Former Band of Horses Guitarist To Release Solo Album

via Gaston Gazette

When Western North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Tyler Ramsey recorded his solo album earlier this year, it had been awhile since he had done a complete album of his songs.

Ramsey, who spent a decade in the rock group Band of Horses, last released a solo record in 2011.

Any nerves?

“None. I wasn’t nervous at all,” said Ramsey, who will play a full-band show at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at Charlotte’s The Evening Muse.

Ramsey has spent his career in music and a return to being a solo artist wasn’t a stretch for him. Although he served as Band of Horses’ lead guitarist, he was still involved in writing songs.

During his time with Band of Horses, which has scored three top 20 albums, Ramsey contributed several songs to the group’s albums, including “Evening Kitchen” and three other co-writes on the “Infinite Arms” record.

“It was the longest I’d been in a band before,” Ramsey said. “I’ve been in plenty of bands before but that was the longest with the same group of people. It was the longest run. Before that I was doing a lot of three-piece and solo shows. I learned about band dynamics and working with other people and trying to be creative and trying to stay inspired. That’s one of the things I came out with.”

Ramsey added that he learned how to tweak his guitar to make different sounds and he’s used that knowledge during his recent solo shows and recording a new album.

His new music is due out early next year, he said, and will be released on Fantasy Records, which recently released notable albums by James Taylor (“Before This World”), Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (“Tearing At The Seams”), former Journey lead singer Steve Perry (“Traces”) and another of Asheville’s favorite sons, Warren Haynes and his group Govt. Mule.

“I feel so lucky to have hooked up with them. They are really into the record and they are excited about it and that makes me so excited,” Ramsey said. “They run a super tight awesome ship over there. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think it’s going to be good and I’m looking forward to working with them. It’s going to be really cool to have that support and that team of interested people trying to get others to hear the music I worked on. I think it’s going to be a really good match-up.”

The album, Ramsey said, is more reminiscent of his second album, 2008’s “A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea.” That album got Ramsey a nod as an “Artist to Watch” on website Stereogum.

For this tour Ramsey has teamed up with Brian Landrum (pedal steel, guitar, harmonies), David Macinnes (bass, harmonies) and Kevin Rumley (drums).

“It’s awesome,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been having a blast learning how to listen to one another and be super dynamic. It’s like a dream team.”

Want to go?
Who: Tyler Ramsey with Justin Fedor
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2
Where: The Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., Charlotte
Tickets: $15

Capturing A Mood: Tyler Ramsey Prepares to Release new Solo Album, Heads to Bourgie Nights

via Encore

“It had been 10 years of just doing [Band of Horses],” guitarist and singer-songwriter Tyler Ramsey says of his 2017 departure from the group. “I had this record in the works . . . and I was just excited about the material I had. Ten years with a group of guys is a pretty long time to be in a band.”

It isn’t Ramsey’s first solo act. The Ashville-based artist has had four releases outside of Band of Horses and has a forthcoming album set to debut in spring 2019.

At this stage Ramsey has played most, if not all, of the new tracks to live audiences. He’ll continue to play versions of them on his fall tour, while mixing in tracks from his solo records, “A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea” (2008) and “The Valley Wind” (2011). Ramsey will rotate in Band of Horses’ tunes he penned, too, during his stop at Bourgie Nights on Saturday.

“Even though I haven’t released the album yet, I’ve got new twists on songs that no one’s heard before,” Ramsey muses with a laugh.

Generally, a song will come to Ramsey and becomes the first snippets of an impending record. The rest of the tracks fall in a natural arc. Little bits of songs may stick around for years, but most of them come in a wave.

“Weirdly enough, I always end up with a ‘complete’ album somehow magically,” he quips. “Since these were all written around a similar time, it does tell a story . . . sometimes it takes me a while to figure out how they all fit together and what that story actually is.”

The first song, “For the Morning,” written for the record was four years ago as his family was growing. After his daughter was born, he spent what time he could writing.

“I would have her in the carrier on my chest and sit at the piano when she was sleeping,” he tells. “It kind of started there, when there was a lot of change and shift in my life. [It’s] represented in the songs, but I also think that’s kind of always the way it is. If you’re inspired to write a song, (hopefully) something’s happening in your life, feeding into your desire to create art or music.”

