Tyler Booth has accomplished a lot at a young age. Not even mid-20’s yet, he’s signed with Sony and has shared a stage with some major country names. The kid that started in a rock/metal band, embraced his country roots now doing it full-time.
Releasing several singles along with a six-sing EP providing the foundation for his soon-to-grow musical library, Booth is doing what most bands and singers are doing, now that live music’s happening again. Play and tour like a madman possessed by the return of live crowds.
He’s got a handful of potential classics that are getting steady attention growing in popularity. The songs he’s played for a couple years could be on a future greatest hits release.
While getting bigger on social media, he’s backed by a major label but keeps business close in the family, managed by his dad, with both mud-licked boots planted firm on the ground.
Booth and crew were in Wisconsin, Wednesday for a Thursday night acoustic gig with J.D. Legends on Friday. Booth will share a stage with country legend Travis Tritt tonight. “I’ll be playing before Travis, that’ll be crazy, such a big fan of his.”
Concerning crowds, seems like everyone’s back together for the most part, he says. “There were a lot of social distanced shows we did during Covid. Seems like folks aren’t scared anymore, who knows, the way the media is, they might throw a red flag at all that stuff. You know how that goes.”
His EP came out in 2018, “I’m gonna get some more music out there before too long. I’m gonna surprise some folks.”
He’s been performing the whole EP since, “I’ve been playing that since 2017.” He’s put out several singles under Sony Records.” I put out around six singles after that EP. I’ve played those songs for the past two years.”
He used to play in a rock band but now it’s all about country, “Some people say my show’s kinda like a rock show. I love Rock n’ Roll. I remember growing up around dad’s rock group. Learned a lot of music from them, just sitting in the garage, I couldn’t sing high like Vince Neil so I just stuck with country. I fell in love with Waylon Jennings and Jamey Johnson. I took down that road and haven’t looked back.”
Hank Williams Jr. is religion to him. “I love Jr. I can’t believe I’m doing a show tomorrow night with Travis Tritt. That’s insane. It’s crazy. Kid Rock’s coming to this too so that’ll be cool.”
Booth says Hank Williams Jr. is like a religion in Eastern Kentucky too, “If they ever brought (him) out everybody would show up. There’d probably be an empty house on every street corner.”
He’s super psyched about J.D. Legends, “I know we got a lot of fans there in Ohio. I’m real excited to see the turnout. It’s the first time I’ve been the main act in Ohio. It’s the first time playing Franklin. Everyone else seems to be excited. I keep getting messages saying, I’m coming to the show and everyone’s super excited about it. I can’t wait to see what it’s like.”
He’s got a handful of videos out including a tribute to Jr. “Hank Crankin’ People.” “We actually played that night. It was really awesome. Some of that video was shot before the show, leading up to it, like putting on my boots at the house, out the door, up in the truck.. We shot a little bit before they opened the doors. Most of that were people hanging out downstairs after the show, shot in real time. A lot of the fan video was shot in real time. There’s always parts that were a little bit choreographed but most was a live shot.”
“Surrender” was shot in a room with four or five people, “Somebody holding the light, somebody holding the camera. Me and the girl, it’s a pretty intimate song.” It was his first solo effort as a writer and something he felt good enough for someone else to hear. “I think it was just one take, shooting different segments. It was pretty quick, nothing like what I’m used to today. Now I shoot something it’s a whole day.”
“87 Octane” is his favorite tune of the bunch. “I love that song. I actually didn’t write that, but when I heard the demo, I couldn’t help but think of everyone back home.” The best parts of raising a little hell on and off road flooded his mind. “When I heard that song I thought about me and all my people and they would get that.” Booth says the song’s destined to be an anthem. “To this day it’s probably my favorite song in the set because every time I get on stage it’s the song I start the show with. Anytime someone asks what your favorite song to do, it’s “87 Octane” because it kicks the show off!”
“Octane” and “Long Comes A Girl” are the only ones he didn’t write. “I heard that song and was at a place in life, things were changing because I met somebody. Sometimes you meet somebody and you change for the better. It felt like everything in that song and moment for me was real, real enough to where I felt like I wrote it. A part of that song I was invested in when I cut it, that’s where I was at, at that point and time. Now, I’m singled up. Things happened.”
He didn’t kiss the girl at the end of the video, “I was going for it. We talked about it. I thought it’d be kinda cool to leave that part in suspense. That was all me, I didn’t know if she was up for it or not, I didn’t ask her. I just didn’t do it.”
He plays some covers but mostly originals as his next release will be all originals.
Booth has some major shows coming up sharing stages with a who’s who of country, “I’m about to do five or six dates with Darius Rucker, maybe five with Jon Pardi, Brantley Gilbert. There’s some pop up shows to. I’m doing one with Willie Nelson at the CMA Theater in Nashville. That’d be awesome.” He also cut “Lost and Found” with Brooks & Dunn or their Reboot album. Not too shabby for a youngster.
Along with the guys, Booth appreciates the talented ladies he grew up listening to. “Miranda Lambert, I always looked up to. I love her music. I love Gretchen Wilson.”
He considers his sound and style a hybrid of old-school, traditional and new country. “I feel like the old stuff, there are guys hung up on that old sound, not putting out anything original. I feel like the only way I can progress as an artist, personally, is to incorporate the stuff I listen to and the stuff I like more, than a traditional sense. I like to think I’m keeping my roots and stuff. I’m gonna be creating new music.”
His music is getting play on iHeartRadio and has a huge following in Kentucky, specifically Louisville and Lexington. His streaming numbers are good, hopefully it’s the next step to radio “Palomino Princess” has hit 1,000,000 on Spotify.
He hasn’t played in Mexico yet but he did get on a cruise ship with Brantley Gilbert “I think we stopped in Mexico. I got off the boat. I can say I’ve been to Mexico but haven’t played there yet.”
He hasn’t decided what platform he wants to release new music on yet though he has a large pile of songs ready for consumption. “I haven’t decided if I want to put them out as singles or put out an album. I’ve been thinking about the way I’m gonna approach it. I’m gonna surprise everybody.”
Booth really hopes his first show at J.D. Legends will be fun and memorable, making a bunch of new fans. “I know a lot of people know about it. J.D. Legends is a venue I’ve really wanted to play.”
Tyler Booth plays J.D. Legends in Franklin, Friday July 30. The Flying Buffaloes and Jacob William support. Check https://jdlegends.com/ for more information.
