Introducing The Soothing Voice Of Tyler Shaw..

Tyler Shaw is a multi-faceted force to be reckoned with! A platinum selling artist, producer and actor, the Canadian newcomer has been holed up in the studio adding the finishing touches to a new album, which is set for a spring 2021 release. The latest taster from the record is ‘When You’re Home’ – a beautiful ballad that showcases Tyler’s unmistakable vocal. We had a virtual chat with the man himself to discuss working with icons, his COVID-relief project, his love for London and his forthcoming album.

2020 was a pretty turbulent year for everyone. How did you manage to stay sane and creative throughout?

The year, for me, started out pretty promising and exciting. I was working on my next album and had actually made a trip over to London (pre-COVID) to visit my older brother and write some new music. When I returned to Canada in early March, things took a turn for the worse. I was flying out to a concert I had in Calgary, and when I landed my manager and I found out that not only had our show been cancelled but The JUNO Awards (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards or The Brits) were also cancelled. When I returned back home to Toronto, I immediately began working on making content and actually launched what I called “Quarantunes Fest” which was a weekly online virtual concert on my Instagram Live. The program featured special guest performances, interviews and was hosted by me. We had a great line up from Alessia Cara and JoJo to Sam Fischer. 

The best way I could stay sane was to create a schedule for myself and stick to it because it was much easier to stay in pyjamas all day and binge-watch Netflix. I was very disciplined in terms of waking up early, working out, cooking and keeping myself occupied. Slowly over the course of Spring/Summer other artists and writers became more open to working virtually and so that was an opportunity to continue working creatively and get back into a routine with my music.

You also released COVID-19 relief single ‘Lean On Me’, in collaboration with some legendary artists. How did the collaborations with Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne happen – were you guys already friends?

‘Lean On Me’ and ArtistsCAN was certainly a larger undertaking than I had ever imagined. It all stemmed from a conversation that I had with my manager, Danny Reiner, about the passing of music legend Bill Withers. We were listening through his catalogue and reminded of his musical legacy and all of the great records he released over the years. We found ourselves stuck on ‘Lean On Me’ in particular and realized that the lyrical message was something that our world needed to hear during such a chaotic and uncertain time. I made a call to a friend and fellow artist, Fefe Dobson. Initially this was going to be a smaller collaboration that I was just going to share on my social media. Once we had Fefe on board the project began snowballing. We both dug into our contacts to see who we could pull together and make this the ultimate Canadian anthem. We enlisted the help of our mutual friend Dan Kanter, best known for his work as musical director for Justin Bieber. Most of the artists we had on the final song were within six degrees of separation from one another. The Canadian music industry is pretty small in terms of knowing one another and crossing paths. I am super appreciative for all of the artists who participated, without hesitation or ego. Some of my idols ended up on the song including Bryan Adams and Michael Bublé. I suppose that’s the silver lining to this past year. The fact that we were all socially distanced, but that music actually brought us all together made this project extra special.  

How did you orchestrate creating the track whilst all in different locations? What was it like working with such a diverse pool of talent for such a great cause?

This was no easy feat. We had the incredible producer Jon Levine (Alessia Cara, Dua Lipa, Andy Grammar) helping us out. The song began as a rough demo recorded by me, from my studio in Toronto and Fefe Dobson from her home in Nashville. We sent our respective parts to Jon Levine in LA. That demo was circulated as the reference track and we started sending it out to each artist to record their parts. It was Jon’s ear we relied on to find the best parts for each artist and their voice. The real challenge was we were dealing with the obstacles of time and space. We had artists in different time zones, and some were quarantined remotely or nowhere close to a studio. We had to work with what we had available to us. As we were building out the track, we also wanted this to really reflect Canada’s diversity. We did our best to reflect that. For me, it was really special to have legends like Geddy Lee, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams on the single but also include new, emerging artists like Bad Child, The Command Sisters and Olivia Lunny. 

If you could collaborate with any other artist, dead or alive, who would be the number one choice?

I’ve been a big fan of Justin Timberlake for a long time. I’d love to just be in a studio setting with him, share ideas and write together. I think he has such a great understanding of pop music and melody. I’d be curious about what we might come up with. In terms of actual vocal features, duets and collaborations in that regard I would love to work with Lennon Stella, Alessia Cara or Dua Lipa. 

