The C2C Sit Down With Tyler Sjöström
Tyler Sjöström (pronounced “show-strum”) emerged from the Chicago music scene in 2014, establishing himself as a formidable singer-songwriter within the Americana and Folk genres. Renowned for his "bone-rattling" voice that exudes raw honesty and grit, Tyler effortlessly captivates audiences with each performance. We first met Tyler in 2024 whilst we were over in Germany, where he like us will be returning to next month for C2C: Country to Country in Berlin where he will be performing shows of his own along with in the round with Kenny Foster and Nathan Evans Fox three Sad Song Society shows. Having spent a bunch of time with him on our last two trips to Berlin and fact there has been new music coming it, we felt like it was time to jump on Zoom with him before he trades the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the heart of Europe.
Great to see you man and not long until we are back in Germany. It’s going to be the third year that you’re headed to Berlin for C2C, what keeps bringing you back?
“Oh man, it is a blast. It feels like a second home at this point, I've done work in Germany for probably the last almost decade because I do music in different facets of genres, but kind of folk, Americana and country, that's always been where I felt most expressed. Then yeah, just kind of some random connections and then the people who put together C2C, they got to see me perform out in Germany when I was opening for Tennille Townes and they were like, hey, we'd love to have you, so I said, sure, why not? I went out, had an amazing time, met you, met a bunch of other just brilliant people that kind of are like a mainstay now in that, so yeah, I just feel it's like coming home to your second family kind of thing. The community feels authentic, it's fun with really down to earth people so, it’s hard to pass that up.”
It's nice, a lot of people I’ve recently spoken to have said one of the things that they're looking forward to most about it, which you'll obviously know it from doing it the last twoyears is that you're in the same place for a couple of days so people don’t have to rush off and you can hang out with your buddies but also that you get to play multiple sets. This means you get to play to more people and some people come back tosee you again, but for you, it’s different types of sets too. You’re not just you're playing in the bars or the restaurants, you played on the outside stage and you do the Sad Song rounds too, so that must be fun for you to keep things freshwhen you’re doing things in different settings.
“Absolutely. I mean, part of touring is going to the same place, well not the same place, but you know, the same type of venue, you're playing your set over and over again, which is kind of nice and you feel comfortable with it.What I kind of like, like you said with doing these different venues and doing these kind of different vibes, like with Sad Songs and then outside or in a bars, you can kind of change it up and it's definitely a different feel in each venue and it brings a different energy, then with that, you kind of feed off of it, or at least I do. For me, having something that is different each time is exciting because like you said, if it's the same thing, it becomes a little monotonous, which yes, that’s kind of what you do as an artist, as you get a set, you play that set, do a tour and you're doing that set every show. I haven't done that in a while, so I definitely prefer the freshness of it and different things for each venue is nice.”
One of the things we're most so excited about this year afterlooking at the app, which obviously everyone needs to be downloading as it is so helpful and informative, is that we have a couple of new stages and you are playing the Whiskey Barrel Stage. Through the means of translating German on Instagram and the use of Google Maps, that appears to be an Irish Bar, which this won’t surprise you at all, is somewhere we are very excited to check out. In terms of the stages you have played before, are there any stages you really like most and that you're a big fan of?
“I mean, I loved playing the outdoor stage last year, I mean it kind of comes at the time too, everyone wants to have a bit more of a crowd because you feed off of that as an artist, like you definitely want more people and more ears on you so, if you have that energy, you're gonna give to an audience that's gonna be a bit more. For me, that was definitely a highlight last year, I think it was the last show before the main stages so, there were a lot of people congregating outside and whether they wanted to or not, they got to hear me and I forced it which was a lot of fun. But then I do like the intimate stuff too, because you really get up close and personal with people. The big stages are nice because you're getting all those people feeding up the energy, but then when you get all intimate and you're actually looking at the person that you're spitting on in the front row whilst you’re singing, that’s also fun. I like all the different ones, I don't think a movie theatre is the best venue for music, but for Sad Songs with me, Kenny(Foster) and whoever our third person is, it just feels nice, warm and intimate in that space and that work too. So, I can't really say I have a favourite, but I think the highlight from last year was probably the outdoor stage.”
