Back in the good state of Kansas
Back home after a good good tour out west. Thank you musical family for all the love and support out there on the road. It was a blast and there were many great memories made. It's good to be back in Kansas, for it's time to get back outside in the beautiful weather and put my hands to work on my new home.
After a week of this I'll be looking forward to Festy Fest. I'm in dire need of a good festival! Looking forward to seeing you all there 3pm on Saturday House Labor
The rock cabin is coming along more and more everyday. All cleaned out now and looking like it has more potential that I first imagined. Repairing the old rock walls was a good task today, and I'm looking forward to their completion. Started restoring an old wood stove... can't wait to install and polish her up soon. The starting stages are tedious, but most important. I'm beginning to gain more of a relationship with the sun... a clock is becoming less of a necessity everyday.
Thank You
I will successfully reach my goal for playing over 250 shows for 2012. I'm very thankful for all the love and support from everyone... for it wouldn't be possible without you. Playing music for a living is something I love and cherish so very much and would never trade anything for. It's more work to imagine sometimes, but it's wonderful work that pays off. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's to a New Year and continuing down this wonderful path. Also, a big cheers to all my musician brothers and sisters who are doing the same...
Set your own price!
Want to treat yourself to an early Christmas present this year? The album is available online (digital copy) and you set your own price!! That's right... any price you desire! Just visit the store section of the website.
Take good care, - Tyler New Video "Where the vines meet the trees"
We went out to the country west of Lawrence and recorded a live song, "Where the vines meet the trees" in an abandoned house. This particular house was filled with old spirits and many stories... perfect area to spend the summer sunset. A special thanks to, John Hilger. He has an amazing eye with that camera. Thank you to Mark Lewno for turning a rough recording from a camera microphone into a bigger sound.
Country music Showdown
After a 12hr long drive, finally made it back! Had such a wonderful time at the Country Showdown last night. I am completely floored at the outcome, there were so many great performers so thank you everyone for the love and support. The next level takes place in New Mexico on October 20, which just happens to line up with the exact date on the tour we were already planning! It's mind blowing how this world works eh?
 Thank you so much for the love and support again. My vans getting new tires now :) - Tyler This Year
It has been such a great year here in Kansas so far! I couldn't be more grateful for all of the great things that are happening. Playing a show nearly everynight has been a great start to this Summer. I just want to send a thank you all for coming out and supporting live music. It has been quite a journey so far :)
I just got new T-Shirts and Koozie in stock! Thank you, Pride of Gumbo and Tanner Spreer for making this happen. They will be available at the Live Shows and hopefully online in the near future!  I took a visit into the Not So Late show last week and it was a wonderful time. Great to meet everyone that's a part of the show and sit down to have a chat. Click the photo to listen to a live performance!  I'm starting to focus more on hitting the road later this year. I have started booking travels for the fall and am looking forward to it very much. Should be traveling around the states more later this year, and hopefully be on the road full time next year! Keep up to date on the tour section of the website to see if I'll be coming near your area! This is going to be a great show this Sunday! Don't want to miss this one, Lawrence!!  Take good care, - Tyler Response
In response to the "Jacob and the guitar man" video: www.youtube.com/watch
First of all, I cannot thank you enough for visiting my website and being interested in my music. I am completely blown away by the number of visitors on here. I try not to take the internet too seriously and involve it into my daily life, for I feel there are better things to focus on. (I would rather spend my days outside when it's beautiful spring weather). It really shouldn't choke me up when I see this much traffic on my website. However, I get choked up when I am looking at how many people are getting my album, listening to my music, and sending me the most heartwarming mail I have ever read. I got home last night to do my regular routine of music e-mails and promotional work I was so emotionally overwhelmed by the number of people who have purchased my album. I cannot be more thrown back by all of this in the greatest of ways... it has brought me to my knees and to tears. These Cd's are bringing me that much closer to my long term dream of owning an RV to tour in (that runs off of waste vegetable oil). I cannot begin to thank you all enough for taking the time to listen to my music. Whether it's at a show with 1 person, or a packed house, each and every person who takes the time to listen just blows me away. It brightens my week when someone picks up a cd online. I usually hope for a couple a week to help out with rent, bills, etc. For 15 people to visit my website in a day is an unusual day. I can't even grasp that 6,000 people have been to my website today. It's not processing quite yet. I started responding to each e-mail I woke up to today. But with nearly 500 in my inbox, I found it difficult to get back to everyone this morning. I truly do love reading each and everyones story, and enjoy to see where every one is from.. so keep them up. I just don't have time to respond to every single one (although I'm going to still try!)