'Folk Rock' Bands // p 4 of 4

Shearwater

Shearwater is an American indie rock band from Austin, Texas, led by multi-instrumentalist and lead singer Jonathan Meiburg, a singer-songwriter. The band's music is notable for its imagery based in nature, cerebral yet intimate melodic songs, as well as Meiburg's vocals.

Early years
In 1999, Okkervil River band members Jonathan Meiburg and Will Sheff founded Shearwater as an outlet for quieter songs on which they were collaborating. The band's name comes from the shearwater, a tribe of seabirds related to petrels and albatrosses. Meiburg, who holds a master's degree in geography with a focus on ornithology, picked the name mostly for the sound of the word.

Shearwater's debut, The Dissolving Room, introduced Kim Burke on upright bass; shortly after, drummer and vibraphonist Thor Harris joined the band. The addition of multi-instrumentalist Howard Draper plus tours and support dates with The Mountain Goats, Akron/Family and Blonde Redhead brought them exposure. Shearwater continued to produce music under this lineup in Everybody Makes Mistakes (2002) and Winged Life (2004), as well as the Thieves EP (2005).

In May 2006, Shearwater released Palo Santo, their fourth full-length album and last to be released on Misra Records, to much acclaim from critics and fans. The song "Red Sea, Black Sea," was featured as an NPR Song of the Day. NPR's Stephen Thompson subsequently named Palo Santo as the best album of 2006. Although Sheff appeared as an instrumentalist for the recording of Palo Santo, the album's songs were composed and sung entirely by Meiburg, as the band felt that the songs that Meiburg had written were best suited for the project. Sheff then left the band to concentrate on other projects.

Matador Records
Midway through the tour for Palo Santo, the band was notified by Misra Records that they would be unable to continue to distribute Shearwater's music. Meiburg personally emailed the owner of Matador Records, Gerard Cosloy, who subsequently signed Shearwater to a multi-album deal. On April 10, 2007, Shearwater released a two-disc edition of Palo Santo which featured five re-recorded tracks, remastered versions of the other six tracks, as well as a bonus disc of outtakes from the original sessions. Meiburg had felt that the original Palo Santo suffered from "murkiness", and could be improved upon in the studio.

Matador Records released the album Rook on June 3, 2008. On the tour that followed, Shearwater opened for Clinic and later Coldplay. Additional touring accompanists were added at that time: Jordan Geiger of Hospital Ships and Minus Story (on cornet, synthesizer, and percussion) and Kevin Schneider of Black Before Red (on keyboard, bass, and guitar) replaced Howard Draper.

On February 23, 2010, Shearwater released their sixth album, The Golden Archipelago, which the band produced with John Congleton. The band toured extensively behind the record in 2010, with an international tours in the spring (with Wye Oak and Hospital Ships opening) and additional U.S. dates in the fall (with special guest Damien Jurado). The Golden Archipelago concluded the band's Island Arc trilogy, a project also encompassing Palo Santo and Rook.

On November 6, 2010, the band released an instrumental album, Shearwater is Enron, via Bandcamp. The album was recorded in the spring of 2010 and includes live material recorded at a performance under the pseudonym "Enron." It introduces some textures not traditionally associated with the band, such as electronic drum tracks and squalling guitar rock. Members of Wye Oak and Hospital Ships assist on the live tracks.

Sub Pop Records
In February 2012, a new full-length album called Animal Joy was released. It was Shearwater's first record with Sub Pop Records. The record signaled a new chapter for the band after the conclusion of the Island trilogy, as the album included more rock elements. Following the release of the album, the band opened for the North American tour of Sharon Van Etten.

In 2013, Fellow Travelers was released on Sub Pop, a Shearwater album consisting entirely of cover songs by bands that Shearwater had toured with. Each band that was covered on the album was also invited to play on the album, under the condition that they could not play on their own song.

The band's last record Jet Plane and Oxbow was released on Sub Pop January 22, 2016. Frequent collaborator, producer Danny Reisch, worked on the album, as did composer Brian Reitzell, Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, drummer Cully Symington, Howard Draper, and regular band members Jesca Hoop, Lucas Oswald, and Abram Shook.