Great to see you man and not long until we are back in Germany. It’s going to be the third year that you’re headed to Berlin for C2C, what keeps bringing you back?
“Oh man, it is a blast. It feels like a second home at this point, I've done work in Germany for probably the last almost decade because I do music in different facets of genres, but kind of folk, Americana and country, that's always been where I felt most expressed. Then yeah, just kind of some random connections and then the people who put together C2C, they got to see me perform out in Germany when I was opening for Tennille Townes and they were like, hey, we'd love to have you, so I said, sure, why not? I went out, had an amazing time, met you, met a bunch of other just brilliant people that kind of are like a mainstay now in that, so yeah, I just feel it's like coming home to your second family kind of thing. The community feels authentic, it's fun with really down to earth people so, it’s hard to pass that up.”
It's nice, a lot of people I’ve recently spoken to have said one of the things that they're looking forward to most about it, which you'll obviously know it from doing it the last twoyears is that you're in the same place for a couple of days so people don’t have to rush off and you can hang out with your buddies but also that you get to play multiple sets. This means you get to play to more people and some people come back tosee you again, but for you, it’s different types of sets too. You’re not just you're playing in the bars or the restaurants, you played on the outside stage and you do the Sad Song rounds too, so that must be fun for you to keep things freshwhen you’re doing things in different settings.
“Absolutely. I mean, part of touring is going to the same place, well not the same place, but you know, the same type of venue, you're playing your set over and over again, which is kind of nice and you feel comfortable with it.What I kind of like, like you said with doing these different venues and doing these kind of different vibes, like with Sad Songs and then outside or in a bars, you can kind of change it up and it's definitely a different feel in each venue and it brings a different energy, then with that, you kind of feed off of it, or at least I do. For me, having something that is different each time is exciting because like you said, if it's the same thing, it becomes a little monotonous, which yes, that’s kind of what you do as an artist, as you get a set, you play that set, do a tour and you're doing that set every show. I haven't done that in a while, so I definitely prefer the freshness of it and different things for each venue is nice.”
One of the things we're most so excited about this year afterlooking at the app, which obviously everyone needs to be downloading as it is so helpful and informative, is that we have a couple of new stages and you are playing the Whiskey Barrel Stage. Through the means of translating German on Instagram and the use of Google Maps, that appears to be an Irish Bar, which this won’t surprise you at all, is somewhere we are very excited to check out. In terms of the stages you have played before, are there any stages you really like most and that you're a big fan of?
“I mean, I loved playing the outdoor stage last year, I mean it kind of comes at the time too, everyone wants to have a bit more of a crowd because you feed off of that as an artist, like you definitely want more people and more ears on you so, if you have that energy, you're gonna give to an audience that's gonna be a bit more. For me, that was definitely a highlight last year, I think it was the last show before the main stages so, there were a lot of people congregating outside and whether they wanted to or not, they got to hear me and I forced it which was a lot of fun. But then I do like the intimate stuff too, because you really get up close and personal with people. The big stages are nice because you're getting all those people feeding up the energy, but then when you get all intimate and you're actually looking at the person that you're spitting on in the front row whilst you’re singing, that’s also fun. I like all the different ones, I don't think a movie theatre is the best venue for music, but for Sad Songs with me, Kenny(Foster) and whoever our third person is, it just feels nice, warm and intimate in that space and that work too. So, I can't really say I have a favourite, but I think the highlight from last year was probably the outdoor stage.”
Talking about Sad Song Society, this is the third year running it so now you and Kenny have perfected the art of marketing being sad as fun. For people that haven't seen it or don’t know what we’re going on about, tell us what Sad Song Society is.