... that is why I am writing on here :) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your day to listen to my music and find a connection. It means the world to me. It means more than I can even explain. I find it a miracle to reach out to so many people I have dreamed to reach out to for so long. In only two days. As far as the video of Jacob and I goes, I am so surprised at the response. Very surprised. I didn't know the internet was so powerful and could connect to people so much! haha Either way.. It was an ordinary day, walking to my regular spot to busk when I don't have a gig that night, and play music on the corner for a rotating crowd. When Jacob came over I felt excited about having another kid listen to the music. (Makes my day when kids dance to the music on the street... I already had a couple come over that day so it was already nice). However, unlike most kids that come up to me with curiosity, I felt so much energy coming off of him and I was completely overwhelmed. His hand on my leg was very powerful and about brought me to tears while playing. Not because he is blind or autistic.. but because of a connection I have never felt and one that is impossible to explain. Honestly, a feeling that came from my toes all the way up my body and surrounded me. I can't begin to explain it. I want to try to put it into words, but there is no way to tell how powerful his energy felt. It was a powerful moment that made my day and reminded me of the good things in life. Reminded me why I love different interactions with people when playing music. Reminded me of how powerful music can be between two people. It also reminded me not to take things for granted, for most of us have it pretty easy in our everyday life. So, I just simply went home with a very big smile on my face that day, and a story to tell my close ones. I would love to continue it in the future. Maybe share and play more music together with Jacob. Although, his mama also told me that Grandpa likes to do some pickin' himself, and that Jacob has a guitar as well. I'm sure that coming across me on the sidewalk that day was that little something that struck a chord in his heart that he found familiar and could relate to that day :) Anyways, Once again thank you all so very much for everything. Thank you for the kind words and heartwarming stories. Thank you for listening to my music and thank you for simply spreading the love. It brings me to tears when I see how many people have listened to my music. Thank you. Love, - Tyler April
I'm looking forward to the Weston Bluegrass Festival this month. A boiling pot of some great Kansas/Missouri bands. Looking forward to being out all weekend picking songs and trading ideas with some great artists. Please take a look at westonbluegrass.com
Going to be a great time in late July. Confirmed the Dawg Daze of Summer festival today in Lone Jack Missouri, stay tuned for those details. My brothers art amazes me more and more every time he comes out with a new project. Looking forward to this show 
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Hey everyone, PARROTTSVILLE, Tenn. – Legendary Haywood County moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton took his own life because he couldn’t stand the thought of going to prison, his wife said today. Pam Sutton said she found her husband Monday afternoon dead of carbon monoxide poisoning outside their home in Cocke County. Sutton, 62, spent much of his life making moonshine, a craft that brought him fame and a string of criminal convictions dating back to the 1970s. He was facing 18 months in federal prison on moonshining and weapons charges and had told a judge at his sentencing he was in poor health and would rather die at home than in jail. Pam Sutton said she went into town to run errands and couldn’t find her husband at their house when she returned. She found him at the rear of their property inside his beloved old Ford Fairlane, which was running, she said. “He called it his three-jug car because he gave three jugs of liquor for it,” she said. “He had painted it John Deere green and it had yellow wheels. He had drove it to California and back. “He was a good man, he really was." Federal authorities arrested Sutton a year ago on charges of running a moonshine operation that produced hundreds of gallons of liquor. A judge in January sentenced him to 18 months in prison, rejecting arguments that Sutton had learned his lesson and was too ill to serve time. “I'd like to die at home instead of in a penitentiary,” Sutton said in court at the sentencing. Nearly 1,500 people had signed petitions asking for leniency in his sentence. Born near Maggie Valley, N.C., Sutton was revered by some for preserving a dying piece of mountain history. His reputation grew beyond the mountains through a book and film he produced about his craft and Internet and cable TV documentaries in which he demonstrated how to make his famous liquor. Sutton evoked curiosity from people around the world, drawing tourists to places like the Misty Mountain Ranch Bed and Breakfast in Maggie Valley, which has a suite dedicated to the moonshiner. “He made a very big impact on the whole world because people have called me from all different countries, all over the U.S., asking for his books and tapes and anything you could tell him about Popcorn,” said Misty Mountain co-owner Karen Hession. Hession and her husband had been friends of Sutton for more than 10 years. Hession said he captured the spirit of the mountains, but there was also a gentle side to the man that those close to him knew well. “He was a very kind, thoughtful person,” she said. “I wish everybody knew him like we did.”