“For the Morning” came first on the piano, though, as with the entire album, it was recorded with guitar. With every record, Ramsey likes to include at least one bare-bones track—sans “studio magic.” Therefore, he approached “For the Morning” much the same way it started: with a touch of sleep deprivation at a late 3 a.m. session.

“When you’re in the studio, you might try to capture the original mood or atmosphere of the song,” he offers. “But that one was written late at night on the piano, and I just thought I should do it last and wait until I’m kind of in that headspace, the way it was when I wrote it.”

Ramsey just signed with Fantasy Records on October 18. He was attracted to the prospect of a new partnership built on trust, appreciation and excitement for a new album. While Fantasy already has offered a stamp of approval on “For the Morning,” Ramsey’s confident they’d never force a particular look or sound that deeply contrasted his work.

“Having met all of the people there—and [ones] I’ll be working with—I’m so excited to get to see what we can do together,” he explains. “Hopefully, we’ll continue to work together, and if they want to give me direction or feedback for the next [album], I admire the people I’ve met enough to try it out. . . . I think it’s always good when you’re able to do a record without outside influence. But I can also see the other side of the coin, when you have amazing people who have an unbiased ear who can help move a song forward.”

While Ramsey is known for his mellow, acoustic singing and guitar playing, there are more rock-forward tunes on the album, some that, according to Ramsey, have a heavier energy. “I always like to create moments where there’s a shift or heavy parts,” he explains. “I had a lot of people come in on the record than I did on the last. I got a lot of friends and new friends to come and play things that I couldn’t have pulled off.”

Ramsey has never sent off his recordings for additional instrumentation or sound layers. However, there were pieces brought in from outsiders. He sent off a couple of tracks, including “Breaking Heart,” to steel-pedal player Russ Pahl in Nashville.

“[They] just made me jump up and down in the control run,” Ramsey remembers. “I got goosebumps. I was elated there was this perfect pedal-steel part that showed up out of nowhere. I had equal experiences [with] harmony singers on a couple of songs.”

Ramsey will bring his keyboard to the live stage to switch out with guitar. He varies the tone he sets, which ultimately comes down to how he, the band and the audience connect within a space for one evening. “The show has the ability to morph,” he notes. “That’s another thing I picked up [with Band of Horses]; there’s such a variance with crowd and venue, and if you’re able to play into that, you can create really cool nights where everyone can feel like they’ve been a part of something cool.”

Details:
Tyler Ramsey with Driskill
Saturday, November 3
Doors 8 p.m.; show 9 p.m.

Bourgie Nights
127 Princess St.
Tickets: $10 adv.; $15 door

8 Wilmington concerts to see, Oct. 30-Nov. 4

via Star News Online

Tyler Ramsey - Nov. 3 @ Bourgie Nights

Asheville singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and former lead guitarist for Grammy-nominated rock band Band of Horses. He left the band in 2017 after a decade and has released three solo albums of folk and Americana-flavored songs with sweet, haunting vocals. With Driskill, Stray Local, and Earleine. Details: 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show, Saturday, 127 Princess St., Wilmington. $10 in advance, $15 day of show.

Lt. Dan (WRLT) Interviews Tyler Ramsey, Amanda Shires, and More!

Listen to Lt. Dan’s full broadcast from AmericanaFest on Friday, September 14th, where he interviews Tyler Ramsey, Amanda Shires, The War & Treaty, Lucie Silvas, and Carolina Story. LISTEN HERE.

Tyler will return to Nashville with his band November 5 at The Basement. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketweb.com.

AmericanaFest Schedule

The 2018 AmericanaFest has announced the full/daily lineup for this year's event. Tyler will be performing 10p Thursday, September 13 at Cannery Ballroom with The Milk Carton Kids. For festival and pass information, visit AmericanaMusic.org.

2018 Americana Fest

Tyler will perform at the 2018 AmericanaFest taking place September 11-16 in Nashville, TN. The 19th annual Americana Music Festival gathers thousands of artists, fans and industry professionals from all over the world. Stay tuned for more information and schedule release.

Attendees have three options to attend your showcase: Conference Registration, Festival wristband, or if space allows a ticket at the door. Registrations ($249+) and Wristbands ($75) are on sale now. 

Additional West Coast Dates Added

Tyler has added additional dates to his California trip this August. Following his performance at UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley will be stops in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa. Tickets for the newly-added show go on sale this Friday, June 15 at 10a PDT.