“Yeah, it definitely throws you off with the name, I guess, to a certain degree because I don't think a lot of people would go to a place that’s like sad. Well, there are those emo country lovers out there, I guess but Kenny Foster is the mastermind behind it, who I'm excited to see again. He put this together and it's basically a songwriter's round, so we each do a song each. I guess, me and Kenny write kind of sad-ish songs, but they're just real, we're like, happy on the outside and maybe like the grungy nineties kids, like angsty on the inside still. The songs are mainly just about our real lives, they're not trying to go on the mainstream pop side of country, they're not about trucks and dirt roads, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that. They centre around kind of our real lives, sometimes they're sadand sometimes they're silly, but I think they all are kind of embedded in just the real rawness and sometimes we bring brand new songs that we haven't even finished yet. It's just every day is a little different, we might repeat a few songs, but it's definitely not rehearsed, like sometimes we'll show up with our shades on because we've had a little bit too much to drink the night before but we feed off each other. I grew up in church and the thing that I always loved was like, come as you are, and I think that's kind of what Sad Song Society is. It's just come, be yourself and have some fun, maybe you'll be a little sad, but mostly you'll probably laugh, it's just a fun, weird gathering of sorts.”
I can’t wait to see Kenny again either, I think we be each other’s therapists at some point over the weekend as our soccer team are in a complete state of despair but the two of you have got Nathan Evans Fox joining you this year, is he someone you have met before or know much about?
“I’ve listened to a few songs then I followed him on Instagram once I realised that he was going to be part of our trio and just said, hey, excited for you to come. I've listened to some of his tracks and I think he's gonna fit right at home with us and Kenny has said wonderful things, so just like everyone he's invited, it's always been kind of like we all fit that kind of fabric, we're all part of the same thread, I guess. Kenny, I think has a great mind about him and has those kind of people around him that he's just like, they're authentic, they're real, they're raw and they're going to get it to just kind of go with it just like we do so, yeah, I'm excited to meet him and hear him play.”
Then you've obviously been to Germany quite a fair bit andyou've done C2C in Berlin a couple of times but are your eyes potentially gazing at our little island where you may be thinking about a stop on the way to Germany or drop in on the way back at some point?
“Yeah, definitely. I've only been to London proper once in my life and it was an unexpected layover when I was doingkind of like a mission work back in the day in Africa. Long story short, I had no money, got some fish and chips, had that experience and that was about it. I have friends in London, I work with a lot of people in the UK and the fingers are crossed for coming and playing actually right after C2C in Berlin. I can't say for certain just yet, but absolutely I would love to come to London, it's definitelybeen a bucket list item to perform there.”
Well, fingers crossed for that but nicely in time for coming to Berlin though this year, we've had quite a bit of new music over the last couple of months. Starting with ‘HallowedGround’ which I saw on Instagram that you'd said it's a song which you'd had for quite a long time, so why did now feel the right time to be bringing that song out?
“Yeah, I mean, the last time I released music was 2016, or 2018 maybe so, it's been close to a decade and there's reasons like I had kids and COVID happened. A lot of things put a kind of a damper on that but I don't really regret it as it's been a wonderful journey that brought me to where I am now. A lot of these songs that will be coming out, ‘Hallowed Ground’ is one of those and a few othersthat are coming up, kind of developed in that period of time between now, having kids and releasing that last EP, so it's been sitting around. ‘Hallowed Ground’ is one of my favourites to perform, it's definitely one that's close to my heart and feels really real. There's not a lot of songs where I'm like, oh, this is fake, but that one really feels I can get myself back in the place of where I was writing that. It is a sad song which or it's a sad-happy one, it's in the middle and it's just raw. It's been begging to come out for a while and I thought that anytime is better than never, so this has been a long time coming along with all of the rest of the songs.”
“Yeah, it definitely throws you off with the name, I guess, to a certain degree because I don't think a lot of people would go to a place that’s like sad. Well, there are those emo country lovers out there, I guess but Kenny Foster is the mastermind behind it, who I'm excited to see again. He put this together and it's basically a songwriter's round, so we each do a song each. I guess, me and Kenny write kind of sad-ish songs, but they're just real, we're like, happy on the outside and maybe like the grungy nineties kids, like angsty on the inside still. The songs are mainly just about our real lives, they're not trying to go on the mainstream pop side of country, they're not about trucks and dirt roads, but hey, there's nothing wrong with that. They centre around kind of our real lives, sometimes they're sadand sometimes they're silly, but I think they all are kind of embedded in just the real rawness and sometimes we bring brand new songs that we haven't even finished yet. It's just every day is a little different, we might repeat a few songs, but it's definitely not rehearsed, like sometimes we'll show up with our shades on because we've had a little bit too much to drink the night before but we feed off each other. I grew up in church and the thing that I always loved was like, come as you are, and I think that's kind of what Sad Song Society is. It's just come, be yourself and have some fun, maybe you'll be a little sad, but mostly you'll probably laugh, it's just a fun, weird gathering of sorts.”
