Den Devine Sessions - Talking Music
Den Devine Sessions is a podcast that brings the magic of live music to life, recorded in the vibrant atmosphere of the Gold Coast’s iconic Den Devine. Each episode dives deep into the stories, inspirations, and journeys of talented artists, followed by unforgettable live performances that showcase their artistry. Whether you’re a music lover, a curious soul, or someone who craves authentic creative moments, this podcast offers a front-row seat to the sounds and stories that define the local and global music scene. 🎙️🎶
Den Devine Sessions - Talking Music
🎙️ Den Devine Sessions | Ep 15: Talking Music with Tyla Rodrigues 🎶
🎙️ Den Devine Sessions | Ep 15: Talking Music with Tyla Rodrigues 🎶
In this heartfelt episode of Den Devine Sessions, we sit down with rising country music artist Tyla Rodrigues—a powerful voice in Australian country, known for her honesty, warmth, and down-to-earth spirit.
Tyla shares her unexpected journey from aspiring paramedic to full-time musician, after her mother secretly entered her into a radio competition—a life-changing moment that set her on a new path.
We talk about her growth as a songwriter, her reflections on the country music community, and the challenges of balancing art and business as an independent artist in today’s industry.
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience, capturing Tyla’s raw energy, authentic storytelling, and her beautiful live performance.
đź“Ś In This Episode:
✅ The origin story—how a secret competition entry launched her career
âś… Finding her voice through covers gigs & the Tamworth Country Music Festival
✅ The making of her 2023 debut EP “Upon Reflection”
âś… The power of vulnerability and honesty in songwriting
✅ Behind the scenes of her “Campfire Sessions” tour
✅ Why Aussie country artists deserve recognition at home—not just overseas
âś… Balancing the music business with staying true to herself
✅ What’s coming next: first U.S. trip and work on a full-length album
⸻
🔥 Tyla’s Story at a Glance:
•Started music career after her mother secretly submitted a demo to a radio station
•Nearly quit after her first gig—but found confidence through live covers
•Found her songwriting voice through the Tamworth Country Music Festival
•Released debut EP “Upon Reflection” in 2023 featuring personal, real stories
•Committed to balancing business with authenticity in her art
•Preparing for her first U.S. tour and upcoming album release
•Connects with fans through her intimate Campfire Sessions
•Writes songs that reflect her truth—not trends
•Advocates for more support for Australian country artists at home
⸻
🎶 Follow Tyla Rodrigues:
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylarodriguesmusic
•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071710626366
•Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5SwnYxaLFxCb2LQ7Kl7JAV?si=79yirXc0R-Kwre3X11ZM9w
•YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tylarodriguesmusic
•Website: https://www.tylarodriguesmusic.com
🎟️ Catch Tyla Live!
Check her website or socials for upcoming shows, festival dates, and Campfire Sessions tour info.
⸻
🎙️ Keep Up with Den Devine Sessions:
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dendevinesessions
•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Den-Devine-Sessions/61561374826176/
•TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dendevinesessions
đź’ˇ VemYou LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/vemyou
📢 Drop a 🔥 or a 🎸 in the comments if Tyla’s story resonated with you. Let us know who you’d love to see next on Den Devine Sessions.
#DenDevineSessions #TylaRodrigues #CountryMusic #AustralianCountry #WomenInMusic #IndependentArtist #SongwriterJourney #LivePodcast #CampfireSessions #GoldCoastMusic
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The Covers Gigs is great because it gives you so much to learn and it gives you so much opportunity to just grow as a performer and then, I think, stepping into your first sort of period of artistry, which I do believe I'm still there, but I think you know I've grown a bit in that space now, but it definitely comes with its own set of challenges.
Speaker 2:What's good, lovely people, welcome to another episode of Dendervine Sessions. This is recorded live from Dendervine, a music venue right here in Broadbeach, gold Coast, australia. I'm your host, joseph Brown, a musician, a creator and a passionate advocate for all things music, with years of experience on the stage and behind the scenes. I'm here to bring you stories from the heart of the music industry. Whether you're an upcoming musician, a seasoned pro or dedicated music fan, this podcast is for you. Let's get into the episode.
Speaker 3:It's Dandy Vine, time, dandy Vine.
Speaker 1:Dandy Vine Dandy.
Speaker 2:Vine Time this podcast is brought to you by Venue Rethinking live music. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Den Divine Sessions finale series, episode number 15. 15, it's been crazy as time and we are here for the greatest outgoing. We're going to do a live audience, so we've got a live audience here. Everyone make some noise, amazing, amazing, and we talk about the music industry. That's the whole vibe of this podcast is we like to go deep and we like to get detailed and really learn the journeys of people. And today I feel very lucky to be here with an amazing rising country artist. I shouldn't say rising, because I feel like you're there a little bit really, but we'll say rising for the viewers at home. But look, country artist Tyler Rodriguez. How are you, tyler?
Speaker 1:I'm great. Thank you for having me on the last podcast of this season. I'm really excited to be here.
Speaker 2:Do, we do high fives.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, we can do a high five.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 1:Welcome, welcome, How's things? Good? Good, Like I said, this is. I'm very excited to be here because this is the first of this kind of thing I've ever done Podcast and also with a live audience. So thank you everyone for coming along and thank you everyone for tuning in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks, everyone, make some noise again. Let's just make this nice and warm place. Yeah, look, I'm like with you. This is my third episode live. So it's a strange thing because it's not like a TV show, it's a podcast and, you know, while people are here in the audience they're streaming. But we've got to try and create a conversation that's also appealing to just someone listening, not just watching, right? So I appreciate the, the confidence in sort of stepping out the comfort zone because I'm with you. It's a strange thing, but here we are here we are.
Speaker 1:We're gonna do it.
Speaker 1:We're gonna have some fun here we are and what's been happening with you oh man, I'm in a really cool, just chatting before period of um, writing and recording music at the moment. I've just recently gotten back into the studio for the first time after about six months, I'd say so. I released my debut EP last year and obviously there's a big period of time prior to everything releasing that. Everything has to be ready to go and pretty much tied in a bow and sent off. So it feels like I haven't been in the studio forever. So it's really nice to be back in that creative space. Really, I think I didn't realise how much I was missing it until I started really writing myself and getting into co-writes again and then getting back into the studio and hearing that amazing process of a song going from an acoustic demo to a produced track.
Speaker 2:So I'm loving life at the moment. Yeah, it's. It's my favorite part of being a musician as well as, um, just that, yeah, developing something right like it's storytelling, it's going from that intro all the way through to the end and then just being able to create that and and manifest it in music. So, yeah, it's pretty awesome absolutely.
Speaker 1:And I think after I released my EP, I went through a bit of a phase of writer's block, cause I think the EP for me was such a, I guess, reflective time, such a I guess pour my heart out time. And then I think I got the EP out and it was kind of like oh, okay, that's cool, everything's out on the table now. Um, and it took a little while for me to get back into um, you know, I think the best piece of advice that I ever received from another artist was you have to live a life to be able to write about a life. Yeah, and so then it went back to okay, cool, that was a lot of hard work and it was like six months of head down, bum, bum up, like I said, in the studio and doing the admin work and the release, the whole release thing. And so, yeah, just getting back into life again and now, like I said, getting back into writing, it's a really nice feeling.
Speaker 2:That's exciting. That's exciting and you know, again, I just want to just throw it out there, Like we are going to get into so many great topics tonight and hopefully not bore the audience.
Speaker 1:Hopefully that is the plan. I want you all to know that.
Speaker 2:I've been proven wrong that people actually love hearing about the music industry, which I think is a really interesting industry as an industry, because you've got this one passion side which is something that you can't imagine when you're starting off Like I'm going to make this a job. It's so strange.
Speaker 1:No, it is this a job? So yeah it, no it is. That was, if we're starting at the beginning. Now I was when gigging and really the idea of becoming a musician, that only started for me like late, late high school. Like I was not, I always loved to sing and singing and music as a whole was always a big part of my life. My dad, I say, was is still a musician and so that's always been something that's been a big part of my life. But I never considered pursuing anything. I was chatting with someone just before I was going into year 11 and 12 doing nursing and I had every intention of going to uni and becoming a paramedic and doing that. So something way different and being a musician and turning that into a job was never really on the cards for me.