^{Source Wikipedia}

Shilo Gold

After attending Berklee College of Music, just finishing season 13 of NBC's the Voice and touring Europe and the US, Shilo Gold is releasing her newest single Not Enough off her upcoming EP Salt / Water. Produced by Mitchell Haeuszer and Balam Garcia at Haus Music.

^{Source soundcloud.com}

Sun Kil Moon

Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist Mark Kozelek. The project is named after the Korean super flyweight boxer Sung-Kil Moon.

Following the delayed release of Red House Painters' final studio album, Old Ramon (2001), vocalist and guitarist Kozelek began recording new material under the name Sun Kil Moon with bandmates Anthony Koutsos (drums) and Jerry Vessel (bass), alongside Geoff Stanfield and Tim Mooney. The resulting album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, was released in 2003 to widespread critical acclaim. The project's second studio album, Tiny Cities (2005), was composed entirely of Modest Mouse cover songs.

In 2008, the band released its third studio album, April. Recorded as a three-piece by Kozelek, Koutsos and Stanfield, the album was well received and featured guest vocal appearances from noted indie rock musicians Will Oldham and Ben Gibbard.

Inspired by classical guitar music, Kozelek recorded Sun Kil Moon's fourth studio album, Admiral Fell Promises (2010), as a solo act, and continued to record mostly alone on its follow-up, Among the Leaves (2012). In 2013, Kozelek released three studio albums under his own name before releasing Sun Kil Moon's sixth studio album, Benji, in February 2014, to widespread critical acclaim and increased exposure, with the band releasing their seventh studio effort, Universal Themes, in 2015. Sun Kil Moon's eighth studio album, Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood, was released in February 2017, which was followed by their ninth studio album, This Is My Dinner, in November 2018.

^{Source Wikipedia}

Ted Lucas

Ted Lucas was a phenomenal musician who performed solo and in a number of bands. He appeared in-concert and was also a studio musician. He played numerous clubs, concerts, and colleges. Ted's musical career began in Michigan in the early 1960's, and continued until his death in 1992. He played primarily in the Midwest, but also performed in San Francisco, Manhattan, Windsor and Toronto Canada.

While Ted is best classified as a rock musician, he originally majored in classical guitar at Wayne State University. He was a student of Blues, Country, Jazz, Middle Far Eastern, and contemporary music. His inspirations and teachers included Jo Fava (guitar) & Ravi Shankar (sitar). He performed in-concert or opened for The Eagles, Frank Zappa, Yes, John McLaughlin, Black Sabbath, Ravi Shankar, and others.

Ted was a studio musician with Motown until they moved to Los Angeles. He was their 'exotic string' specialist and played balalaika, sitar, acoustic 6 or 12 string guitar and more.You can hear his work on albums by The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and others. He also did session work at Warner/Reprise, RCA and other major labels.

Ted Lucas was a member of the original Spike Drivers. He also formed a number of bands including The Misty Wizards, The Horny Toads, Ted Lucas & the Phasers, The Androids and Boogie Disease.

Please browse in our online store to purchase Ted's limited re-issue color vinyl album and other music. And while you are here, peruse the photo gallery that includes both personal and band photos and images from the Lucas family archives.

^{Source tedlucas.net}

The Barr Brothers

The Barr Brothers is an indie folk band founded in Montreal, Quebec, consisting of two American brothers Andrew and Brad Barr as well as bassist Morgan Moore, pedal steel guitarist Brett Lanier, and harpist Eveline Gregoire-Rousseau.

History

Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the group consists of two brothers: drummer Andrew Barr and songwriter and guitar player Brad Barr, both from Providence, Rhode Island. The third original member is harpist Sarah Pagé who discontinued touring with the band in 2018. Other instrumentation and musicians are added on tour, as needed.

Brad and Andrew Barr moved to Montreal from Providence, RI in 2005 after a decade of touring and recording as ⅔ of the trio, The Slip. That group was noted for its approach to long-form, live improvisation and was equally considered part of the jam band and experimental music scenes.