I can’t wait to see Kenny again either, I think we be each other’s therapists at some point over the weekend as our soccer team are in a complete state of despair but the two of you have got Nathan Evans Fox joining you this year, is he someone you have met before or know much about?
“I’ve listened to a few songs then I followed him on Instagram once I realised that he was going to be part of our trio and just said, hey, excited for you to come. I've listened to some of his tracks and I think he's gonna fit right at home with us and Kenny has said wonderful things, so just like everyone he's invited, it's always been kind of like we all fit that kind of fabric, we're all part of the same thread, I guess. Kenny, I think has a great mind about him and has those kind of people around him that he's just like, they're authentic, they're real, they're raw and they're going to get it to just kind of go with it just like we do so, yeah, I'm excited to meet him and hear him play.”
Then you've obviously been to Germany quite a fair bit andyou've done C2C in Berlin a couple of times but are your eyes potentially gazing at our little island where you may be thinking about a stop on the way to Germany or drop in on the way back at some point?
“Yeah, definitely. I've only been to London proper once in my life and it was an unexpected layover when I was doingkind of like a mission work back in the day in Africa. Long story short, I had no money, got some fish and chips, had that experience and that was about it. I have friends in London, I work with a lot of people in the UK and the fingers are crossed for coming and playing actually right after C2C in Berlin. I can't say for certain just yet, but absolutely I would love to come to London, it's definitelybeen a bucket list item to perform there.”
Well, fingers crossed for that but nicely in time for coming to Berlin though this year, we've had quite a bit of new music over the last couple of months. Starting with ‘HallowedGround’ which I saw on Instagram that you'd said it's a song which you'd had for quite a long time, so why did now feel the right time to be bringing that song out?
“Yeah, I mean, the last time I released music was 2016, or 2018 maybe so, it's been close to a decade and there's reasons like I had kids and COVID happened. A lot of things put a kind of a damper on that but I don't really regret it as it's been a wonderful journey that brought me to where I am now. A lot of these songs that will be coming out, ‘Hallowed Ground’ is one of those and a few othersthat are coming up, kind of developed in that period of time between now, having kids and releasing that last EP, so it's been sitting around. ‘Hallowed Ground’ is one of my favourites to perform, it's definitely one that's close to my heart and feels really real. There's not a lot of songs where I'm like, oh, this is fake, but that one really feels I can get myself back in the place of where I was writing that. It is a sad song which or it's a sad-happy one, it's in the middle and it's just raw. It's been begging to come out for a while and I thought that anytime is better than never, so this has been a long time coming along with all of the rest of the songs.”
You said there's more songs on the way and there was anothertwo at the back end of last year as well, are you just looking to kind of just keep trickling them out or at some point are you thinking of grouping them together as a project, or is that still TBD?
“It's a little TBD, but definitely it'll be a trickle for sure, of songs and singles. Whether you like it or not, that's kind of the age that we're living in, at least for artists like me that don't have a huge label behind them, so it’s just kind putting them out there as much as you can and then seeing what really sticks. They're all great in my book, but of course they have to speak to the listener. I have six more ready to be mastered, I actually have to listen to a final mix of one of the songs today to approve it and then they'll be sent to mastering and then hopefully release one every four to six weeks once we get started. So, yeah, at least sixmore songs coming out that I'm really excited about.”
Lastly and you may not want to go into it too much, butanybody that will read into your bio or look into things, they'll see on one side you've got like this folk Americana sort of country style and then you’ve done a fair bit of EDM work, so how did those two vastly different styles end up meeting in a bar?