Speaker 1:And it all started because my mum actually really funny story went to school one day, walked into school as normal, whatever, and I had gotten messages from people and people coming up to me saying I think you're on the radio this morning. I'm going no, definitely, like I'd done nothing to get on the radio. It probably wasn't me and like lots of people were saying it to me that I was like I messaged, we got a family group chat. I said everyone's telling me today that it was on the radio. Was anyone tuning in? Did anyone hear anything? And my mum replied oh yeah, I actually submitted a video for you for this competition through a radio station. Like, yeah, thanks, mom, like months ago, and she'd forgotten about it. And so that video, basically, in a nutshell, this competition was um, they called it the band that Brisbane built on 97, 97, three, 97, three, um, and they were basically trying to create a band with kids across Brisbane and that is what really got the ball rolling for me.
Speaker 1:I was lucky enough to get into this band and, again, thanks to mom, I'm here today because that's how it started rolling for me. So, yeah, it's, it's a funny world and was something that I really had to change my mindset to go. Okay, I just loved to sing, because I love to do it in the car and I love to do it in the shower, and I picked up the guitar in COVID and thought I wanted to start playing that, and then to have this whole big machine that is the music industry and that is admin work and rehearsal and writing songs and, you know, just singing songs and getting gigs and all these things. So it is definitely a big machine and a shift that you have to make in your mind to go okay, this is now as much as it is still my passion, it's now a job as well, and it's also that finding that happy medium of feeding the passion side but also keeping on top of the business side was something that I think took a while for me too.
Speaker 2:It's a big thing. I was talking to someone just outside actually, actually I think it was Nathan. He's out there in the audience and we were just talking about that just before, about, you know, respecting the business aspect, because it's like when you want to make music an income, you have to respect the business. It is, it's what it is. It's like an exchange You're exchanging services for that fee, but it's hard for us because we're creative, like our brain doesn't really function. I guess that's why we have managers. Does your mum manage you?
Speaker 1:Yes, she does, yep.
Speaker 2:Mums, managers and mums yes, to sit there and do all of that work, and you know. But for you, as an artist, you've still got to navigate this industry on where you want to be and where you want to position yourself. And I've got to ask straight off the bat has it always been country music that you've liked? Has that always been your interest? Even before singing Was country your thing.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not going to lie. I grew up listening to all kinds of music between my mum and my dad. I was listening to everything from Whitney Houston to Biggie, to Keith Urban, to, you know, cyndi.
Speaker 2:Lauper, you just dropped Biggie in there.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Like Notorious Big.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:You're like Whitney Biggie Keith Urban, yeah, Great.
Speaker 1:Yes, no exactly. Very well-rounded child, and it wasn't the clean version I was listening to either.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was. Yeah, white girl drunk booty on the ground, yep exactly right. If you know, you know. If you don't know, now you know.
Speaker 1:Now you know.
Speaker 3:You can't finish that, by the way. No, we're keeping this one clean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're keeping this one clean, but yeah. So I was listening to a wide range of music and I love to sing it all, but I think what really made me, I guess, fall back into the love of country music was actually moving to Queensland. So I was born and raised in Melbourne, victoria, and back in 2019, just at the start of all the COVID dramas, yeah, we moved up to Queensland and we made the move and I think I couldn't tell you actually what drew me back in. I just feel like country music here at the time was definitely a big scene. The time was definitely a big scene and it was one that, once I started getting involved in, I was like I love every part of this. I love the songwriting aspect, I love the performance aspect. I've always had an appreciation for the style of country music and that traditional country music in particular and, yeah, queensland and and the industry up here and how tight knit and supportive and welcoming they are. That's really what, I guess, drew me in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And so how long have you been, I guess, in the music industry, as an artist in the industry?
Speaker 1:I think it's three going on about four years now, I'd say. When I first started gigging, I think I maybe did a year and a bit, I think, worth of gigging, and then from that, like I said, was able to be welcomed into the community. I did my first Tamworth Country Music Festival, I think the year after COVID sort of settled down because they did it in April, I believe. Yeah, and when I went to that festival it just opened my eyes to the fact that I can write a song and there's actually no right or wrong to it. I can just sit down in my bedroom and write a song. And that was the first, you know, my first sort of real experience with that and the first song that I ever wrote I actually released, which I look back on and I go why in the hell would you do that? But I'm still very proud of that song. What's the song? All she Is.
Speaker 2:Is it released?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's released.
Speaker 2:Who has listened to All she Is.
Speaker 1:I think maybe a couple of my family yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So my family, always, my soundboard, yeah, yeah, and so from there I just then I was writing was a big part of everything.
Speaker 1:So I still love doing my covers, gigs and, you know, just performing as a whole, but definitely songwriting was another big aspect of it that I really really learned to love.
Speaker 1:And, um, yeah, from there on I think, like I said, probably about a year and a half was my stint of just performing, as you know, Tyler Rodriguez, but I hadn't released anything yet and I released All she Is and that was kind of the beginning for me and I was like this is all.
Speaker 1:And you know, my first, I did my first run of like headline shows last year as a launch for my EP, and that was probably, well, obviously, the first time where I sat up there and I played and I knew, wow, all of you, everyone that is here, is here for me and my music which blew me away, like really blew me away. And then, you know, there was moments in that tour, whether I was in Brisbane, melbourne or Sydney, where there were people in the crowd like at a big portion of them too, like singing or she is, or singing some of my first sort of songs that I released, and that was a real moment for me where I was like, oh hey, this is pretty cool, like the little song that I wrote in my bedroom and you know people enjoyed it what's?
Speaker 1:it about All she Is.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All she Is was. I think I wrote that as an angry teenager. I think I did Angry teenager in the sense that I think it was just, I was at a period where there was people in my life that I think were still treating me as if I was that 10 year old that they last knew. And then, you know, I had a few more years under my belt and yeah, so that that song was kind of all about growing into the person that I was at the time and I still look back and I still see a lot of similarities between me and that girl, which is cool, but I also see a lot of growth, and that was, I guess, also the real, I think, driving factor behind my EP Upon Reflection is because for me, songwriting has always come from a place, whether it's me or something that I've experienced or something that I've experienced with someone else, and so, yeah, that's kind of, I guess, been my songwriting journey up to this point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and did you go through that like covers period?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. Tell me through that.
Speaker 2:So take me back, all right. So you've got this idea that you want to definitely do music. You're definitely feeling I want to give this a go. What was the moments like from I guess we'll start with the seed of encouragement from your family, or like obviously we know that it was your mum going hey, I'm going to throw that up there. Yep, from that moment, did you do any busking or did you do any like how did it go there in your early stages? Before hitting those biggest stages.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, yeah, I guess because of my mum throwing our hat, my hat, in the ring, that sort of I guess for me was a very important and lucky leg up, you could say, because I was pretty blessed to start in an environment that was already like already taught me a lot about media and then the machine that was the music industry and the business side of things. So we did all the media training with the radio station and we did lots of. We got thrown into doing some really great gigs straight off the bat. So we got to play for a full room at the Triffid, we got to play in Queen Street Mall in Brisbane too, so we had like great gigs right off the bat. It was we were cushioned.
Speaker 2:How did you handle this?
Speaker 1:I was like this is great.
Speaker 2:Did you just like dive in and just ride the wave?
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I think at the start there was definitely some nervousness because it was a lot, but I was fortunate enough to be used a lot because I can have a chat and I can talk if I'm good at anything, it's talking. So they'd always'd always put me up for all the I guess, the media things and to talk on stage and stuff like that too. And yeah, I really loved it. I really loved being part of a band, I really loved being able to perform to an audience and it taught me a lot. And from there, the radio station's sort of next step was to hand the band over to a booking agent, which they did, which was really cool. But I guess, just like married at first sight or anything like that, it's hard when you have a group of people that have just met and to make them all gel and stick into a band because, as you would know, band chemistry is very important.
