lineups would vary, but I knew for the majority of these shows I would be on stage performing alone.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I’ve been in a few projects, but I’ve always been the primary songwriter. “Tyler Elden” is just the latest version of my musical output.
I have been into music for as long as I can remember. I had a ukulele, toy piano, and toy drum set at a very young age that I couldn’t be separated from. One year I received an 8 track digital recorder for Christmas. From then on, most of my time was spent alone in my room experimenting with recording techniques and arrangements. I look back on that period with such fondness as it was very pure. I often wish I could go back to knowing so little. The lack of self-consciousness you have as a beginner allows you to really enjoy exploring every creative impulse.
First concert that you ever went to?
I believe the first show that my parents took me to was Raffi. My first arena concert was Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in Philadelphia.
What's your writing process like?
The latest material was created in a pretty isolated manner. I’ll go to a proper studio to get a good drum recording and then take those tracks back to my home studio. I experiment with the arrangement on my own time. It’s a lot of adding and subtracting parts to see what is emotionally resonating. The majority of my upcoming releases were created utilizing a similar process. Lately I have been really keen on going into the studio and tracking live with other musicians in the room to shake things up. I am looking to create in a more immediate manner. Sometimes I find I get too precious about the recordings when left to my own devices, and they end up taking longer than I would prefer to finish.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Over the past year I have been really into Bat for Lashes. I love when an artist creates an entire world around their work, and Natasha always seems to have something fascinating visually that adds to the overall impact of her music. I also just saw The Cure and will be seeing Peter Gabriel in a few months. They have been influences of mine for a very long time. I also included the National’s album opener from their latest release, “Once Upon A Poolside”. I am always a fan of lyrics vague enough that allows the listener to emotionally place themselves in a space to draw from their own experience.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
I always try to give one hundred percent of myself to performing as well as I can. I came up playing a lot of pretty intense shows with a band. It took a lot out of me physically and emotionally. They were very loud, and taking the stage often felt like getting on a rollercoaster. I usually would enter this headspace where I was almost outside of my body. I’d have to get some air and have alone time for a few minutes after those sets. These days I am playing these super stripped down shows with less bombast and movement, it’s a different kind of intensity.
Whether or not the live shows should perfectly reflect a record depends on the band. A lot of acts I love don’t improvise or change arrangements. The Mars Volta will often double the length of a song just jamming and I am totally into that. I will say when I see an artist for the first time and want to hear the classic arrangement of a tune, if they perform a different interpretation it can be a bit of a bummer. At the same time I respect the artist’s decision to change up their own song, especially one they may have been playing exactly the same for a decade or more. I doubt if PJ Harvey comes to the United States this tour she will be performing the 90s material in the same fashion. I have so much respect for her drive to constantly change and challenge herself.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?
I did a cross country tour last year that was somewhat transformative for me. I really loved traveling and getting to play music every night. I feel like it’s becoming more enjoyable than recording for me these days. Musicians often spend so much time in the rehearsal room and studio trying to get their work to a level that they are pleased with, it’s so easy to lose perspective of the big picture. I find it so inspiring to get out of your own head and in front of an audience.
I really enjoyed a show I played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at Full Circle Book Co-op. A really great community came out to the show, and they had some sweet literature pins! I hesitate to really call any of the shows I have played “bad”. A lot of the DIY arts community across the country is really doing it for the love of the music. I mostly just feel privileged when I get the opportunity to be welcomed into a space that many folks go for genuine connection.
What's up next for the band?
I will be doing a few East Coast dates this Summer, with some more shows to come in the Fall.
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