The Sit Down with Tyler Halverson
After being a new discovery and a highlight to many at last year’s C2C: Country to Country festivals in London, Berlin and Rotterdam, South Dakota-born, Nashville-based cowboy Tyler Halverson is set to release his debut album “In Defense of Drinking” on February 13th with the latest tease “Like The Rodeo” featuring Wade Forster being shared last Friday.
With the new album in addition to an extended run of dates with Parker McCollum on the horizon, Jamie caught up with Tyler over Zoom to look ahead to what promises to be a very busy 2026.
Let's start with looking back on last year where we first met in Germany. How did you think the whole C2C experience in Berlin, Rotterdam and London lived up to what you were expecting and what do you think you gained out of that trip?
“Yeah, I mean, I don't think I went into it expecting a whole lot at all honestly. I was kind of going into it just open-minded and seeing what was gonna come out, but I thought it was cool to be over there and seeing somebody that you can't necessarily have a conversation with because of a language barrier, but still see them sit there singing our old songs, you know? I thought that was pretty cool.”
Then, hopefully planning to come back and see us again soon.
“I'm hoping so, I'm hoping that's in the works and I get that all figured out.”
It's a busy time back at home coming up though as this album isn’t too far off. Random story about the title because we spell “Defence” with a c rather than with an s, so when I first read it, I wasn’t sure if it was a play on words so I had to use Google to check how you Americans spell it to learn it was just another way you make a mess of our language ha-ha. In terms of ‘In Defense of Drinking’ as a project, what are you hoping that people will take from it and learn about who you are when they listen to the whole thing?
“Man, I hope they kind of take out just the rise and the fall, the trying to come back again, I guess. That's the whole theme, I believe, on the whole record.”
In terms of the songs that have started to come out already, it's been Gary Stanton and Ryan Youmans that have been involved with the production side of those tracks. Have they worked the whole record and are they guys you've worked with before?
“Yeah, those guys, we did my first record with them so they kind of helped me with that first batch and so I just decided to go back with them again for this one. I feel like we get together, get along really well creatively, just collaborate really well and listen to one another. I don't know, it's just easy to translate my ideas to them and then to translate theirs to mine, it's just a good little partnership on it.”
‘Beer Garden Baby’ was the lead single off the project and that’s one that you had put out before but it was just you, so in terms of getting Parker McCollum on and reworking it, how did that come about?
“Parker's always been a good buddy and has always been pretty supportive of what we've been doing, and I know that was one of his favourites, so I just kind of reached out and asked if he wanted to hop back on it. I just thought that it was a good way to just kickstart, get people listening and hopping on the ‘In Defense of Drinking’ train, I guess.”
With the new album in addition to an extended run of dates with Parker McCollum on the horizon, Jamie caught up with Tyler over Zoom to look ahead to what promises to be a very busy 2026.
Let's start with looking back on last year where we first met in Germany. How did you think the whole C2C experience in Berlin, Rotterdam and London lived up to what you were expecting and what do you think you gained out of that trip?
“Yeah, I mean, I don't think I went into it expecting a whole lot at all honestly. I was kind of going into it just open-minded and seeing what was gonna come out, but I thought it was cool to be over there and seeing somebody that you can't necessarily have a conversation with because of a language barrier, but still see them sit there singing our old songs, you know? I thought that was pretty cool.”
Then, hopefully planning to come back and see us again soon.
“I'm hoping so, I'm hoping that's in the works and I get that all figured out.”
It's a busy time back at home coming up though as this album isn’t too far off. Random story about the title because we spell “Defence” with a c rather than with an s, so when I first read it, I wasn’t sure if it was a play on words so I had to use Google to check how you Americans spell it to learn it was just another way you make a mess of our language ha-ha. In terms of ‘In Defense of Drinking’ as a project, what are you hoping that people will take from it and learn about who you are when they listen to the whole thing?
“Man, I hope they kind of take out just the rise and the fall, the trying to come back again, I guess. That's the whole theme, I believe, on the whole record.”
In terms of the songs that have started to come out already, it's been Gary Stanton and Ryan Youmans that have been involved with the production side of those tracks. Have they worked the whole record and are they guys you've worked with before?
“Yeah, those guys, we did my first record with them so they kind of helped me with that first batch and so I just decided to go back with them again for this one. I feel like we get together, get along really well creatively, just collaborate really well and listen to one another. I don't know, it's just easy to translate my ideas to them and then to translate theirs to mine, it's just a good little partnership on it.”