Speaker 2:Bands. It's like being married to multiple people.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly right, it's legit.
Speaker 2:Anyone out there? It's legit.
Speaker 1:One relationship is hard enough.
Speaker 2:One I know.
Speaker 1:So at the time, you know, we all had different genres that we were chasing and different dreams we were after. So the band didn't work at that time and we were all very young too. But this specific booking agent had kind of poached me out and was like hey, I've heard a video of you singing country. Yeah, I really love country music because at the time in the band we were singing like a lot of pop stuff. And so he was like we've actually got this tour. And it was Jade Holland and Laura Frank who had their kind of tour across Queensland and their support act wasn't able to do the gigs anymore.
Speaker 1:And so that was my first go at anything on my own. It was on this tour. We were going from country town to country town and I was singing that one single song I wrote like the only one I'd ever written, and a bunch of covers, and I would be lying to you if I said I loved it. I did. I will never, ever forget because it's so funny to look back from where I am now that I did that first ever gig on that first tour date and I got off that stage and I went to my parents I said I don't want to do this. I do not want to do this. I just want to go back to singing in my room. I don't like any part of this. I'm scared up there People aren't listening to me, it it's just.
Speaker 1:It was, yeah, I was sure. And they're like, look, you kind of have to finish this tour. You kind of have to just get through it and then, if you don't want to after that and you're certain you can step away, but we've got to. I was like, okay, so me and my guitarist at the time finished. I think it might have been four or five tour dates, I think possibly, and and with every show that went on, like the mistakes and the strings breaking and all these scary things that happened to musicians in the beginning, and you're like I don't know what to do. I can't play guitar. Someone fix his guitar. This is terrifying. I just hit a bum note, it all like by the end of the tour I was like that was so much fun, let's do it again After. You know, I had to overcome all those things and so, yeah, and then from there, like as I got to the last tour, and I look back and think it was a blessing that I had to stick it out because I was absolutely ready to just be done after that first show.
Speaker 1:But from there, yeah, then it sort of started. I was lucky enough to stay with that booking agent and he booked me a bunch of pubs in the area and I first I kept going as the duo thing and just putting my set list together. And actually the other day was going through my little set list app thing and had found my first set list for my first gigs and I just remember scrolling through it going, ooh, I would have butchered that, ooh, that would have been terrible, that would have been very good. So glad that came out of the set.
Speaker 1:But it's that, yeah, definitely done a lot of growing over time and covers gigs. I owe a lot of what I do as an original artist performer now to those covers gigs and I'm so grateful that that's something. And I still do covers gigs now because I, yeah, every gig comes with a new challenge, every gig comes with something new to learn and I wholeheartedly do believe that I wouldn't be able to do what I do now as an artist if I didn't have old mate in the front row throwing beer at me, or you know the guy at the back screaming at me or whatever the case may be and so I'm very grateful for that journey and, like I said, still do it today and often have a lot of fun with it too.
Speaker 2:Look, it's a major part of your development as an artist to go through those, you know, uncomfortable scenarios where you're sort of like I guess your naivety gets broken of like it's not all pretty. There's sort of these insecurities you've got to go through. There's sort of these, like you said, old mate throwing beer. Stop doing that, would you? Yeah.
Speaker 1:Stop doing that. Get your hand off the speaker Exactly, please move. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And these sort of moments. They help you develop and they help you grow. And have you ever written a song about these moments yet?
Speaker 1:No, I should actually. Do you want to co-write one after this maybe?
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%. Would anyone like to hear a song about these early moments?
Speaker 1:Yep and the drunk people in the front.
Speaker 2:And the drunk people in the front.
Speaker 1:All of that, these moments, that's good.
Speaker 2:These moments, all right.
Speaker 1:I thought you meant drunk man.
Speaker 2:We need a sort of royalties out for them.
Speaker 1:We're taking tabs on this podcast.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's such a like. That's what I love about this podcast. There's everyone we've had on here and we've had, like, artists that have done big day outs, you know, and we've had artists that have, you know, just started a year in.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And everyone's got such a unique journey. And what I love there is a regular consistency across every, every guest we've had, which is that the cover scene develops you and some people hear you know, if you're a music lover which is, which is great, you're gonna. Maybe some of these things might not make so much sense. Well, they might, I might, I don't know. But if you are an upcoming artist or if you're a bedroom writer and you're going, I don't want to go into covers, I want to just be originals. Maybe that's something to take from this podcast is this is your development time, where you can just develop as an artist. And I was telling you before, I've been in a band for 10 years and it's been reggae, funk. That's been my whole sort of thing that I loved. But me as an artist, I've changed. I'm like not that anymore.
Speaker 2:And that's like to bring that up. It's that development process, how important it is so yeah thanks for that. That's a vulnerable moment to be put into because you're really like tapping into those older memories of like man, like I nearly gave up and now look, there's no one throwing beer yeah, thank you, very respectful not yet not yet keep handing it handing out those gins.
Speaker 1:Maybe we might wildflower gin.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is sponsored by. Well, I can say that I always make a joke of that, but now I can.
Speaker 1:Thanks wildflower thank you, legends thank you very much.
Speaker 2:How's everyone enjoying? I think this is their new one, so it's a good one yeah it's a good feedback. Nice, there you go.
Speaker 1:But hey tastes like yeah, I know that's perfect, probably what they were going for right on the money um, but yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's great to be able to go through that development stage. Now talk me into you've. You've come out of that like a new stage of your career. You're starting to, like you know, get into a bit more serious gigs. You're starting to put things together.
Speaker 1:Talk me through where your, your last sort of couple years, has been at, after those sort of first few gigs yeah, I think, um, after I really started releasing music and, I guess, evolving into into an artist outside of covers, gigs and things like that, it definitely opened doors to a new level of creativity, which I loved.
Speaker 1:Making my EP last year is a process that I really, really, really enjoyed, and it's one that came with a lot of stress and a lot of um, yeah, I guess hard work and also a lot of fear, because, just as we're talking about before, I guess the covers gigs is great because it gives you so much to learn and it gives you so much opportunity to just grow as a performer. And then, I think, stepping into your first sort of period of artistry, which I do believe I'm still there, but I think you know I've grown a bit in that space now but it definitely comes with its own set of challenges as an artist, as a creative, because when you're playing covers, you are hiding and you kind of get to just hide behind everyone else's songs. That's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's some great songs.
Speaker 1:Exactly right, and I'd be so much more rich if they were mine and I did write them.
Speaker 2:Hey, I'm just going to cut in there. I think covers artists should be paid from those artists, because I reckon without us singing those songs?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm still promoting their songs.
Speaker 2:Exactly right, we're promoting their songs like come on man.
Speaker 1:Send you my bank details and I'll expect the royalties.
Speaker 2:I've sung Wonderwall more than Oasis. Yeah, guaranteed.
Speaker 1:And Daryl Braithwaite Horses yeah, but yeah, there's, I guess there's that space between you as an artist and that audience hiding behind that cover song. You're singing, yeah, and you get to pick a bunch of songs that reflect the music that you love, but they're not. It's not your art, yeah. And so when I started the EP process, you know there were so many things like are people even going to like this song? You know, this isn't, and it's really easy to fall into the trap of hey, this isn't what I'm hearing on the radio, this is what I wish I was hearing on the radio, but this isn't right now what I'm hearing on the radio. This isn't right now what I'm hearing in the top 100 charts and all those things and um, and obviously, when you are writing any song, but especially a big body of work my first body of work, yeah, it came with a lot of is this my sound? Is this what I want to sound like? Is this going to?
Speaker 1:Is there someone out there that's going to want to listen to this song, song, and so I think the biggest thing that I've learned in this period of my artistry is that, as long as it means something to me and it's honest, like it honestly means something to me.
Speaker 1:It's going to mean something to someone else, and I don't know why that is, but I have just realized that people really are attracted to honesty, and I think, you know, if I touch into what I love about music is the fact that it makes me feel something, and the reason it makes me feel something is because it felt like something to someone else and who was writing it, and so I think that's something that I've tried to carry with me throughout this time of writing my own stuff and releasing my own stuff.
