If Chicago-based singer-songwriter Tyler Sjöström is an unfamiliar name to you then I will bet money this will change on the release of his new EP Bones, Hold Me Up from which we take our Song of the Day with lead single Holding On.
I was listening to a programme on BBC Radio 4 yesterday on which the host and callers were discussing the growing concerns over depression and social isolation. It seems to be a bigger issue than ever before. For me personally, it was brought to the fore more than ever by Ewan McLennan & George Monbiot‘s ‘Breaking the Spell of Loneliness‘. As Neil McFadyen said in his review of that album “Breaking the Spell of Loneliness doesn’t merely tackle the issues raised, it offers solutions; it offers hope. It’s a moving, thought-provoking work that has relevance for all of us.”
It may sound strange talking about such a dark subject when you hear Sjöström’s upbeat delivery of Holding On but it is a song about escaping desperation and struggle and having someone there to help…having someone to lean on…to hold on to and help pull you through. It’s a strong lead-single and I genuinely hope it brings Tyler Sjöström a wider audience…he deserves it.
Tyler Sjöström’s gritty vocals and vintage guitar tones have reverberated from the Chicago music scene since the release of his freshman EP, What We Say We Are, at the end of 2014. Following his EP, rooted in Americana and Folk, Sjöström is fixing his eyes on a sophomore effort. Taking the stage with the simplistic evolution of his sound, Tyler employs his soulful vocals and a singular, clean electric. In his pursuit of meaning amidst complex realities, Sjöström’s visceral lyricism could very well rattle your bones.
Bones, Hold Me Up, due for release on May 26th, will be his second release produced again by Mark Sommerville. His first release, What We Say We Are, dropped in 2014, both are available on Bandcamp.