‘Beer Garden Baby’ was the lead single off the project and that’s one that you had put out before but it was just you, so in terms of getting Parker McCollum on and reworking it, how did that come about?
“Parker's always been a good buddy and has always been pretty supportive of what we've been doing, and I know that was one of his favourites, so I just kind of reached out and asked if he wanted to hop back on it. I just thought that it was a good way to just kickstart, get people listening and hopping on the ‘In Defense of Drinking’ train, I guess.”
Somebody else that's collaborated with you on the record is Wade Forster who won quite a few awards the other night at the Golden Guitars in Australia. How did you first meet him, what made you feel that he'd be a really cool person to work with and why did you think he was the right fit for ‘Like The Radio’?
“I've been a fan of his since he started putting out music and I feel like we've always kind of bs’d with each other back and forth online. He's playing a lot of the same places into the same crowd, trying to speak to the same people, so I thought it just made sense to pair up on that one.”
So, is he actually based in the States now or was that something you were doing remotely?
“I believe he's still based in Australia, but he was going to be over here taking meetings, recording, playing some shows and whatnot, so it just lined up to get him in the studio to hang out and drink some beers then come out with that song.”
Sounds like a perfect idea. Then looking through the rest of the year, obviously the lead up to the album is going to be quite busy and stuff, but is the summer looking stacked at the moment?
“I think so. I'm sure they'll keep us in that van most of the year, like they did for the last couple of years. Next month, we're starting in Mississippi and we're going to end up in Massachusetts, so we're just going up and down the coast and taking it out west later on.”
Is that a headline run or is that you jumping on with someone and then is it going to be festivals in the summer?
“Yes, I think so. Next month we're out with Parker a little bit and then we're taking our own run for ten or fifteen days, then we'll try to just kind of repeat that process for a while.”
Well best of luck with the new project that's coming and we really do hope you can come back to see us, even if it's just come and have beers with us again. We’re gonna miss having our cowboy drinking with us again in smoking pubs full of German soccer fans and on the boat in Berlin.
“I’m bummed out that I’m gonna miss that party.”
I’ll get your Irish travel guide working on finding some interesting hellholes for us to take you to when you get back to London and we’ll catch you soon.
“Sounds perfect, I like the sound of that!”
“I've been a fan of his since he started putting out music and I feel like we've always kind of bs’d with each other back and forth online. He's playing a lot of the same places into the same crowd, trying to speak to the same people, so I thought it just made sense to pair up on that one.”
So, is he actually based in the States now or was that something you were doing remotely?
“I believe he's still based in Australia, but he was going to be over here taking meetings, recording, playing some shows and whatnot, so it just lined up to get him in the studio to hang out and drink some beers then come out with that song.”
Sounds like a perfect idea. Then looking through the rest of the year, obviously the lead up to the album is going to be quite busy and stuff, but is the summer looking stacked at the moment?
“I think so. I'm sure they'll keep us in that van most of the year, like they did for the last couple of years. Next month, we're starting in Mississippi and we're going to end up in Massachusetts, so we're just going up and down the coast and taking it out west later on.”
Is that a headline run or is that you jumping on with someone and then is it going to be festivals in the summer?
“Yes, I think so. Next month we're out with Parker a little bit and then we're taking our own run for ten or fifteen days, then we'll try to just kind of repeat that process for a while.”
Well best of luck with the new project that's coming and we really do hope you can come back to see us, even if it's just come and have beers with us again. We’re gonna miss having our cowboy drinking with us again in smoking pubs full of German soccer fans and on the boat in Berlin.
“I’m bummed out that I’m gonna miss that party.”
I’ll get your Irish travel guide working on finding some interesting hellholes for us to take you to when you get back to London and we’ll catch you soon.
“Sounds perfect, I like the sound of that!”
IN DEFENSE OF DRINKING TRACK LIST
- More Hearts Than Horses
- Beer Garden Baby (ft. Parker McCollum)
- 8 Second High
- Fort Worth Losing
- Smoke You Out
- In Defense of Drinking
- Like The Rodeo (ft. Wade Forster)
- Cowboy Babies
- Old Men, Younger Women
- The Dreamer
- Son, Brother, Believer