Speaker 1:And, um, I mean, for the most part, to me it's paid off, cause, like I said, I did my first tour last year and there was at least one person in that crowd singing my songs, and to me that's that's plenty, because, you know, for the person that was going to give up on her first gig, or the person that was going to go to uni to become a paramedic, like that's pretty special to me and, um, yeah, so I think I've learned a lot from that. You can lose yourself really easily, um, but you can also, I guess, really get in touch with yourself more than you know usual for sure, for sure.
Speaker 2:And what are your big takeaways on that journey that you've you've already had, like, what's some of the big lessons that? What, like, let's say, what's a misconception that you thought was it going to be something, but it turned out nothing like what it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is you know, you follow all your favourite artists on Instagram and Facebook and all those things or whatever, and you see their profile, you listen to their music and you just automatically think, yeah, that's just that's them, that's the music they want to make, that's what they want to wear, that's what they want to do. Um, but coming into this, uh, especially the more recent period of of artistry that I'm in, that's not actually always the case and it's not always what you see is what they're wanting you to see. It's sometimes labels and radio and playlist pitches saying, hey, you know, you made this a little more this way, it would do better. Or if you change this lyric or change this part in the production, you might get a number one and all those type of things.
Speaker 1:And while I think absolutely there is a, you know there's space for all of those different versions of country music, music in general, I just think that's probably the biggest misconception that I made coming into this as an artist, where I just thought, hey, this is my music, I'm going to do what I want, I'm going to look how I want, I'm going to perform it how I want to.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, if that's not really in that mold that is there at the time, often there's people saying, hey, you know, try this, or if you move a bit more this way or shuffle this around or do this a little differently, and I think um, I guess you know you touched on any artists that are wanting to do this. If I had had any advice for any of them, I guess I kind of wish I would have gotten some as well as I came up is to just stick to your guns, like if it's something that you love and something that you believe in, then that's what's going to shine through every time, and I think it is also very easy to spot when an artist isn't necessarily doing something that they want to do or aren't as passionate about something, and so that's something I've just tried to stick to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. And one thing that comes up quite a lot in this conversation is some people have this ambition, like to hit that number one spot, which is great. Everyone's a bit different, right? Some people that are music lovers think that that could be what it's all about trying to be this big, big artist in south stadiums, which of course sounds amazing for yourself. Like was it always about the, I guess, achievements? Or do you love music for the music?
Speaker 1:yeah, and that's a very interesting question, because I'd be lying if I said that it was always. No, it's just the music for me, because it's very easy to get sucked into, like you know the numbers, and because, going back to what we're speaking about before, it is just as much a business as it is the creativeness and and just the art. Um, you know, there's it's this balance of okay, I want to make this art and I want to release this music, but if this doesn't also move with it, then you kind of have a. You know you're making a lot of music, no one's really hearing it, then you're going back to playing covers, gigs and you can't promote your own stuff as much. So it's a. It's a funny balance. Then you're going back to playing covers, gigs and you can't promote your own stuff as much. So it's a funny balance and really easy to get, like I guess, drawn into. Because when that balance is out of whack and you're like, okay, I want to keep doing this creative part, how do I bring this back up? And then you can easily go.
Speaker 1:What's going to get me that number one? What's going to get people wanting to hear this music? How can I market it better. What TikToks am I having to make, and you know all those type of things, and so, yeah, I'd be lying if I said that I don't get mixed up in it sometimes, but definitely, ultimately, that never comes with me into the writing room and that never comes with me into the studio, like it's always a thought, a fleeting thought, but, like I said, when I'm writing, it's what do I want to write? How do I feel? What is this? What do I want this to sound like? What story do I want this to tell when I'm in the studio?
Speaker 2:what sounds freaking cool and what sounds not so cool, what you know what I mean yeah, I know exactly what you mean yeah exactly what you mean and that's why, yeah, I I think it's an interesting question as well, because everyone's just got that different thing. That's what I like to get out of this is just the different perspectives on different topics. And this topic does come up a lot where people you know they're trying to sort of keep up with the, the trends and the flows of the industry, and then some other people that it's like I just just want to just keep writing music. And I think you made really good points really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2:I dig it.
Speaker 1:No, I think I guess another thing to that is I just lost my train of thought. Where were we going?
Speaker 2:I have no idea.
Speaker 1:I have no idea either. No, Anyway should we carry on to the next one?
Speaker 2:Where we were going was your intention with music.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:So if it's the intention to be on trying to keep up with the number one, trying to keep radio present, Yep. Or if the journey of being a musician is enough. Yes, that was the question, and I'm back on track.
Speaker 1:I might need to crack this open later Help me.
Speaker 1:But I think another thing to that is that when you are constantly trying to figure out what's next and I think, because the industry is so quick moving, the trends are so quick moving and all these things you will set a goalpost and as soon as you kick it, you're looking for your next goal post yeah and I think that's something that I've really had to figure out how to balance as well, because, while it's important to stay ambitious and important to um, yeah, continue to aim high, I I found also in my time of doing the artist thing, that just as quickly as I get the chance to celebrate picking a goal, I'm like my mind is already on the next thing of like, okay, what to do next?
Speaker 1:And then you let those kinds of moments slip by, and I think that's another thing that I really had to pull myself up on. When you know, getting sucked into that hole of okay, what numbers do I need for this and what do I need to make a number one song, it's kind of really grounding myself and going okay, well, I just played main stage of Tamworth this year. That was really cool and that's something.
Speaker 3:Being gratitude.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's something that you know. Two years ago I walked up to that stage and thought I want to play that one day, and this year I did that and taking a moment to go. Okay, this is why I do it, not because I got a number one, because for me, yes, a number one, of course, is a goal. One day it's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But I got to stand on that stage with 10,000 people listening to my songs.
Speaker 3:You- know what I mean? No, exactly.
Speaker 1:I think that's something as well. That was a misconception too. How easy it is to just you know. You look at your favourite artist and, holy moly, this guy just sold out that stadium and this girl just played a headline of this biggest festival. And it's like, well, I'm kicking my own goals and then you're spending enough time really just being grateful for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah and like so. One of the big pillars of this conversation that we have is to educate people or maybe share some experiences on on on that journey. One thing that I noticed come up a lot um, before this all started off, we were talking about that.
Speaker 2:You're heading over to the states, yeah so that's exciting, and I've noticed that a lot of people have to head over to the States in order to maintain their career. This is another big topic, but you'll see some of these big artists from the States fill stadiums, so you know there's an audience for country. It's just why does it seem that you have to go over there when I feel like, look, we're going to touch some nerves here, because I feel like audiences need to understand. We've got so much amazing talent right here in Australia? We've had you know, obviously Austin Mackay on, we've had, like, lily Grace on, we've had you on, and it's like every single person has had to go to the States in order to get that recognition in Australia. And for me that's a strange concept because it's sort of like, well, they're here, they're here playing.
Speaker 1:This is a good point you raise here. This is a great point you raise.
Speaker 2:How do you guys all feel about that?
Speaker 1:This is yes, no, this is. I've been asking myself the exact same question.
Speaker 2:Yeah. No, but I think maybe what it's, it's okay as well. I want to support like of course you've got to do the things part of the business as well. The States are sometimes like it's almost like a. I don't know, it's a weird psychology.
Speaker 1:It's like oh, this person's been in the united states of america, it's been in nashville 100, and it's funny because we australians go over there and the competition I say competition which sounds terrible, but you know what I mean the the population of country music artists and creatives trying to do the exact same thing we are over there is like quadruple, like it doesn't even weigh up to how many we've got in Australia. And so another point of that is it makes no sense to me that we've got such a small population here that we're struggling to support so much so that we have to go over there and compete with the masses.
Speaker 3:The masses.
Speaker 1:You know the same thing we're doing over here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I agree, and it's something I think I give a bit of grace to what is the Australian music scene, in the sense that I think country music is only just now really taking its toll on music industry as a whole.