Soon after moving to Montreal, Brad heard the sounds of a harp through the bedroom wall of his new apartment. He went next door to introduce himself to Sarah Pagé, who was performing both in classical contexts and developing music with the songwriter Lhasa de Sela. Andrew also began performing with Lhasa. Soon the trio of Andrew, Brad and Sarah began performing Brad's songs under the Barr Brothers name, building upon them with Malian rhythms, slide guitar, homemade percussion instruments, and influences from delta blues, modern classical and Appalachian folk traditions.

The band's recordings have been nominated three times for Juno Awards: in 2013, 2015 and 2018 for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. Their self-titled debut album The Barr Brothers was released in 2011 and focused on acoustic and electrified songs rooted in Appalachian folk. Their second album Sleeping Operator (2014) further explored the connections between the Delta blues and its West and North African ancestry. Leftover songs from the Sleeping Operator sessions were released as a five-track collection Alta Falls (2015). Their third album Queens of the Breakers was released in autumn 2017.

The band tours frequently in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe and with some shows played in Japan. Notable venues have included Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York; the Red Rocks Amphitheater; and two appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman.

^{Source Wikipedia}

The Be Good Tanyas

Alt folk trio The Be Good Tanyas have achieved cult status since the band's luminous debut Blue Horse, an album named one of 2002’s top 50 releases by Q magazine (UK), firmly established the group on the Americana music scene. With subsequent releases, Chinatown and Hello Love, the band has met with ever growing critical and fan acclaim, garnering 4 star reviews in Rolling Stone and MOJO magazine and selling out concert halls across North America and Europe.

Frazey Ford, Trish Klein and Samantha Parton; three women with gorgeous, haunting and plaintive voices accompanied by rustic, sparse and soulful instrumentation, high lonesome harmonies, and intelligent song-writing.

“The sonic equivalent of a prairie wind.” – Shawn Edward Cote - No Depression

"This balance of sweet and spooky is at the heart of the Be Good Tanyas' timeless beauty. Decades from now, their musical sound is natural next to the traditional songs that inspire their work"–Meredith Ochs of NPR Music

^{Source BeBoodTanyas.com}

The Donnis Trio

The Donnis Trio consists of Nate Donnis (songwriter / guitar / vocals), Phil Woodring (drums / backing vocals), and Denis Sluka (bass).

Formed in late 2005, the trio met for the first time after Nate and Denis auditioned Phil on drums at Nate's apartment in Encinitas. In 2006, the band began playing shows in various San Diego venues which prompted them to investigate options for recording. The band settled on renting a desert house for a week and bringing out Phil's (somewhat mobile) studio. They ended up rigging up the guest house as the live tracking room and the house for the mixing/monitoring. The place was very isolated and eerily quiet. It brought about some interesting moods and helped hone the feelings in Tip of the tongue and Pills and Coffee. Despite their intentions only a few tracks made it to the final album from these sessions and the rest were re-recorded in various bedrooms/closets.

In early 2007, they released "All Directions" and did some small short tours up the CA coast. The album received favorable reviews and later found its way into the popular British TV Series "Skins". The Skins episodes and a growing fanbase on Pandora (over 4 million plays a year) helped the songs "Tip of the tongue" and "Pills and Coffee" gain momentum and expose the band to new fans all over the world. The bands music later found its way to season premiere of the hit show "Breaking Amish" as well an episode of 90210.

In April 2013 the band released the Cole Pond EP. A folk driven EP, with natureesque lyrical tones throughout. A collection of Nate's childhood memories in Vermont and Upstate NY, the songs capture moments of peace and melancholy over an acoustic background. This recording again is produced by the band's drummer Phil Woodring who tastefully adds a number of instruments (most notably piano). The band is also joined by Marta Zaludova on Violin and Viola for two tracks on the album.

^{Source magnatune.com}

The Mother Hips

The Mother Hips is a rock band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tim Bluhm (vocals/guitar), Greg Loiacono (guitar/vocals), Isaac Parsons (bass) and Mike Wofchuck (drums) met in 1990 while attending California State University-Chico, living off campus in Bradley Hall. They jammed and played some original songs at a few parties (once billed as Pippi Longstocking and the Trunk-of-Funk), but soon Isaac and Mike were lured away by the prospect of playing Led Zeppelin and Jane's Addiction covers at big parties as the rhythm section of the Keystones. Meanwhile, Tim and Greg played acoustic guitars and sang harmonies to songstress Ali Weiss in the mellow trio Ali and the Cats.