What was your route into the music industry – are you from a creative and musical family?

I would say for the most part I carved my own path in the music lane. I do come from a very talented family. My older brother, Matthew Ip Shaw is an actor. He lived in New York for many years and was actually based in London last year until he moved back to Canada because of the pandemic. While I was growing up, my mom was a piano teacher. I gravitate more towards the acoustic guitar as my main instrument, but I will say that being exposed to music around the house definitely influenced me, creatively.

Can you remember the first record that you ever purchased with your own money?

I think it may have been ‘Silver Side Up’ by Nickelback. I listened to that album incessantly for a period of time. I was a big fan of pop music growing up as well. I used to listen to the Backstreet Boys until my older brother laughed at me about it. At that age, I was into whatever my older brother was into. That forced me to expand my understanding of music. When I went to high school, I went through so many new experiences and that’s when I discovered artists like John Mayer and Michael Bublé for the first time. 

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would you tell little Tyler?

So many things, but that’s really the beauty of learning and growing. I think the advice I would give to my younger self or anyone really is to trust your intuition. This is practiced by asking questions, informing yourself and surrounding yourself with good people who you trust will give you advice and insight to help you make decisions in life. I used to overthink at times and also make big decisions too quickly, not understanding fully what the ramifications might be.

What was the last record that you listened to all the way through?

I just recently listened to the Taylor Swift record ‘Evermore’. I love watching her grow as an artist and really steer her own career. She knows what she’s doing, and it feels like, more than ever, she is in full control. I respect that, especially as an example of an intelligent and talented woman in the music business. That authentic artistry is apparent in her new music. I’m also really loving the latest EP from JC Stewart called ‘When The Light Hits The Room’. Great songwriting and fantastic production. Just a really impressive body of work. I’m a big fan.

At Spindle we love to nurture emerging talent. Who are the artists that you’ve recently discovered who you think are destined for big things in the coming years?

I would say this artist from Australia named Blake Rose. I think he’s already on a lot of people’s radar but if you’ve never heard of him, definitely check out his music. 

We adore your newest single ‘When You’re Home’. You’ve worked with some fantastic people on the record – can you tell us who you’ve been collaborating with on all of your new music?

This is a special song to me. I wrote the song earlier this year on my trip over to London, coincidentally. The new song was written with Alex Beitzke (James Arthur, Florence + the Machine) and Henry Brill. I brought the song back home, had my friend Jon Levine produce it for me, and I think it turned out beautifully. On the actual record I worked a lot with Sam Merrifield (Lewis Capaldi, Calum Scott), my longtime collaborator Alex ‘Pilz’ Vujic who co-produced my entire last album and Nick Henriques (Loud Luxury, Icona Pop) from Toronto. I’m still finalizing my track listing for the new album but a pretty incredible group of writers and producers that I’m grateful to have worked with on this project.

We’ve all been spending a lot of time at home in the past year. What does Tyler Shaw love to do whilst he’s at home?

I moved into my first home just last summer, so I’ve been doing home renovations, decorating the space and making it my own. I enjoy staying active, so while indoors I do virtual workouts as much as possible. I also love to cook and have been experimenting with a lot of new recipes and making use of what I have available to me in the kitchen. In my basement, I’ve created my own studio space. It’s my version of a “man cave” and it really inspires me. All my instruments and gear are set up the way I like it. This past summer a Canadian home renovation show did a makeover on my backyard space and created a little oasis behind my house. I made the most of the beautiful weather out there, watching movies from a projector and grilling on the BBQ all summer long.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions this year?

My resolution is to continue to give back. I think we’ve all realised the importance of relying on one another during this global pandemic, but I don’t want this to be a band-aid situation where we forget about it on the other side. Whether it be through my music, lending my voice or direct donations, I want to remain proactive in my commitment to giving back in whatever capacity I can.

If we speak with you again in January 2022, what would you have liked to have achieved by then?

Depending entirely on where we land with this pandemic, I’d love to be chatting with you about a tour across Europe. I’ve always been drawn to the UK. Reminds me of where I group up in Vancouver, Canada. The people, the history, the overall vibe of the UK is just so alluring to me. 

I hope to be performing my music for audiences across the pond very soon. By this time next year, I will have released my third studio album and I hope to have an international hit song or collaboration and ultimately a tour that brings me and my music over to Europe finally.