Speaker 2:As a contemporary genre.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, like I think back now, over the past couple of years, and we've now more than ever, had some of the biggest global country music stars come over and sell out our stadiums and sell out. You know what I mean, and so I think, I think you could sell our stadium. Thank you yeah.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Maybe one day.
Speaker 1:Thank you, no, thank you. But I think, yeah, I just feel like, and now that that's happening, it feels like mainstream radio is starting to go hey, maybe this is what the people want and starting to play your Luke Combs and your Morgan Wallens and things like that, and I think, maybe, I think to me I agree with your question, but I think it is exciting because at least it's the start, like I think you know maybe they'll start with the big guys and you know it's always so heartwarming when you go to these festivals. Like a few weekends ago we had CMC Rocks, which is, I'm pretty sure, possibly Australia's biggest country music festival Could be, I think maybe Like next to Tamworth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I definitely.
Speaker 2:It would be definitely like Did that meat stock one continue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they had to cancel it this year here because of the cyclone, but they did one in I think it's Bendigo, in Melbourne, in Victoria, but yeah, so hopefully, while at the moment I do have the same question and think you're playing country music do you know how much of it is here?
Speaker 2:And I just want to go listen to us all that's not like, and the point here is not to, you know, maybe it is a bit to kick the nest, but I don't know. But look, the point is not to, like you know, ride on a dead horse.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 2:Horses.
Speaker 1:Horses, all the horses.
Speaker 2:That horse is still going. Look, it's not to just, you know, keep on going down that track. The point here is, I guess, to well, what I want to say is one of the things for for this podcast and for what we're trying to do here is to let people know that talent is right here, like get behind it now, don't wait until tyler's over in states. Like it's here, same person. You're the same person as you're going to be in 10 years time. When you do do that and you're going to develop as an artist.
Speaker 2:It's off, I get that part, but the idea is that I I have these conversations with these old school rockers any old school rockers in here that just been around the industry since the 70s 80s yeah, I know there's a few around, look, and that conversation comes up like this I remember when ACDC was playing in a venue down Sydney and everyone rocked up to support ACDC and what I've noticed is that maybe we've got to get a little bit back that way, where we've got to come out and really show up up like as an audience, as venues, as punters, you know yep so it's.
Speaker 2:It's not to like create controversy for the sake of controversy, it's just to let people know like get behind some of these artists, which I know people do. That's why you guys are here, of course is, but it's like let's do it as a when you guys leave the like, talk to other people about this and be like it's people power.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree, I think. I mean, in the scheme of things, I think I've been in the industry for a fairly small amount of time in comparison to a lot of my colleagues, if you will.
Speaker 1:But I think now, at least the you know the festival scenes and from a live music component, I think they're doing a good job at trying to start promoting that by, I know, groundwater Country Music Festival. Cmc Tamworth has always been a great advocate with the busking scene and things like that, but they're all trying to incorporate now like rising star stages, if you will. So that's like really promoting an opportunity for people that aren't necessarily in the industry yet or are starting out to be heard and be seen on a big festival scale, and I think that's something that I can really give a round of applause to for the festivals and really like giving a good shot at giving more people more opportunity to be heard and get their art out there too yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:Great points, really really good points there. How's everyone going tonight? Yeah, everyone's. You guys all tuned in? Yeah, nice, that's the way you haven't got your headphones on. It's nice and loud, yeah or is it for?
Speaker 2:another reason. That's good, hey, just another big thank you guys for coming out and, um, you know it's a strange thing, right. We're just here talking and you guys are just listening and and it's like, uh, we're gonna. Actually, after we get through this conversation, tyler is going to perform, um, and it's going to be an amazing experience. We're trying to create this like sort of platform to promote the artist, and it's a different digital platform than what's there. So we're just trying to think a little bit different. So, thank you guys for coming along and supporting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely fantastic, and how you going?
Speaker 1:I'm doing great. I just want to say again thank you for having me, because I think it's really cool as an artist. We don't often get the chance to just do this and actually talk about everything. That goes on Like we sing a lot and we you know, but it's really cool to have this chat. So thank you very much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah, it's all right, I love it, like I'm all about it. I love the music industry, I love I talk about this with my mates anyway. So I'm like, oh, now we've got cameras.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and big lights.
Speaker 2:And every now and then I'm like oh, there's people out there too.
Speaker 1:There's people here. Oh, awkward, awkward.
Speaker 2:No, but look, I do love it. I love it. I love this whole, the whole concept of this, and I know it's like a really, you know it's a really strange zone to be in. And also it's Monday it's our first Monday thing. We're musos. We work all weekend, so I've got a bit of Monday-itis, but that's okay. But, yeah, big thank you for coming through. But let's get into. You're now in this. We're 2025 right now. So what's been going on now?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this year has actually been a funny one. I feel like it's another period for me. Again, there's a lot more adjusting. I'm kind of pulling away from the cover scene just a little bit, which feels a little odd for me after kind of consistently doing it the past few years. Um, but I'm really loving this period because, as we touched on earlier, I really am back into my creative zone, writing again, doing a lot of co-writes.
Speaker 1:Co-writing is something that's fairly new to me as well.
Speaker 1:Um, I think it was last year or maybe the year before now, I did my first ever songwriters retreat type deal.
Speaker 1:So in Brisbane it's called the Songwriters Hub and for two or three days every day a big group of country music artists would meet and we would basically split off into different groups and we'd have like hour and a half sessions there was four of them a day and we would just smash out a bunch of songs every day.
Speaker 1:And that was my first introduction to actually co-writing and at first I was terrified. I didn't say a thing. I was too nervous to put my thoughts into things and also because songwriting was always so personal to me and what I was going through and how I felt I found it really difficult to put myself into someone else's shoes or also be so vulnerable with other people, which is funny, because you write a song that's incredibly vulnerable and you release it and whoever anyone in the world could listen to it and then feel it and hear those things you're talking about. But when you're sitting in front of someone and they're right there in the room listening to you, it's like oh, I don't really want to tell you that it's a bit close and personal to me.
Speaker 1:But, it's a process that I've really come to love, because you get so many different perspectives on one topic and it's actually also really cool to take something that you're feeling into a writer's room or something you experienced and realize. Actually all of you have also experienced this in your own way. One of the songs in my EP, upon Reflection, if Walls Could Talk, which I might possibly sing a little later, was the first song out of that retreat that I wrote for me, so everything else was for everyone else little later was the first song out of that retreat that I wrote for me, so everything else was for everyone else, and it was the last song right on the last day and everyone was kind of feeling a bit tired after the three days and no one really had any ideas left in them. And so I put one forward and I was so nervous to do it because it was just about, I guess, how growing up can be a little hard and it was about the move from Melbourne to Queensland and kind of trying to hold on to memories type thing. And I put it forward and I thought it was going to be a bit niche and I was a bit worried and everyone kind of was like, yeah, I remember how that felt, or, yeah, actually I just went through the same thing like a couple months ago when I moved away from so-and-so, and so it was such a great experience and it's a song I still hold very close to my heart.
Speaker 1:But so basically that was the start of co-writing for me and this year I've done a lot of that. I'm still doing a lot of that writing for myself, and I also have my first ever trips to the US this year, so I'm going to do that and tackle that beast and, um, yeah, play, which is exciting. It is, it is very, very exciting. Um, it's just, I guess, breaking down more barriers, I think, um, because the country music scene in particular is feels so small here in australia. Um, I'm really excited for the opportunity to go and just experience how that big machine works and see, I guess, the caliber of the songwriters and the musicians and everything over there, and I'll even get to perform a little bit myself too, which is really, really exciting.
Speaker 2:You have some gigs lined up.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, I do so. Yeah, I'm pumped and so this year, like I said, it's just tapping back into that creativeness. I have my goal to release my album next year. So I'm just writing as much as I can to start preparing for that next phase.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so exciting. I'm like so happy that you know. I know I said this whole thing going overseas, but I understand as well going overseas. You've got to do it as well because it's still a part of getting a broader reach of people which is you know, you've got what? 200 million people or something like this, you know over that whole area, absolutely. So there's a bigger pool of people to draw from, which is great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think for me too it does come back to the whole like learning aspect of it too. I think. Personally, I think the sound and the I guess the musicians and the style of music that they're playing over there in the country realm is definitely very much in line with what I like to do too. So I'm definitely taking it as an experience and an opportunity to go and learn a lot too and just take it all in. So I'm pumped.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, let's make. I want to ask you some nice fun questions because I think you should, you know, lighten up the load a little bit. But, like on your journey, what's, what's your favorite place to?
