Here is a Q&A with singer-songwriter Tyler Quantrill. He talks about his experiences in music.
Where did it all start for you getting into music?
I grew up around music in my family, my Dad in particular was a big influence as he’s a rock vocalist. My parents introduced me to music at a young age and so I grew up loving it and have been into music since I can remember. I began my first musical projects in 2016, with my first release in 2020 and debut solo single in 2023.
Who are your influences?
The bands that particularly captured my attention at a young age were Queen, Motörhead and Iron Maiden, and my favourite band is Machine Head. However, the more I’ve continued to grow as a person the further my tastes have expanded.
I find a lot of my musical influences for where I’m currently at in my songwriting include Alkaline Trio, Chris Cornell, Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath and The Wildhearts. I’d love to venture into more genres with my songwriting, my record collection does vary from Amy Winehouse to Decapitated after all!
With your music where do you tend to get your inspiration from e.g. how do you start your songs & what's your process?
I’ve found that the material I’ve written so far across my past and current projects is all very ‘human’. If the lyrical content isn’t based on my own personal experiences, then I draw inspiration from human emotions or from the world around us, often writing about things I see that have an effect on me.
I find writing in bands is a great dynamic as you have multiple views and perspectives all focused on one outcome. I contributed the lyrics to the two Undamaged Destiny singles I sung on in 2020, ‘Conceited’ and ‘Evelyn’, as well as our other material. However, my solo material was where I first built an entire song from scratch, I didn’t have someone else’s killer riff to build from and that was a whole new challenge for me.
I haven’t limited myself to how I approach songwriting, sometimes I’ll have a riff or a guitar part first, however in my own experiences I’ve found I often start with a lyrical idea or even a title that I want to expand or build from. I find sitting alone with a guitar in my own space has also been an organic songwriting process, and even when writing a song that’s designed to be built on with bass/drums, I feel it can capture an organic and natural feel.
How important do you feel it is to listen to current music as well as music from the past?
I feel it’s incredibly important. The influence of past music is massively important, my gateway to music in the first place was through legendary bands, and I have a tattoo on my right forearm of the first Black Sabbath album from 1970! However, it frustrates me deeply when I see comments about modern music not being exciting.
We now have to look for it in different places, it might not always be as obvious in the mainstream and with the consumption of music evolving, however I feel writing off current music is a lazy standpoint. There’s so much incredibly exciting current music from so many genres to discover, and it’s so important to get behind new artists that you enjoy as this is what is going to progress the art that we love forwards. For example, I’m a huge fan of Sleep Token after really getting into them in the spring of 2022.
They seamlessly blend pop, metal, electronic, R&B, jazz and trap all within progressive and beautifully crafted songs, the production is incredible and they had a huge rise in popularity in 2023, selling out Wembley Arena in less than ten minutes.
Do you feel it is important to watch other acts perform and to watch other live music?
Without a doubt, consuming and experiencing live music is an experience I can’t speak highly enough of. I find it so beneficial to my mental health to connect with others though live music, and I’ve discovered so many artists and made so many friends through attending live shows. This most definitely includes local and smaller shows, discovering and supporting new acts in local venues.
Not only is it inspiring to me as a musician, but in 2024 it’s also increasingly important to attend shows from a consumer standpoint, with the current position of the industry it is the primary way to support the artists and venues that we love.
Finally what tips do you have for anyone starting out when it comes writing songs and performing live?
It may sound cliché, but I would say to be yourself, express yourself, and never limit yourself. Naturally you’ll draw from your influences, but creativity is so important and music is far too exciting to feel you have to limit yourself to one style or approach.
Self-expression is also massively important, I perform solo acoustic shows and that environment is vulnerable and intimate, and allows you to connect at a very face value level with the audience. I found that by being myself by expressing my humour and vulnerability, I’m able to connect on a deeper level with the audience and give some insight into who I am as an individual. Music is art, and it helps to make sense of a very tricky world.
Find out more about Tyler at https://tylerquantrill.wixsite.com/music
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