8.23 at UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley, CA* - GET TICKETS
8.24 at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA - GET TICKETS
8.25 at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa, CA - GET TICKETS

*with The Suitcase Junket

Trailblaze Challenge

Gonna get personal (and super wordy) for a second here!

Those of you who know me well might know that when my daughter was born she had some serious and life threatening health issues that lead to an operation when she was only 10 months old. She is 3 1/2 now and we are so grateful to be on the other side of all of that. Throughout the past few years I lived with constant worry- to see your own child sick and in and out of the hospital is an indescribable feeling to anyone who hasn’t lived through such times.

So- my point! I’ve signed up to hike 28.3 miles on May 19th in an effort to raise as much money as possible for children and families that are dealing with life threatening illnesses. It’s the Make a Wish Trailblaze Challenge. These children and families need joy and light in their lives!! LOVE

Tyler Ramsey Brings Facile Finger Picking to Sun Valley

via Eye On Sun Valley

Tyler Ramsey grew up in Asheville, N.C., where he learned the folk music that came out of the hollows of the surrounding Smoky Mountains.

His encounters with country blues musicians traveling through the area further refined his sound as he schooled himself under such fingerstyle guitarists as Leo Kottke and John Fahey and country blues guitarists like Mississippi John Hurt.

The singer/songwriter played with Band of Horses from 2010 to 2017, contributing to their 2010 Grammy-nominated album “Infinite Arms.”

He also recorded his own albums, which included “A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea.”

Ramsey will bring his facile finger picking and blues-inflected folk to the Sun Valley Opera House at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18.

And he will offer a private hour-long workshop to 25 guitar students form Community School, Wood River High School and Silver Creek High School.

“After years of trying to get Band of Horses to stop in Sun Valley, we snagged what we think is an even more exciting opportunity—having Tyler Ramsey all to ourselves!” said Kristine Bretall, The Center’s director of performing arts.

Some tickets still remain for the concert, which part of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ 2017-18 Performing Arts Series. Tickets start at $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers. Students 18 and under can get tickets for $12.50 and $25, available at www.sunvalleycenter.org or 208-726-9491.

Tyler Ramsey to Bring the Beats

Former Band of Horses lead guitarist to perform in Sun Valley

via Idaho Mountain Express

Tyler Ramsey, folk rock multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from Asheville, N.C., will bring his music to Sun Valley as part of The Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ Performing Arts Series. The concert, which is expected to sell out, will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, at the Sun Valley Opera House.

Equally at home playing guitar, piano, keyboards, bass or percussion, Tyler Ramsey is perhaps best known as a talented fingerstyle guitarist and a skilled singer/songwriter with Band of Horses. Early on, Ramsey studied country-blues guitarists like Mance Lipscomb and Mississippi John Hurt, and American fingerstyle guitarists in the school of John Fahey and Leo Kottke. His exposure to these guitarists and their music helped to solidify his own unique sense of melody and song forms.

Between 2007 and 2017, Ramsey played lead guitar for Band of Horses and contributed to their 2010 Grammy-nominated album, “Infinite Arms.” Taking advantage of brief times off the road, Ramsey finished his fourth solo album and, in May of 2017, announced his departure from the band after 10 years. Ramsey’s latest album is set to be released in early 2018, and extensive touring will carry his new music to fans across the country—including the Wood River Valley.

“After years of trying to get Band of Horses to stop in Sun Valley for a summer concert, we snagged what we think is an even more exciting opportunity—having Tyler Ramsey all to ourselves,” said Kristine Bretall, The Center’s director of performing arts. “His quietly passionate performances rivet audiences, and we look forward to introducing him to our evening audience as well as to guitar students from around the valley,” she added. “We will gather about 25 guitar students from Community School, Wood River High School and Silver Creek High School to experience an hour-long private workshop with Tyler. It’s an exciting opportunity for these students, and The Center is so grateful to Tyler and to our donors who make these outreach activities possible.”

Tickets for Tyler Ramsey’s concert at the Sun Valley Opera House are currently on sale. All seats are reserved, and the best seats are going quickly.

General seating tickets are $25 for members of The Center, while premium seating is $50. Nonmembers add $10 to the ticket price, while students 18 and younger get in for $12.50 standard of $25 premium.