These bands played throughout 1990, but in early 1991, Tim, Greg, Isaac and Mike got back together and got serious about being a rock band. It didn't take long to step up from parties in Chico, CA to local bars and dance clubs like LaSalles and Juanita's. They began playing original songs rather than covers. The band released Back to the Grotto in February 1993. It was produced by the band with Bay Area-based musician/producer Paul Hoaglin (who would subsequently replace Parsons on bass upon his departure in 2002).

^{Source Wikipedia}

The National

The National is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 1999. The band consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).

Founded by Berninger, Aaron Dessner, and Scott and Bryan Devendorf, The National released their self-titled debut album, The National (2001), on Brassland Records, an independent record label founded by Dessner and his twin brother, Bryce Dessner. Bryce, who had assisted in recording the album, soon joined the band, participating as a full member in the recording of its follow-up, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003).

Leaving behind their day jobs, the National signed with Beggars Banquet Records and released their third studio album, Alligator (2005), to widespread critical acclaim. The band's fourth and fifth studio albums, Boxer (2007) and High Violet (2010), increased their exposure significantly. In 2013, the band released its sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me, which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2017 the band released the album Sleep Well Beast, which won the Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Their eighth studio album, I Am Easy to Find, was released on May 17, 2019.

Four of the band's albums were included on NME's 2013 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

^{Source Wikipedia}

The Staves

The Staves are an English indie folk trio of sisters Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor from Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

Career

The Staves began performing together at open-mic nights in Watford hosted by a local pub, The Horns. Originally performing as The Staveley-Taylors, the trio later changed their name to The Staves.

The group appeared on the Tom Jones album Praise and Blame, released in July 2010. They supported Mt. Desolation on their UK tour in autumn 2010. Jessica Staveley-Taylor also performed as part of Mt. Desolation and provided vocals for their eponymous album. The Staves released the Live at Cecil Sharp House EP and the Mexico EP in 2011, and appeared on Fionn Regan's third studio album, 100 Acres of Sycamore.

The Staves toured in the United States while supporting The Civil Wars in January 2012. They followed these appearances with performances at South by Southwest and a tour in March and April with Bear's Den, Nathaniel Rateliff and Ben Howard. This tour was the subject of the film, "Austin to Boston", a documentary by Marcus Haney. The band supported Bon Iver on their May and June 2012 US and Canadian tour.

The band's debut album, Dead & Born & Grown, was released in November 2012 and produced by Glyn Johns and Ethan Johns.

An excerpt from their performance of "Facing West" on Later... with Jools Holland was featured on the This is BBC Two promotional programme.

The second full-length album, If I Was, was released 23 March 2015 on Atlantic Records in the UK/EU and on 31 March on Nonesuch Records in the US; the record was produced by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. The album debuted at #14 on the Official UK Album Chart. In July 2015, The Staves performed with Bon Iver as guest artists along with Colin Stetson, yMusic, and No BS! Brass for Bon Iver's return to the stage as part of the Eaux Claires Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They have also performed as the warm-up act for Florence and the Machine on Florence's How Big Tour supporting How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.

At Glastonbury 2015, the Staves performed a set on The Park Stage on Sunday afternoon.

The Staves joined the live line-up of Bon Iver for the latter's Asia tour in late February and early March 2016.

On 24 November 2017, The Staves released The Way is Read − a full-length album created in conjunction with NYC-based chamber music ensemble yMusic. This album is available on vinyl, via the streaming service TIDAL in both normal and high quality MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) formats, and as an MP3 download. There is no CD version available yet.

The Staves played their first gig in New Zealand when they appeared at the Auckland City Limits music festival on 3 March 2018.

In October/November 2018 they supported First Aid Kit on their Rebel Heart tour.

In January 2020, The Staves announced that Emily Staveley-Taylor would not take part in touring, following the birth of her daughter.

In March 2020, The Staves announced they would be performing at the Glastonbury festival in 2020. But due to concerns over the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, the festival had to be cancelled.

The Staves announced their 3rd studio album "Good Woman" to be released 5 February 2021 via Atlantic Records UK and Nonesuch Records. The album was produced by John Congleton.