Speaker 1:to that you find that you like to write music I've written music in a few places in the back of my car, my bedroom I've done the whole, like middle of the night wake up with something in your head and have to do a dodgy voice memo. I think definitely my safest space, though, is in my room. I think it's just. I've shut the door, I'm in my own, you know my own mind and my own emotions, and I think that's that's probably my favorite spot yeah, and what's your favorite style of country that you like to write, that you like to sing to people?
Speaker 2:oh, when I say style, I mean like is it this? Is it the lowly sad songs? Is it the empowering songs? Is it the high energy songs like these sort of stuff, like that you enjoy?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good question. I definitely love like I absolutely love in a festival scene to have a big band and a high energy song and just get to, you know, have so much fun with it, run around the stage and do that stuff. But I think my absolute favourite way to perform is settings like these. It's sitting down, getting to tell the story and then just have an audience that wants to listen to the story behind the song as well. Because, you know, I think, as I've said probably a few times in this podcast now, is that you know, it's always a story for me and it's always something I was feeling, and so to get to explain that and kind of uncover that behind the song is probably my favourite thing to do.
Speaker 1:Last year, on that, the first tour I ever did, we did like a campfire sessions and it's probably going to go down as my favorite gig ever because we literally had the big band, steel Fiddle and all the players and then just a bunch of people on like blankets sitting on the grass and on some stands that you'd find on the bull ride and things like that and a bunch of campfires and I literally got to sit there and just sing my songs. Wow, I cried, I laughed, people danced, it was. It was the best, or I think. I think definitely. Yeah, just just any time where I get to sit down and talk through the songs and just have that?
Speaker 2:How did that come together?
Speaker 1:Um, how did it come together? So it was part of the EP launch sort of tour and it was the one we did in Brisbane and so I got to showcase, yeah, a bunch of new songs and and chat through them. And it was Mama J's Mama J's idea to kind of set it up that way and it was it was yeah, it was the best.
Speaker 1:It was really the best because, yeah, like there just wasn't, you know, it wasn't strictly be quiet and sit there and don't talk, but it was, you know, people were invested and wanted to hear the stories, and people were hearing these songs for the first time and and I got to really, I guess, thank the people that have been on that journey with me too and so it was a really really special night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, nice. Yeah, I've seen some stuff around. Was it videoed?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. We got a bunch of videos. That's all on YouTube now.
Speaker 2:It's on YouTube now. Yes. What's it on the Campfire Sessions? Yes, yep. Yeah, campfire sessions, yes, yep, yeah, yeah, I want to watch it. Please do, let me know what you think. Yeah, yeah, it looks like such a cool setting and that's another part of the industry is like creating those moments and and and that sounds like an amazing moment oh, it was.
Speaker 1:And, and you're exactly right, like I think, artistry doesn't just stop at the songs you create. It's, it's creating those moments too, and you know, because once you've made the art, everyone listens to it, but it's, you know, getting those moments to actually present it to your audience too it was great for sure.
Speaker 2:Okay, and if you could sit down with a dead celebrity and ask any question, who would that be?
Speaker 1:hmm, oh, that's a good one. Now I'm thinking in my head who's dead and who's alive. I think, oh man, I feel like I don't know. This is going to be really odd, but I think I would want it to be Elvis Presley.
Speaker 2:Elvis.
Speaker 1:I just got a lot of questions for that man.
Speaker 2:What would you ask him?
Speaker 1:I just well, first of all, I want to know the true story because I watched the movie and I'm not convinced truly. But yeah, I think I'd want to know what really went down. And yeah, he just seemed like a very lot to that man. And I also do love his music too. I love his songwriting.
Speaker 2:And so, yeah, it think it'd be elvis.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much yeah, and you just ask him what his story is. Yeah, I just want to know how, how he's. I'd want to know this what the conversation we're having right now. That's what I want to know from elvis, I think yeah, yeah, that'll be that. I think it's a good one yeah, yeah, about you actually, now I want to know, yeah it's always changed, because people do ask me this everyone.
Speaker 2:I do ask it, because it's interesting, it's oh. Who would it be? Probably Beethoven.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:I don't know why. I have no idea why, but just to be like.
Speaker 1:At least you know he is gone, beethoven.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. He probably didn't talk. Did he talk English?
Speaker 1:Is he French?
Speaker 2:I don't know, he was deaf as well. That would be a horrible dinner. I shouldn't say that. I shouldn't say that it's nothing against deaf people. It's just that I couldn't ask questions. Well yeah, he might just walk off. I'd be like Beethoven come back, you know like.
Speaker 1:No, no, I know, yeah, I know yeah.
Speaker 3:Sorry, I forget, there's people out there oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Actually, yeah, let's just stick with Beethoven.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, beethoven it is All right. Yeah, I don't know, he's a genius.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:You know, Absolutely. I would, it would be Beethoven.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, cool, let's move on Yep.
Speaker 2:Let's move on from this. Okay, where was I? Okay?
Speaker 1:Bucket list collaboration, okay, I think the reason I love her so much. I also really love Lainey Wilson and I think these two and I just want to preface this by saying I actually and this is funny because I am a female artist and I hope people would want to listen to my music as well but I actually I listened to a lot of male artists, especially male country, like I, I don't know, I think it's just the tones and the things like that. I, I much, actually. I listen to a lot of male artists, especially male country, like I, I don't know, I think it's just the tones and the things like that I much. I listen to a lot more male artists than I do female.
Speaker 1:But Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson really stand out to me most and I think it's because throughout the course of their career and their uh, I guess releasing of music, it's always felt as though they've done what they believe in and what they want. I feel like in the time that they were both in their peak I was fairly young when Miranda Lambert was in her peak but weren't necessarily just following what was kind of going on in the music world and there were very much trailblazers in there, and same as Lainey Wilson currently, and so I think either one of them I'd love to, yeah, I'd love to get in a room with and I'd love to collaborate with, just because I definitely look up to both of them in that aspect to always. You know, just because you're doing something a little different doesn't mean you can't succeed and that your art can't shine as bright as someone else's. So, yeah, I definitely admire them both for that nice that's, and good picks as well.
Speaker 2:Mine was leon bridges or tracy chapman yeah, I think that'd be like just to go to trace chapman gig would be a bucket list yep, gig, yep would she ever play again?
Speaker 1:I don't know I'm not sure if she's still doing. Did you see le Bridges while he was here?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:I missed it too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what I was doing Singing at a bar.
Speaker 1:Did you have a drunk guy in the front row throwing beer at you?
Speaker 2:I was like I could have been at Leon Bridges, but instead I was there with this.
Speaker 1:Have some gratitude.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love my gigs. I remember once I was playing at a gig in Miami and in the reggae scene there's a festival called One Love, which is the big reggae scene, which is the big festival. They get about 80,000 people.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And I've got a couple of friends that play there and I was at this venue and he called me up and he's like hey, man, I've got some backstage passes and I went oh, I can't come. I've got to do this gig because I'm just too good to look after the venue and I'm like I could have just thrown this whole venue under the bus and went and pursued my dreams.
Speaker 1:I'm sick, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I sat there and sang and I saw all of his photos and he's like you could have met all these people. I saw all of his photos and he's like you could have met all these people and it was like I think Shaggy was on the line-up and all these people and you know he played a couple of the headline bands and oh well, I've had a few of those moments too.
Speaker 1:So much so I went on this whole. Do you know who Zach Bryan is? Yeah, so I went on this. Here's the whole story. For anyone that's not sure, zach Bryan is a country call him country music artist. Yeah for sure. He's coming to Australia for the first time ever and he's only doing one show in Melbourne. And I went on this whole TikTok tangent. I was singing a song of his every single day, hoping that he would miraculously see it and just add another show, because I was gigging on the day that he was coming. And same deal. I tried everything. I was like so how morally wrong would it be if I pulled out? And Mama just said very. I said okay. So then I just kept going on my tangent and hoping and praying. So yes, I've had some of those too.
