Episode 34: Tyler Braden

[00:00:00] Speaker A: This was for the home team. This was for the home team. [00:00:13] Speaker B: All right. Good deal. Hey, welcome to Tailgate Beers. Ryan Austin's out on assignment today, so he's not here joining us, but I've got a special one on one conversation that I'm gonna have here with Tyler Braden. [00:00:25] Speaker A: No, girl, I ain't hiding from you didn't come the stairs just to think there's something that I got to tell you But I guess I needed a dream Before I could lay this all on you and watch the trust fall from your ass and change our whole world in the moment Wouldn't it be so easy to. [00:01:09] Speaker B: So, Tyler, welcome. [00:01:10] Speaker C: What's going on? You doing all right? [00:01:11] Speaker B: Welcome to Peoria. Absolutely. [00:01:13] Speaker C: Glad to be here, man. [00:01:14] Speaker B: So much. So much excitement just around here, Farmington Road, cruisins, West Peoria, Illinois. Seen people coming in. You just got done with. With your VIP meet and greet, a couple acoustic songs, did the picture thing. [00:01:28] Speaker C: Absolutely. [00:01:29] Speaker B: I mean, how you feeling about your show tonight, man? [00:01:31] Speaker C: I'm excited. The whole acoustic thing for the VIP has been pretty new. We just started doing that this weekend, actually, and it's been cool because I'll play. I played a song that's brand new. We literally just cut it in the studio this week, and I won't play it tonight. So anybody who sees come to vip, you get to hear a song that won't be played in the show. But it's been fun. Last couple shows have been awesome. It's been a great kickoff weekend for the WNO tour. It's been great. I'm excited for tonight. [00:01:54] Speaker B: So where have you been so far? [00:01:56] Speaker C: We were in Chicago at Joe's on Wheat street. And then last night we were at. In Grand Rapids at the intersection. [00:02:04] Speaker B: Okay. [00:02:05] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:02:05] Speaker B: Good shows, everybody. Everybody excited? [00:02:08] Speaker C: Fantastic. It's been amazing. [00:02:10] Speaker B: So. So kind of with your. Your routing and. And being Chicago just a couple nights ago, you know, only a few hours away from here, you see some familiar faces out in the crowd that are kind of following you around, too. [00:02:20] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's been. I, like, I actually asked at both those shows because we played Grand Rapids in Chicago last year. [00:02:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:02:26] Speaker C: And I asked, you know, who was that? Who was last year and then who was here that was new? And you get a lot of yells for, like, new people that have never seen us before and a lot of people that are back. So both of those are really cool. You don't want it to be all one or the other. You know, you want people that are coming back. You want to Be bringing new crowds in. And like the venue in Grand Rapids was cool because we sold it out last year, but we sold it out quicker this year. So you like. I mean I like to think it's like that everybody from last year would have been there if it didn't sell out before with the new people. Yeah, that's how I like to think about it. [00:02:56] Speaker B: So kind of digging into, you know, your journey and path into music and where you are today as an artist. I know you were a firefighter for a period of time and you were doing that. And still down in Nashville area you were doing that. [00:03:12] Speaker C: You started towards the end Montgomery, Alabama for four years or so. And then that's what helped me get closer to Nashville. I went to Brentwood, Tennessee which is just south of Nashville, like borders Nashville to the south. And I was there for three years. But that's one of the few cities I've seen that does 48 hours on then you're all for 96. So when you're off four days at a time. I still had a schedule where I could write and play some acoustic. I was playing like solo acoustic in just Alabama and Georgia a little bit stuff back at the time. But it gave me the schedule and opportunity to be able to do so. [00:03:43] Speaker B: So you're doing writers rounds and doing that. So what was like the, I think of a firehouse, you know, with a lot of guys, camaraderie and stuff like that. I mean they poke at you a little bit for, you know, chasing this, this musical dream. [00:03:57] Speaker C: No other way, man. They were, they were excited and they knew that's what I was like. They knew that that's what I wanted to do. To the point that for example, they few months before I left, they started a like a drone search team. [00:04:10] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:11] Speaker C: With. And like they got these like $40,000 drones that'll do. Infrared cameras. You can find someone if you're searching. And they wouldn't let me join the team because the certifications cost too much. And like we leaving. So like we're not gonna pay for you certified. And I had this moment. I won't. I'm gonna get somebody in trouble. But my last night at the station, they would practice on these little bitty drones. And I wasn't allowed to technically mess with those. [00:04:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:36] Speaker C: And then my lieutenant is out there flying