^{Source Wikipedia}

This Is the Kit

This Is the Kit is the alias of British musician Kate Stables, as well as the band she fronts.

Critical attention

This Is The Kit were a long-time favourite among various BBC Radio 6 Music DJs, which is where the musician and presenter Guy Garvey discovered them, playing their music frequently. Fellow 6 Music DJs Lauren Laverne, Radcliffe & Maconie, Cerys Matthews, and Mary Anne Hobbs have also been major supporters; DJ Marc Riley has hosted the band for three BBC live sessions to date. BBC Radio 1 has offered the band spot plays via DJs Huw Stephens, Jen & Ally, and Phil Taggart.

As the band prepared to release their third album Bashed Out in late 2014 and early 2015, they began to receive more attention from online and print critics. Uncut, Drowned in Sound, The Line of Best Fit and The 405 awarded the album 8/10 ratings. The Mancunion rated a live show a 9/10. Finally, the American blog Stereogum wrote that "Kate Stables has been recording music as This Is The Kit for years now, but this is probably one of the first times you’re reading about her. "Bashed Out" will be her third full-length album, and…it will also likely be her breakout."

The band received a boost in attention in August 2015 when BBC iPlayer debuted an episode of the documentary series Music Box devoted to This Is The Kit's music and influences. The show was hosted by Garvey, who argued that their second album, Wriggle Out the Restless, deserved a Mercury Prize nomination.

The band also appeared in the BBC One television series Wanderlust, playing in a night club that Toni Colette's character Joy attended.

Recording history

In 2006, record label Sunday Best Recordings included the band's song "Two Wooden Spoons" in its Folk Off compilation album alongside artists including Animal Collective, Tunng and Vashti Bunyan. Their song was noted as a standout with Drowned in Sound stating: "its personal touch is largely what makes This Is The Kit the British highlight, not to mention that of the compilation as a whole". Following that, Sunday Best went on to release "Two Wooden Spoons" as a 7" single with the B side "Come a Cropper" in 2006.

This Is The Kit's first album, Krülle Bol (2008), was produced in Bristol by John Parish, a musician best known as PJ Harvey's longtime producer. It was originally released on the French label Microbe but has since been reissued on the band's own imprint.

The band's second album, Wriggle Out the Restless, was originally released by Dreamboat Records in 2010 and later reissued by the band's own Disco-ordination Records. In 2013 distribution began migrating to Brassland Records. The recording sessions drew on the talents of the Stables' extended musical community including Rozi Plain, Jim Barr, Francois & the Atlas Mountains and The Liftmen. The album was produced by longtime collaborator and partner Jesse D. Vernon.

In 2014, the band began work on their third studio LP Bashed Out with Aaron Dessner of The National. The band's usual members contributed to the recording as did studio musicians recruited by Aaron Dessner, including his brother Bryce Dessner, Benjamin Lanz, Thomas Bartlett, and Matt Barrick, amongst others. Brassland released the album in April 2015. It received attention as the band's "breakthrough" recording, and as one of the best British recordings of 2015.

July 2017 brought the release of the band's fourth LP Moonshine Freeze. The record was well received and chosen as the Rough Trade Album of the Month for July.

In October 2020, the band released their fifth LP Off Off On, again with Rough Trade.

^{Source Wikipedia}

Triggers & Slips

Not being down with the Utah scene, I hung out in cyberspace with ‘Triggers and Slips’ a while and first stop was the Small Lake City Concert Series and a version of Alice in Chains’ ‘Rooster’. Mormon descendent Morgan Snow takes a pinch of that grungy flavour and the ‘Slips’ sneeze dirty country vibes all over it, resulting in kind of a cross between Son Volt and Pearl Jam. It’s a virus that one can only imagine is going to spread rapidly as the rest of the album hits our shelves, venues and, yes, online platforms of choice.