Speaker 2:Look and I think that's the journey of the artist as well is you can't compromise your values along the way, because if you do, you don't want to get there and look in the mirror and go who am I? Yeah, Where's that person that fell in love with music? I think that's my worst nightmare is getting famous on losing all my morals on the way.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, you know. No, I do agree.
Speaker 2:Just eat away at you.
Speaker 1:No, I agree, when I first started this as a business, as we spoke about at the start, it's that funny period of you know business and music and when that first started kicking in, I promised myself, if I ever got to a point and you have your moments like I've had plenty of gigs where I'm like, oh, I don't want to deal with mr drunk man in the front row throwing beer at me tonight, but, um, you know, if I ever got to a point where I really was like hating music, I would just get out because I don't know what life would be like if I, if I didn't love music and if I didn't love picking up my guitar and having to play and writing songs and performing in front of people.
Speaker 2:So I think that's a very good point yeah, yeah, maintain your, maintain your integrity along the way. It's very important and um bucket list gig oh, bucket list gig, I think.
Speaker 1:I think it would have to be either the Grand Ole Opry or actually the Bluebird Cafe, and the reason being in Nashville they do like this songwriter's night. Where have you seen photos where they sit in a little circle and everyone's sort of around?
Speaker 2:them. We were ambitious enough to contact the Bluebird to try and do a collaboration project. So yeah, we've been deep in the Bluebird. It's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And they've got the shush policy right yeah yeah, no speaking. No speaking. Let the artist sing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I just think probably those two would be absolutely bucket list for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what comes up a lot is Red Rocks.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a beautiful venue.
Speaker 2:I know, yeah, that's come up, I think, four or five times.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's come up a lot, but it's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Why?
Speaker 1:wouldn't you Absolutely. If so they offered me, I'd play for them, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I think you might have already said this, but nightmare gig. What's the worst gig you've had Come?
Speaker 3:on.
Speaker 2:I feel like you already said it, but maybe you've had worse.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to. I feel like Tyne, my guitarist, is in here with me and he is. I just want to shout out real quick to the musicians that all the phases that we've spoken about today, the musicians that slum it out with these artists like non-paying gigs I think tyne has had many things thrown at him. So quick shout out to all the musicians that stick with us through all these phases too. But I think I feel like I'd have to say it was one in Sydney and I don't know. Actually this same, this same. We're just talking about this story before. This was the same gig weekend where I got jammed in my hotel room with my backpack anyway, I'll get to that in a minute but, um, it was a gig where absolutely nobody wanted us there.
Speaker 1:They did not want country music, so much so that we would finish a set and they would put on like edm music, like in between our break music country music and they were putting edm on between and it was just like we had not one, but maybe 12 drunk men in the front row throwing beer and we had, collectively, I think, I broke. We had terrible sound problems and I broke. Like three strings time broke, maybe all six, not at once either, and yeah, it was just. It was just one of those gigs. I think the hardest part as a musician, the hardest gigs to get through, is when you just know none of you want to hear me. Yeah, none of you care.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we still have three hours.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm running out of strings.
Speaker 2:Riding on the horse. I'll suddenly want to hear you then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think we got asked for, yeah, oasis a few times all the things and it was just one of those gigs. I was like no one wants us here and so, because of that, we finished the gig and had a few drinks and, like I said, we're all the way in Sydney and the reason I haven't opened this can isn't because I don't want to try this gin, but it's because I'm incredibly lightweight, like it doesn't.
Speaker 2:Oh, we should open that way at the beginning. This will be a different podcast.
Speaker 1:This should be a whole different podcast, but like one sip, and we would be talking a lot more about Beethoven.
Speaker 2:All right, let's do that.
Speaker 1:I want to talk about Beethoven and I was sponsored by Jack Daniels and we were drinking, getting them down and we got back to the hotel and we were down this long hallway and Tyne was maybe four rooms down. I was here, had my backpack on all my gear, I've dumped my guitar and everything in the room. Don't even know how I got back there, came out of the room goodnight Tyne and the door so like my backpack's loose and the door has jammed, my backpack in the room and me outside the room and the backpack's still on my back.
Speaker 3:No. This sounds a lot like the Mean Fiddler. Is that true? Is it the Mean Fiddler? I grew up in Sydney, so I know that venue.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the one.
Speaker 2:You sure you don't want to crack that? Yeah, this might be time now, might be time, anyway.
Speaker 1:so, yeah, back to shouting out musicians, because Tyne did come and save me from the door that ate me and it was fine. But that probably goes down as the most memorable gig.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Do you want to hear mine?
Speaker 1:Yes, did you get jammed in a door too?
Speaker 2:No, the most memorable gig that I had. I was playing at a venue called Ravens in Chevron and I was in the middle of singing Don't Worry, be Happy, don't worry. And a guy had stolen some stuff and decided to hide out in my venue. And it was a out in my venue and it was a full crowd audience. The police come barging in. They literally violently arrest them on the ground in front of me and I'm going don't worry, be happy. And I'm like I can't believe this is freaking happening and it was like I'm talking like violent arrest, like four people, and I'm like going. Is anyone else seeing this? This is crazy and this is seeing.
Speaker 3:Don't Worry, Be Happy.
Speaker 2:And he's looking at me and he's going and I'm like Don't Worry, be Happy man. I don't know that sticks with me. I'm sure it sticks with him too. Yeah, and I think a lot, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Like that sticks with me. I'm sure it sticks with him too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think a lot of people everyone was there like is this really happening? And I'm like I don't know.
Speaker 1:And it's that awkward thing of like not knowing whether to stop the song or keep it going. I had a similar, well different, and I wasn't singing. Don't Worry, be Happy. But yeah, my first ever like bar fight between like three women and it was full on and like it's that awkward like feeling of like do I keep going, do I?
Speaker 2:Yes, you do.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, you do.
Speaker 1:This adds to the experience really.
Speaker 2:It does, it does, and if not, you just turn it up a notch, you just go. Let's do this. Bar fight, you change the song back to horses. Yeah, I'm just riding that horse all night. But yeah, no 100 you do, because you know what, if you don't, I, I don't know, it just gets awkward yeah weird I'm like, just keep on singing, yeah, just just work your way through it absolutely nice and what's your pink gig?
Speaker 1:I'd have to say, yeah, probably the campfire sessions we did last year, I just, it was just, it was the best vibe it was. It was all the emotions and I think everyone else felt that they could go through those emotions with me too, which was cool and, um, I feel like um, you touched on this before whether I prefer, like, singing my sad songs or the up tempo. I think I, absolutely I find a lot easier to write sad songs. I'm very happy, a very happy person, but sometimes I always find something that's sad to write about. Um, but I love writing those songs, but I also love performing, so my set kind of goes in an emotional roller coaster. Um, but yeah, they were right there with me riding that rollercoaster too, and so I think it was absolutely that one will go down in history for me.
Speaker 2:I've got this habit off this podcast where I just keep talking, and talking and talking and then I forget about the audience. So I don't know how long we've been going for. How long have we been going for, dan?
Speaker 3:Hour and ten minutes, oh man hour and ten man.
Speaker 2:How are you guys going?
Speaker 1:you guys enjoying this, yeah we're good, we can go for another two you guys are good then?
Speaker 2:all right, where were we beto? We're back, so let's get into the symphonies. No, I'm not gonna do that to you guys, don't worry. Look, it's been like. I've really enjoyed this. I, we, we tried to do this a few times but we haven't been able to do it, and I didn't actually prep anyone to do this. But we're going to just ask the audience, because I think it's really great that you've got all these beautiful people come out here to just watch us talk and watch you talk and I think it's a great idea to try and get some questions from the audiences and see what people have got any questions.
Speaker 2:Does anyone have any questions? I've actually got one. This is not about Beethoven. I've got one from Instagram actually. Oh, you've got one from Instagram.