this forty thousand dollar drone one night. He's testing it. He does his, you know, weekly test on to make sure it's working. And I'm sitting beside him. It's evening time. We've already had dinner and all that. And he just looks at me and hands me the remote. And I took it. He's like, just go on a sir. He's like, talking me through it. I did it for like two. I was like, here, take it back. He's like, don't ever tell anybody. I'll let you do that. But, yeah, it's pretty cool. [00:04:59] Speaker B: So you had to have a conversation at some point and be like, hey, you know, I know you got a publishing deal, got the record deal, and you're like, hey, I'm gonna go full time. [00:05:08] Speaker C: And it was with the first publishing deal, like, I felt like I owed that to 50 Egg that I signed my first pub deal with 50 Egg and Sony. And, you know, you can't. Like, that's a full time job. You know, songwriting and firefighting is a full time job. So I would be taken away from one, from both if I worked both. And so as soon as I got the first deal, I put in my two weeks notice. And so, I mean, that's the kind we had to look for, like, at the time, like, a deal that would still pay the bills, at least close to something that I made in the fire service or, you know, we tried to save. I'm one of the few people that came to Nashville, like, with a career, not, like, I don't have the I lived out of my car story and all that stuff, but I mean, either way, everybody's journey is a little different. And so. But that's mine, so. [00:06:08] Speaker B: And around that time, correct me if I'm wrong, but around that time you got your publishing deal. It was just before COVID 2019, if I'm not mistaken. So how did Covid and the pandemic and the shutdowns and everything else kind of. [00:06:22] Speaker C: It obviously stopped a lot of momentum. Signed a record deal at the very end of 2019, and then our first tours with Granger Smith. And beginning of 2020, I remember we were on this little sprinter van with bunks in it, on our way to play in Long island, in New York at the Paramount and around Pennsylvania somewhere. They said, hey, pull over. We find some stuff out. We pulled over in an arcade, a mall with an arcade, and we ate. And they were like, come on back. Things are gonna close down a couple weeks. So we went back and obviously, you know how it goes from there. But that stopped a lot of that momentum. I mean, there's, I think, blessing in disguise kind of thing. You know, the head of the label was really cool about things. They Were like, hey, this year y'all kind of do what you want to do. Like nobody's at fault if you try something and it doesn't work, you know, because I understand everything's different, people are going to consume differently and like, everything's going to be different this year. So that was great of Espo, the head of the label. He's retired now. That was really cool of him to kind of put that out there in a light and not be worried about losing your deal just because you can't tour or stuff like that. And. But also, I mean, I wrote a lot of music that year and so I learned a lot about who I was as a songwriter and I'm a very different songwriter now. But that year gave an opportunity to create a really solid base because you got to write non stop. And as an artist, you don't really get to do that often. You're touring and it's. You're doing content, you shoot music videos and you're traveling and all that. So you don't get to write except for in these chunks out of the year. So get to write that much was a blessing, I think. So it worked out. [00:07:53] Speaker B: And I've also seen too that you kind of have some. Some rock background or kind of came up on some of that 90s 2000s rock. And that's kind of where you started or what the background is. [00:08:06] Speaker C: First bands ever. When I was about 19, we would cover rock music like that. And you're playing like four hour shows and covering all these heavy bands and I would sing all that, but at the time I wasn't singing properly, so I'd have headaches. I took Goody Powder all the time. Every show I would preemptively take Goody Powder, knowing I was about to get up there and scream my head off. Not properly and I'm killing myself and. But 19, look, I could do that. But yeah, I mean, it was good times though. [00:08:35] Speaker B: So how did you. How did you become a better artist that way? Or how did you figure out? You know, it was technique. [00:08:40] Speaker C: It was a big impact on my live show now, like, just the influence it had on. Anytime I'm writing a song, I'm thinking about, how is this song gonna sound live? Wearing a set would this fall. Because anytime you're building a live show, you're wanting to put these pillars of emotion and pillars of intensity throughout the. And so I'm like, where will this fit? And a lot of times you're thinking, if you're writing a song and you know you write with professional songwriters that. That's all they do is write. They might say, what are you missing? And you think that means, I need a love song, do I need this? But it also can mean, do you need a show opener, show closer? And that rock background definitely gave me that state of mind where I was thinking about, you know, where this would fit in a live show. [00:09:21] Speaker B: So we're talking like, matchbox 20. And