To dig further into the ethos of ‘Triggers and Slips’ reveals that in fact the band leadership, songwriting and roots are very much intertwined with John Davies. Davies is vocal wingman, multi-instrumentalist and owner of a delightfully simple name considering his trade. Here is a band that carry themselves like men and play their music with redoubtable authority. Don’t let that fool you that it’s not fun though. Good production can sound very spontaneous when done right. The title track is all the proof you need of that, as a slow distorted intro gives way to honky-tonk piano, Hammond organ and duelling guitars, fading in and out over an outlaw country shuffle while Snow, for all the world a 21st Century Waylon, holds court as master of ceremonies. “We’ve been pushing our luck/We’re bound to fuck up…” his voice is a finely tuned country music weapon in peak condition. There are elements of border country in ‘Natchez Trace’, the dusty desert fandango style strongly vying with the rock n roll of Uncle Sam for prominence. ‘Old Friends’, which first appeared on the band’s 2012 self-titled EP is a bromance reunion epic, replete with spectacular fiddle and toe-tapping piano solo work by the band’s honky tonkin’ electro dj, the ‘Time Chimp’ – Greg Midgley. It’s been dragged from the gutter, polished to a shining star of a song and given centre stage on ‘The Stranger’. The combination of country and slow bluesy Jeff Beck overtones on ‘I’m Not Your Baby’ hints at the broad horizons that ‘Triggers And Slips’ have embraced while Snow clings to his love of grunge with that overhaul of ‘Rooster’.

Morgan Snow was a drug and alcohol therapist when he stumbled on the name for his band, Triggers and Slips was the heading of some notes on a group session one of his co-workers was leading. Much of this album concentrates, in the great traditions, on matters of the heart and of the soul. Described as songs that will “hit you in the gut” the blend of skilful delivery, first-class production and songcraft of the highest standard makes ‘The Stranger’ a game-changer for these men of Utah.

^{Written by Tim Merricks}

^{Source americana-uk.com}

Twain

Twain is the singer/songwriter project of multi-instrumentalist Mat Davidson, onetime member of the Low Anthem and Spirit Family Reunion. Consistently melodic and brittle, Twain's material has spanned experimental lo-fi and intimate indie folk.

Smart FleshHailing from Franklin County, Virginia, Davidson began recording as Twain in the mid-2000s. He self-released the albums Sleeping Tree and Almanack before joining indie folk group the Low Anthem in 2009 as bassist/multi-instrumentalist. Still making time for Twain, he put out Love Is All Around in July 2010, then appeared on the Low Anthem's 2011 LP, Smart Flesh, before leaving the group later that year. While with the Low Anthem, he also joined Americana outfit Spirit Family Reunion on fiddle, leaving that band in early 2014 to refocus on Twain.

Recorded straight to tape and mastered in analog, 2014's Life Labors in the Choir channeled blues-like rawness into wounded folk. Also released in 2014, Twain-Tone Rally-Race: Collected Recordings 2005-2008 repackaged Sleeping Tree and Almanack. Intended as a full-length in progress with demos and live performances, the Sir Kitchen Boy EP followed in 2015, and the Alternator EP, released in 2016, featured all new songs.

Rare FeelingIn 2017, Twain signed with Austin, Texas-based Keeled Scales and toured in support of acts such as Big Thief, Langhorne Slim, and the Deslondes. With bassist Ken Woodward and drummer Peter Pezzimenti credited as bandmembers, their label debut, Rare Feeling, arrived that October.

^{Source allmusic.com}

William Tyler

William Armistead Tyler (born December 25, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American musician and guitarist who plays folk, indie folk, and pop rock. His debut studio album, Behold the Spirit, was released on November 22, 2010. Adam Bednarik produced the album with Tyler on Tompkins Square Records. He has since released three additional solo albums.

Background

Tyler was born to Daniel E. "Dan" Tyler and Adele B. Tyler on December 25, 1979, in Nashville, Tennessee. His father is a noted songwriter in his own right who wrote "The Light in Your Eyes" by LeAnn Rimes, co-wrote "Baby's Got a New Baby" by S-K-O, and co-wrote "Modern Day Romance" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; in addition, both of his parents co-wrote "Bobbie Sue" by The Oak Ridge Boys. Tyler has a younger sister named Elise. William and Elise Tyler were the owners and founders of The Stone Fox in Nashville, Tennessee, which was a music restaurant/café/bar that opened on September 20, 2012 and held its final live show on January 31, 2016. William is a 1998 graduate and his sister Elise is a 2002 graduate of University School of Nashville.

^{Source Wikipedia}