Speaker 3:Yeah, who. I think it's already been answered. Yeah, who would you collab with if you had the chance?
Speaker 2:But you've already answered that one, yeah, keep going from the audience, I know.
Speaker 1:oh, actually Tyne asked earlier is your hat glued to my head, but I will not be taking it off because it's a scary sight under there once it goes on.
Speaker 2:Come on, I know Terry's got a question. Sorry, say again.
Speaker 1:Tine six string. So I'm not sure it was fate that brought us together. I think so, I'm not sure it was fate that brought us together. I think no.
Speaker 1:I think when I started going out on my own, after doing a lot more of the covers things and really finding my band and my own sort of sound, I think I knew Tyne through yeah, I knew Tyne through some other musicians and another band and we had met a few times and actually, yeah, I think I had another guitarist playing that night and they'd pulled out last minute and I messaged Tyne and said, hey, what's the yeah? And I said, hey, what's the chances you could get here? And it was like I think it was the day of, like the morning of, and I said, do you even want a set list? And he was like no, I'll figure it out. I was like okay, and um, we haven't, uh, really been able to get pulled apart ever since. And, yeah, he's my right hand man, and actually time was really there. Through the thick of it. He was there when I had just started learning guitar. I didn't know a G chord from a C chord and it was a lot. It was a lot. I now at least know a G chord from a C chord, just not a G from an F.
Speaker 2:Do you know the Gs, the happy and the sad chords?
Speaker 1:The minors and the yep. Thank you, but yes, tyne used that lingo for me too.
Speaker 1:This one's happy, this one's sad. Yes, yes, yes, but yeah, so that's kind of how we met. The day we met I threw him into the deep end and I've been doing so ever since. But yeah, like I said, just huge shout out, because it is it very much is like a real. You go through seasons, I think there's lots of steps up, but there's lots of also steps backwards and to the side. And so really grateful for Tyne and all the musicians that I've had the privilege of playing with up until this point, because they have also taught me a lot of what I know too. It's not just, I guess, performing to people, it's also learning. Hey, how can we put a set together? How do we work together as a band. And so really appreciative of those musicians that have taught me a lot along the way too.
Speaker 2:Nice.
Speaker 3:I actually have a question. So we have musical cocktails here. They don't play music, but they're all named after musicians. So if we were to name one, the tyler rodriguez, what would be in that cocktail?
Speaker 1:I know you're a lightweight whichever one has the least amount of alcohol this is it right here the water. Can I have some water? The tyler rodriguez sure keeps everyone safe. Um, yeah, I can't. I can't say that I know enough about alcohol to tell you. But yes, definitely one with a small amount of alcohol for my light weights.
Speaker 2:Any other questions? This is your time, yeah.
Speaker 1:My Tamworth experience.
Speaker 2:Yep, how did you find it?
Speaker 1:Tamworth, as I mentioned earlier, was my first real, I guess, welcome into the country music scene and I am really really grateful for the way that they, I guess, accepted me in, grateful for the way that they, I guess, accepted me in. I don't think I would have had as much confidence as I did coming into the scene and really tapping into myself as an artist, if I didn't get there that year. You know from everyone was just open to talk, everyone was open to offering advice, everyone was. That year I got up with Bill Chambers at his showcase that he does at the pub and it's Tamworth is such a town of opportunity during that festival because everyone is so open to it and that's forever going to be and up until my last Tamworth.
Speaker 1:My favorite part of that festival is it's not about until my last Tamworth.
Speaker 1:My favourite part of that festival is it's not about well, I got this really great slot and I'm going to do it myself. It's always about hey, I've got this friend here, someone's had the chance to come and watch. I'm going to get them up for a song, or I've got this new artist opening. I found them on the street busking yesterday and I'm going to ask them to open my show today, and so I think that it's just such a supportive environment for anyone at any point, whether they're just starting out, whether they're the top of the industry. Everyone goes there with such a great attitude and willingness to help people grow, and also the audience is there. I think out of all of the festivals, the Tamworth Country Music Festival audience are some of the most loyal. I think they're the ones that will follow your music out of Tamworth. They will come to your shows the next time you're in town, and I think that's what I love most about Tamworth, and that festival will always have a big place in my heart, nice.
Speaker 2:Any other questions, another one.
Speaker 1:Oh, I can't say just yet, but I sure do hope to. I sure do hope to. Are you coming to Groundwater this year? Oh well, I hope to see you there, my friend. I've got another one from.
Speaker 2:Instagram here Another one from Instagram.
Speaker 3:What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Speaker 2:I usually ask that question.
Speaker 1:That's a good one. I think if I could give any piece of advice to any artist starting out, it would be to just stay true to whatever you want to do. If you've got a story, then tell it, and if you've got a way you want to tell that story, tell it that way and just don't stray from that. Whatever you want to look like, whatever you want to sound like, whatever you want to say, I think that's probably the biggest thing that I'd offer them.
Speaker 2:Great advice. Great advice, are you going to say something? I've got another one.
Speaker 3:So where do you see yourself in five years? Great question.
Speaker 1:This is a great question. In five years I hope to have released an album or two, maybe by then. Album or two, maybe by then. I hope to be able to take my music across Australia, but also overseas I'd love to be able to visit. I know Europe is really loving country music at the moment. Um, there's a lot going on in the UK, obviously, the US I would love in five years to hopefully be. You know, it doesn't have to be selling out stadiums, but I'd love to at least be able to jump across and do that. So that's my goal for the next five years.
Speaker 2:Nice. Any more on there.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:Any more out here. Here's going to be a good one.
Speaker 1:What was the last part? How?
Speaker 2:much do. I plan so the balance between trusting the journey and planning the journey Is that right. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's an interesting one. I think I feel like, no matter how planned and prepped I feel like I am, it doesn't always feel like enough, and I think that is because it is so. Things just come out of nowhere. Like if I were to put myself back in the shoes of me 12 months ago, I think I would not have expected what came up for me in the past 12 months to have come up for me. I did my first ever international tour with an international artist. Dylan Gossett came in December of last year and he did his Australia, new Zealand tour and I got to open yeah, open his whole tour, and so you know things like that.
Speaker 1:I think back and I go. I did not plan nor prep enough for any of those things to happen, and so I think, yeah, it is a funny balance. I think you can plan to a degree and I think I tried to plan to a degree, but also I don't still don't know a lot of the time what the heck comes next or what I should do next or what. You know what I mean. I think, again, I always just end up coming back to my music and my art that I'm creating and I hone in on that and then try my best to plan around it.
Speaker 1:You know so, you, you write a song, you release a song, you go, hey, I want to either tour this song. Or you write a song, you release a song, you go, hey, I want to either tour this song or, you know, do something like that with this song. And I think that, to a degree, is what's planned. And then everything else comes in and surprises me majority of the time and yeah, and then I guess I go well, I wasn't planned or prepared, but now I have to be or I won't be. So, yeah, I think it's a funny balancing act. That one beer, nice, I'll try my best.
Speaker 2:Well, tyler, we have had such a great conversation. Actually, I can't believe it's been an hour. It feels not that long for me and I've really enjoyed it. I've enjoyed going through your whole entire journey and, well, touching base on your entire journey. We definitely didn't dive into everything, I'm sure, but I just want to say I appreciate you coming out here. I appreciate all you guys as well. One more round of applause for just everyone you know, and we want to bring these conversations and we want to touch base with you after you come back from the States and get you back in here. And would you like to come back here again?
Speaker 1:I would love that. I would.
Speaker 2:Could you guys imagine coming back in a year and she's done a stadium and you get to come back into this audience. You know what you guys get first invite straight back to this next one here. We're going to invite you guys again. Absolutely, I've really enjoyed it. I've really just loved all of the areas that we've gone into. I really appreciate you taking your time out on a Monday to come and talk shop and we're going to play some. Well, I'm not, but you're going to play some music. You're going to sing a few songs, tiny Desk vibes. So we're going to wrap this up now and you guys can go and have yourself a toilet break and everything. We're going to reset the stage. Tyler Rodriguez, it's been an absolute pleasure, thank you. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:And.