TYLER BLACK: GET TO KNOW HIM. HIS "OH NO, OLD GLOW/ALL THESE TIMES" SINGLE IS OUT NEXT WEEK (2/4); HIS OH NO, OLD GLOW EP IS OUT THIS SPRING, AND HE HAS A RAD VIDEO FORTHCOMING.
Oh No, Old Glow opens with the title track, peppering anthemic “na na na” vocals over intricately layered guitar strumming courtesy of Diarrhea Planet's Jordan Smith. Black's own rhythm guitar opens the EP's compositions wide for '50s sock-hop postulation on “All These Times,” a song so innately catchy you'll find yourself humming along after only a few listens.
On top of it all is Black's easygoing tenor, smoothly anchoring a quiver of tunes that span a panorama of Black's personal insights.
“Most of my songs, lyrically, tend to be more of a general collection of a different type of feeling or situation. I like to say that they're cryptic but accessible,” says Black.
Clearing creative hurdles is one thing for Black; overcoming physical barriers is quite another. Black has been confined to a wheelchair since 8th grade due to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He acknowledges his embracement of learning music as an unexpected byproduct of his disease, but just as soon dismisses SMA's presence in his life as any impetus for the way he writes or thinks about music.
“It contributed to me getting into music early, for sure. But after that, I don't really think about it,” says Black. “In high school, I couldn't really play any sports, but my gym teacher was the first person to teach me barre chords. When everyone else was running around playing soccer, I was sitting on the sidelines playing guitar. That helped me start writing songs, too. It was something I could do that I loved.”
Above all, part of the easy brilliance of Black's songwriting is steeped in his ability to trust his instincts. Aural assaults like the danceable garage-pop gem “Don't You Wanna Be” project the catchiness Black strives for, as well as the cerebral lyricism he's so fond of in his musical heroes.
“I definitely trying to write something that I'm happy with in the moment,” explains Black. “It's important to me for a song to be catchy and have a lot of cool hooks but also be lyrically sound."
On top of it all is Black's easygoing tenor, smoothly anchoring a quiver of tunes that span a panorama of Black's personal insights.
“Most of my songs, lyrically, tend to be more of a general collection of a different type of feeling or situation. I like to say that they're cryptic but accessible,” says Black.
Clearing creative hurdles is one thing for Black; overcoming physical barriers is quite another. Black has been confined to a wheelchair since 8th grade due to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He acknowledges his embracement of learning music as an unexpected byproduct of his disease, but just as soon dismisses SMA's presence in his life as any impetus for the way he writes or thinks about music.
“It contributed to me getting into music early, for sure. But after that, I don't really think about it,” says Black. “In high school, I couldn't really play any sports, but my gym teacher was the first person to teach me barre chords. When everyone else was running around playing soccer, I was sitting on the sidelines playing guitar. That helped me start writing songs, too. It was something I could do that I loved.”
Above all, part of the easy brilliance of Black's songwriting is steeped in his ability to trust his instincts. Aural assaults like the danceable garage-pop gem “Don't You Wanna Be” project the catchiness Black strives for, as well as the cerebral lyricism he's so fond of in his musical heroes.
“I definitely trying to write something that I'm happy with in the moment,” explains Black. “It's important to me for a song to be catchy and have a lot of cool hooks but also be lyrically sound."
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