I heard you say, what was it? Wasteland. I think I've heard you. [00:09:29] Speaker C: Ten years. [00:09:30] Speaker B: Ten years. [00:09:30] Speaker C: Yeah, we. That was one of my favorites to play at the time. And we did a little bit of Matchbox 20 that would have been like, the lighter end of it. Matchbox 20, like, personally is one of my favorites. Yeah, the Goo Goo Dolls and Things are all my favorites, but we played heavier than that at the time. Chevelle. [00:09:47] Speaker B: Yes. [00:09:47] Speaker C: You know, stuff like that. Tool. We did Nickelback and Creed some. And just stuff like that. [00:09:53] Speaker B: That's. That's what I grew up on. So that's. I love. I love that. That genre and listening to that. So. So how did you kind of go from. From that rock background and get into the. The country scene? [00:10:05] Speaker C: I mean, that's what I was raised on. Like, my parents listen to country. I would listen to, you know, a lot of Kenny Chesney and stuff from my mom's side and the Chicks and all that, and then, you know, Keith Whitley and Georgia Jones from my dad's side. And they both sang my whole life, and they would sing together and things like that. And so if I went to rehearsal and when we were young, rehearsals at one in the morning and stuff, you know, and for the rock band, when I was in the car, I was listening to country, so that's kind of always what I was interested in. But I didn't really play it for the first time until maybe a couple years after that. I started doing acoustic things in, like, restaurants and stuff like that. [00:10:42] Speaker B: So I've gotten a bunch of texts today and DMs from friends that are going to be here tonight and been playing your music all day. And yeah, they're. They're super excited. You have an amazing voice. I love your voice. And I was just sitting around the house doing. Doing some things and just, you know, cranking some of your music. [00:11:02] Speaker C: I love it. I appreciate it. [00:11:03] Speaker B: Listen to some of the covers and love all of that, too. So what. What. Can anyone come in here tonight again? Peoria, Illinois, here at Cruz's Farmington Road? What can they expect to see from you on Stage. [00:11:15] Speaker C: This tour is really cool. I think we're doing a lot of new music, and it's kind of this thing to where I've selfishly decided, you know, to kind of just do what makes me happy on the stage. And because I've said this, I said at this show last night. I'm slurring my words. I said this at the show last night. That, like, obviously there's songs. If you put out as many as I have over the years, there's a lot of songs that people want to hear. And at the end of the night, somebody's gonna be upset that we didn't play something. [00:11:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:43] Speaker C: And so I was like, if I'm gonna upset some, you know, I'm still just gonna play because if I had to go out every night or if any artist has to go and just make the crowd is number one. Like, they're the reason you're there. But at the same time, if you're on the stage just trying to make every single person happy, you're not gonna be your happiest, and it's gonna come across in the show. So then you're just gonna. It's all gonna be a moot point anyways. And so it's been exciting and liberating to just be like, hey, y'all, I'm playing what makes me happy and who I am as an artist, and I hope you grow with me. And I'm growing as an artist, as a writer. I hope the fans grow with you. And it's one of these things, like, if you do that, then it becomes a job. And I can have a job at the house without having to leave, you know, and so here, you know, I want to have fun. And if I'm having fun, the band's having fun, the band's having fun, the crowd's having fun, and maybe one or two people are mad at the end of night, you didn't play something. But I think overall, it's going to be a good experience. [00:12:35] Speaker B: Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be here all night, and I'll be out there. [00:12:39] Speaker C: I will say that sounds like a warning that we're not playing anything. People know there just will be a handful. Like, there's just so many songs now, and we've got a lot of new music coming, and I want to showcase as much of that as I can while still getting in the old stuff. So we're just gonna leave something out, and somebody's gonna be upset. But there's a method to the Madness. [00:12:58] Speaker B: So I. I know you have a release coming up before. Before too long, I think I heard you say. [00:13:03] Speaker C: Yeah, February 21st. God and guns N Roses is what it's called. We just started doing some social media teasers. It's. It's been a cool one. Like, we wrote this song last year, probably almost a year ago, I think. And I don't know if you know what interpolation is. [00:13:19] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:13:20] Speaker C: So it's technically not an interpolation if you don't know. Interpolation is like. This is my definition of one is taking like an old song and you sing sometimes to the same melody, but you rewrite that song with just a different meaning to that song. And you might repeat the same hook. Cole Swindell's head Carolina tells California that song is an example. This is close to that. But it's more like an interpolation