  We traveled to Wichita last weekend and had one of the greatest weekends in a very long time. Played a few shows and spent three days out in the open country with some good friends. Both of the shows were more than wonderful, thank you to everyone who came out and supported. Also, a big thank you to Ron and Cass for your great hospitality and showing us a great time. I am looking forawrd to making my way in that direction soon. The album is coming along well. We are almost complete with the writing and will be recording in May by our good friend Cody Simpson.The release of 10 songs is set for this Summer. We are starting to book our summer tour. If anyone in any of these areas enjoys putting on house shows.. we love playing them! Just send me an e-mail and hopefully we can make something happenn.. Tour dates:
I lost some people around me this year, so here is a new song in the works... I hold my pen more than my lover It was a long road that we drove through one day a painting hangs on the wall, as the piano begins to play the morning sunlights shade, brings the dew here in the fall Its been a long year without you so far Lace curtains hang through windows like blankets of ghosts Light splits the corners through my haze of scattered smoke As I drink strong whiskey on that wood bench behind the bar I think to myself I've been down without you so far For the sense I could make it goes for what I choose But these things in life I've won won't compare to what I lose Your stone beneath the red wing, pedals will fall in time Because when all my hope is broken you'll be resting inside my mind I hold my pen more than my lover in these solitary times To myself I'm one shade closer to that chalked outline Its always held its meaning, but holds nothing for me today Its been a long long year since you've been away For the sense I could make it goes for what I choose But these things in life I've won won't compare to what I lose Your stone beneath the red wing, pedals will fall in time Because when all my hope is broken you'll be resting inside my mind March 20th, 2009 Springtime has finally settled in so it is time to break up the soil and start planting. Everyone seems to be coming at the same level of peace with all of this great weather and it is making me feel more productive than ever. The Barbecues, sing alongs, and fires are going to be a must for this season.. I have to say that traveling to Ohio the other week was just a nice break from this place. It is a beautiful state filled with (from my experiences) nothing but beautiful hills, greenery, trees, farm lands, and truly kind people. The Lee Baby Sims guys drove with me in the back of the van for 14 hours and made some wonderful stories. Could not have done this without Tom Waits, zippos, rest stops, and sing alongs in the van with guitars. Thank you everyone for your great hospitality, and thank you Pumkin Inn for your kindness and allowing us to use the stage. I can't wait to head back that direction. We are off for some travels this weekend around Kansas. There is an old video of us one morning in the living room on the "photo/video" section of the site take good care -tyler  March 2nd, 2009 All of my writings from the last couple years have been deleted. I had my thoughts from all of my travels and encounters with new people.. but they have vanished. No worries though! I suppose that just shows me that internet is truly make believe and I should do everything by ink and paper. I got some new mail in today. Thank you so much for the greetings everyone, it is always great to see the art of writing letters is still alive. I'll send out some here shortly! The new album is coming along well! These are a collection of songs from all my traveling this last year, and I am excited to write and speak the story through the songs. take good care and enjoy what is around you, -tyler |
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