Old Soul Ty Myers Shows Off Musical Depth On ‘The Select’ [Interview]
Ty Myers. Photo: Emily Vinson
What do Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bill Withers, Chris Stapleton, John Mayer and Ernest Hemingway all have in common? They’ve all left a mark on Ty Myers, a 17-year-old country breakout artist releasing his much-anticipated debut album, The Select, tomorrow (Jan. 24) via RECORDS Nashville/Columbia Records.
Myers made waves in 2023 with his debut single, “Tie That Binds,” followed by the breakout success of “Drinkin’ Alone,” which racked up over 64 million streams. His momentum continued with “Ends of the Earth,” earning him a debut on the Billboard Hot 100. With a staggering 230+ million total global streams to date, it’s clear the appetite for Myers’ sound is undeniable.
The music that flows from Myers feels effortless and deeply rooted in authenticity. Raised on his family’s cattle ranch in Austin, Texas, Myers grew up surrounded by it thanks to his singer-songwriter father, Michael. The ranch, dance halls and stacks of records were his playground, sparking a lifelong passion.
One conversation with him and you will see that, though he hasn’t even reached legal adulthood, he’s an old soul.
“I get that a lot,” Myers says of the comment. “I grew up around music. My dad was a musician, and I’d follow him to places I probably shouldn’t have been at that age—dance halls and bar rooms. I was always locked in on the music. That spark started early and never left.”
Myers started writing The Select years ago, before he knew he was working on his debut album. Of the 16 tracks included on the LP, Myers wrote 12 of them alone.
“Thought It Was Love,” one of the album’s earliest tracks, showcases Myers’ lyrical depth, capturing the darkness of love lost with the finesse of a seasoned songwriter. The track was written on a $100 Squier Stratocaster Myers bought from a storage unit sale.
Another lyrical triumph is his solo-write “Worry Is A Sickness,” which, in contrast to the years-old “Thought It Was Love,” Myers wrote the day before going into the studio.
“I love that one,” he says. “I wrote it the day before recording. I wasn’t feeling confident about another song and decided to write something new. It came together quickly, and I knew it was special.”
Signed to UMPG Nashville, Myers isn’t afraid of a co-write. Included on the track list are songwriters Jessi Alexander, Rhett Akins, Anderson East, Trent Dabbs and others.
“Co-writing is fun and teaches you a lot. You become a better songwriter with every session. It’s different from solo writing because solo songs feel entirely yours, straight from the heart to the fans. Co-writing brings in new perspectives and methods, which is helpful, especially when I’m in a slump.”
Vocally, Myers shines on tracks like the euphoric waltz “Ends of the Earth,” the flirty and upbeat “Can’t Hold Me Down” and the languid, soulful “Let ‘Em Talk.” His expressive voice finds new dimensions under the guidance of producer/songwriter Brandon Hood. Recorded at Starstruck Studios in Nashville, the project allowed Myers to tap into the “presence of legends” in the iconic space.
Myers and Hood’s collaboration is perhaps best captured on “Somewhere Over You,” a reimagining of an Allen Shamblin and Mike Reid song that his dad recorded. Myers adds a bold horn section reminiscent of a Withers classic.
“When I told my dad I want to cut ‘Somewhere Over You,’ he didn’t think it was right [for the album]. His version was gospel-sounding, but I was hearing horns and soul thing. I said, ‘Well, I’m doing it, so you can tell me how you feel about it after.’ I recorded it, and now it’s one of his favorite songs on there.”
Another homage to his influences comes in the form of John Mayer’s “Man on the Side.” Myers says, “I’m a huge John Mayer fan—probably his biggest fan. I wanted to nod to the people who influenced me, and Mayer was my number one influence for this album.
“When I started getting into him, I watched his live album Any Given Thursday. The first song that stood out was ‘Man on the Side.’ He played Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ before transitioning into it, and it blew me away. It’s so well-written and the only time he’s recorded it, so many people don’t even know it exists. It felt like the right choice to include.”
When looking through the track list, you won’t find a tune called “The Select.” That’s because the album cover is derived from the pages of an Ernest Hemingway novel.
“Hemingway has been a big influence since I was little. My uncle, who’s passed now, loved Hemingway and introduced me to his work. My mom also loved him, so his books were always around. The more I learned about him, the more I felt a connection.
“The album title, The Select, comes from Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises. In it, the characters hang out at a bar called Le Select to escape their worries. That’s what I want people to do when they listen to my album.”