“I guess it is part of my life, you just want to pay the bills, it's still music and still fun but Americana or folk, that's where I feel truly expressed as an artist, as a human, where it's like my therapy. It's my therapy and it is also my joy, music is a joy of mine and the EDM thing cameafter I started the folk stuff when I was playing out in Chicago where I'm originally from. I released an EP and a producer wanted a song off of that. He's like, hey, I love this, would love to give it an EDM treatment, or house, dance, whatever you want to call it. I was like, I have no fans, my fans are basically my parents and a few of my close friends but you have some, so let's see what happens. They took it and then that was kind of a domino althoughthe song didn't perform crazily or anything like that but people in that area, that genre were like, hey, I love your voice and I love your songwriting, could you write for me? That happened and it was kind of a godsend during the COVID times and all that. I don't necessarily think the two meet per se, I can't have one without the other at the moment so it's a weird world and I'm all for it.”
But we're going to get to see the creative side and the bit you kind of love doing again for a third time, then hopefully for a fourth time, not too long after, which will be really cool.Thanks for the hang mate and we’ll grab some beers in two weeks’ time, which is crazy that it has come round so quickly.
“Yeah, stop scaring me, I’m excited but I’ve gotta get prepared and see you there!”
Tyler Sjöström will be appearing at C2C: Country to Country in Berlin over the weekend of March 6th to March 8th where you can further details on the festival WEBSITEor on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK. Tyler’s latest track ‘Hallowed Ground’ is out now which is available HERE and to keep up to date with all that he is up to ahead of the festival, you can follow him socially on INSTAGRAM& FACEBOOK.
“It's a little TBD, but definitely it'll be a trickle for sure, of songs and singles. Whether you like it or not, that's kind of the age that we're living in, at least for artists like me that don't have a huge label behind them, so it’s just kind putting them out there as much as you can and then seeing what really sticks. They're all great in my book, but of course they have to speak to the listener. I have six more ready to be mastered, I actually have to listen to a final mix of one of the songs today to approve it and then they'll be sent to mastering and then hopefully release one every four to six weeks once we get started. So, yeah, at least sixmore songs coming out that I'm really excited about.”
Lastly and you may not want to go into it too much, butanybody that will read into your bio or look into things, they'll see on one side you've got like this folk Americana sort of country style and then you’ve done a fair bit of EDM work, so how did those two vastly different styles end up meeting in a bar?
“I guess it is part of my life, you just want to pay the bills, it's still music and still fun but Americana or folk, that's where I feel truly expressed as an artist, as a human, where it's like my therapy. It's my therapy and it is also my joy, music is a joy of mine and the EDM thing cameafter I started the folk stuff when I was playing out in Chicago where I'm originally from. I released an EP and a producer wanted a song off of that. He's like, hey, I love this, would love to give it an EDM treatment, or house, dance, whatever you want to call it. I was like, I have no fans, my fans are basically my parents and a few of my close friends but you have some, so let's see what happens. They took it and then that was kind of a domino althoughthe song didn't perform crazily or anything like that but people in that area, that genre were like, hey, I love your voice and I love your songwriting, could you write for me? That happened and it was kind of a godsend during the COVID times and all that. I don't necessarily think the two meet per se, I can't have one without the other at the moment so it's a weird world and I'm all for it.”
But we're going to get to see the creative side and the bit you kind of love doing again for a third time, then hopefully for a fourth time, not too long after, which will be really cool.Thanks for the hang mate and we’ll grab some beers in two weeks’ time, which is crazy that it has come round so quickly.
“Yeah, stop scaring me, I’m excited but I’ve gotta get prepared and see you there!”
Tyler Sjöström will be appearing at C2C: Country to Country in Berlin over the weekend of March 6th to March 8th where you can further details on the festival WEBSITEor on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK. Tyler’s latest track ‘Hallowed Ground’ is out now which is available HERE and to keep up to date with all that he is up to ahead of the festival, you can follow him socially on INSTAGRAM& FACEBOOK.