of a whole band instead of just one of their songs to me. [00:13:46] Speaker B: No kidding. [00:13:47] Speaker C: But it's just. It's called God and Guns and Roses. And it's kind of like joking, like, it's a meet cute kind of song. [00:13:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:13:52] Speaker C: So it's like how we met story, but. But I'm excited about it. It's. It was a little bit different than what I'd ever written before at the time. And it's a direction I've gone for the last year, I think. So it fits better now. At the time, it kind of stuck out a little bit, but I'm excited for it. [00:14:06] Speaker A: She was sitting at a four top with a few of her friends Working off the work week Couple drinks in when that jukebox dime finally hit paradise city she was screaming every word like it was 87 she caught me looking and laughing Singing along too she just smiled and spun across the room Made a beeline from the dance floor Pulling me by the hand Telling anyone who listens this is my favorite band Saying oh, oh w Sweet child Mine's all right but have you heard don't cry Whoa, whoa, whoa she knew every beside and I just sat and let her talk all night thank the whiskey for the tipsy dance she gave me Thank a couple lucky Strikes there from my lucky street thank the bar keeper keep. [00:15:21] Speaker B: So how much as an artist is it important? And we've talked about this with some of the artists we've sat down with on tailgate Beers. But, you know, you mentioned it earlier, social media and getting stuff out there, getting, you know, publicity that way, getting your name, getting your music, getting, you know, your brand out there. I mean, you almost have to become an influencer at this point to be able to. To kind of crack into that. [00:15:45] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, you. Mike's drooping on me. You do have to be an influencer from the top for your own music. [00:15:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:53] Speaker C: I mean, but yeah, like today we were shooting a TikTok. That's like a trend that everybody's doing and so doing little things like that just to kind of include everyone and then you might get some eyes on. Oh, that was funny. They might click and then they heard God and Guns N Roses from our last post. And all that is like some people don't like it, some people do. I mean social media has like, we like people say it's created careers. And my wife actually said this because she's a creative. She does photo video and shoots music videos and tours and does touring photo video for artists. And she said, I don't think it has created careers but it creates opportunity. Like you still have to work hard and build a career from that opportunity. And I think that's very true. So I mean, whether it's there or not, there's still a lot of hard work to do behind the scenes. But I mean, if you get to have a little bit of fun while and be a little silly while you're at it, I mean, what's wrong with that? [00:16:39] Speaker B: No, absolutely. And I mean it's time consuming one just time consuming and then to be on trend and you know, watching all your follows and likes and stuff like that. [00:16:50] Speaker C: I think the trends are just something fun to throw in every once in a while. But overall, if you're just being yourself and creating the art you want to create and just turn a camera on every now and then and show people and they'll learn who you really are as an artist and at the same time maybe it grows and I think if you do it the right way, it can be natural and fit. [00:17:07] Speaker B: What else is coming out in 2025? Touring out on the road. [00:17:11] Speaker C: We're touring with one, we've got the WNO tour, a few, four or five more weeks and then we're touring Warren Zeiders through March, April, May. We got a lot of festivals this year, a lot of opportunities like possibilities for the fall that we don't know yet. So we can't really say just yet. A lot of new music, working on some projects and that'll be announcing pretty soon, but starting with that song on the 21st. [00:17:31] Speaker B: Awesome. Awesome. [00:17:32] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:17:33] Speaker B: Warren is a Tailgate and Tall Boys alum. He's been a couple of times seen him at the, at the festival. So he's always fun to. Fun to watch. So you guys are going to dinner and certainly want to get you. Get you out of here on time. So you guys are going to to Connected and it's, it's. [00:17:51] Speaker C: I haven't even looked at the menu yet. [00:17:53] Speaker B: It's delicious. If you're a steak guy. Steak potatoes guy. [00:17:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:17:56] Speaker B: Delmonico is. Is a mouth watering steak that I highly recommend all over it. But Wayne will take care of you too and he'll get all kinds of apps and stuff like that. So shout out to Connected. Hey, tailgate beers here. I'm sitting here with Tyler Braden and just having some, some good conversation with him. I want to thank you, Tyler, for sitting down with us and carving out some time, like I said, to have some conversation and your team has been great to communicate with this, you know, this week and looking forward to seeing you on stage tonight. [00:18:27] Speaker C: Good deal. Thank you for having me. All right, buddy.