Tyler Shaw is a singer-songwriter, actor and producer who was discovered in 2012 as the winner of the “Much Music Coca-Cola Covers Contest”. Shaw described the competition as having “a great impact” on his life. Since then, he and his team have released two albums and “a bunch of top 10 singles,” so it has changed his life “significantly”.
One of Tyler’s most recent singles, “With You” was a song written for his wife, Alex. Unlike most songs, “With You” was actually granted two music videos-- one of which contained footage from their wedding day:
“Every song deserves a music video. This one is just very special because the song was written for my wife so we decided to share a little bit of our celebration of our wedding. We were just like, ‘Why not? The song is about us. It’s about her. So, we’re going to show people our day.’” Shaw explained.
Although his songs often come from very personal experiences, Tyler hopes that other people continue to connect with the music as well: “What you’re listening to is raw and honest and hopefully it relates to something in your life. That’s the type of music I love to create….”
Earlier this year, Tyler participated in many events surrounding The JUNO Awards in London, ON, including JUNO Fan Fare, The JUNO Songwriters’ Circle, the television broadcast and more:
“The whole weekend was an absolute blast being surrounded by talent and the overall vibe. It’s such a celebration that we have here in Canada! I was doing something every single day! Every single night was very, busy but I’m so happy with it!”
The red carpet alone was filled with many of Shaw’s young peers in the Canadian music industry, from Scott Helman, to Johnny Orlando and Brett Kissel, just to name a few. One might think there would be a sense of competition, however, that is not the case. Over the years, Tyler has felt supported by many artists across Canada and he continues to do the same for others: “It’s amazing, you know? Especially as a Canadian, we’ve got to stick together! All young artists coming out of Canada need to stick together because we have such passion over here. The world’s looking to our country to find out the next biggest thing or just to see what kind of music we have. There’s so much talent up here, you know? So, being immersed in the young artist culture, it’s super important that we help each other out….”
In addition to catching up with fans and friends alike at The JUNO Awards, one of the biggest moments for Shaw was meeting surprise guest and music legend, Sting! Tyler admitted that there had been “rumours floating around” that Sting might attend the event, but he had “no idea” if he would actually be present:
“When I saw him, I really didn’t know what to say…. I decided to go up to him, but before I could even think of what to say, I’d just think, like, ‘Holy shit!’ That’s when he said, ‘Is your guitar in tune?’ and I said, ‘I did tune it, but for you I will tune it again!’ and that’s what I did.”
Tyler was set to return to London, ON earlier this month for a show with Rob Thomas and Max Frost, but unfortunately it was one of the dates that were cancelled on Thomas’ ‘Chip Tooth Tour’. As for the remaining shows that he will be a part of, Tyler said it “will be a real treat” to see Rob on stage because he is “such an amazing artist, such an amazing guitar player, and you know, just super talented!” (In the future, Tyler mentioned that he would also love to meet Justin Timberlake!)
For those unable to catch Tyler with Rob Thomas, you might be able to see him on “The Wanted Tour” which he will headline this fall. There are still more dates to be announced: “The tour is actually what I’m looking forward to the most—getting out there, getting to see everybody in all the different cities. I’m really excited to play a bunch of shows!”
Finally, Tyler Shaw offered the following advice to other aspiring artists: “Do your research, ask questions and practice your craft 24/7.…Definitely take a mental break, but practice, practice, practice!”
For more information, please visit Tyler Shaw’s website and Facebook page.
Photo by Annette Dawm.
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