Ty Trehern: Shooting For The Stars

This story begins with me discovering yet another musical artist via social media. Jeff Griffin, the drummer of AFTERDUSK, shared an Instagram story a few months ago and it caught my attention. It was a new song called “Burning Star” by an artist I admit I had never heard of, Ty Trehern. I thought it was awesome.

I sent Ty a message to tell him how much I liked the song and video. As a big music fan and also a writer for The Sound 228, I do this a lot. Lo and behold, he knew who I was because of me being a part of The Sound team.  Little did I know that our Music Director was already planning on adding his song to the rotation that week. The more I communicated with Ty and got to know him, I realized that his journey in music has an interesting and important story, and I wanted to tell it here in my blog. He agreed to let me write about him and shared a lot with me.

So what is the brief synopsis of Ty Trehern’s story?  It’s about a very talented hard rock artist who is overcoming his doubts and taking a chance on his dreams.  He is a hard worker. He is driven. He is passionate.  He’s also a nice and humble person and is grateful for any support he receives. Honestly, Ty is someone you just want to see succeed. He also has a great team of professionals in the industry behind him, and these people all believe in his vision and are helping him tremendously as he works to achieve it.

Ty was born in Long Beach, Mississippi.  He moved to Knoxville and lived there for about two years before eventually moving to Nashville this year.  He has always felt at home in Nashville and had been there frequently for years for recording. His producer, Jonathan Dolese of KonKrete Studios, as well as his guitarist, Jeffrey Fisher, plus the rest of his team are all in Nashville.  So really, the move was only a matter of time.

Ty has been releasing music professionally for about seven years.  His first single was released in 2018, followed by his first EP, The Sound, in early 2019. He released a full-length record, Dear Dichotomy, in 2020.  Since then, he’s dropped a string of singles -- “Glass” in 2022, “Staring At The Sun” and “Use Me” in 2023 -- and of course, his two releases this year, “Burning Star” in April and “Fall With Me” in July.

Ty shares that his newer music has taken a completely different direction than what he previously released.  He is still very fond of the older music, but he views those songs more as reflections of specific time periods in his life, rather than an insight into who he is currently as an artist and the goals he is pursuing now with his music.

As I mentioned before, Ty has an amazing team behind him.  One of the most important members of that team is producer Jonathan Dolese of KonKrete Studios. These two have a very special relationship, and Ty told me about it.

Ty first discovered Jonathan’s work years ago through friends who were recording with him at the time.  They shared what they’d been working on, and Ty couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  He was impressed by the level of care and quality, not just in the production and mixing, but also in songwriting and the overall presentation.

A few months later, that same band opened for Knocked Loose in New Orleans, and Ty had a chance to meet Jonathan in person. They stayed connected on social media, and eventually they booked some time to work together on a few songs. Ty admits he was incredibly green going into those first sessions, but Jonathan was patient and met him on the level he was at and showed him what was possible. That initial experience pushed Ty to grow as an artist in so many ways.

Since then, the two have worked together not only on Ty’s music, but also developing other artists. They also work together on a clothing company called Die.Empty. More importantly, they have developed a friendship that Ty says he values more than anything else. Jonathan brings the best out of everyone he surrounds himself with, and Ty says he is endlessly grateful for all that he’s done for him, both personally and professionally.

Ty says the songwriting process is different every single time for him.  Some songs come from phrases or lines that give him an idea of what a song could turn into, whereas some are built from the ground up in the studio with a guitar riff, chorus melody, or even some form of unique production sample that they’re able to build upon. He has also had experience writing with other musicians on certain songs.  Elijah Witt of Cane Hill helped them write “Glass” and “Fall With Me,” and Cody Mackenzie of DIEYOUNG helped them write newer, unreleased music. Ty says working with other artists is always a really fun opportunity to explore different writing approaches.

Ty shares that, overall, there isn’t really a specific system in place that dictates how a song is written or who plays what on the recording between him and Jonathan. It’s really all about how inspiration strikes them and how as a unit they can create the best song possible through that inspiration in that particular moment in time. Outside of vocals, there’s a bit of both Ty and Jonathan on just about everything we hear. 

Ty’s most recent released songs, “Burning Star” and “Fall With Me”, both have a lot of meaning for him.  Of course I always try to come up with my own interpretation of songs, because I know a lot of bands and musicians want the listeners to do so. But I still like to get some insight from the artists, too.

I get the idea that "Burning Star" is about having self-doubt that holds you back from achieving your goals because you’re always questioning yourself.  Ty says I am spot on. He shares that “Burning Star” is a first-hand account of his struggles with imposter syndrome and how it deters him from fully embracing and enjoying his life to the fullest.  He says it’s a struggle he’s had for a long time now and one that, ironically, he’s combatted with the release of “Burning Star”. Here is a direct quote from Ty on a social media post:

“I wrote this song a little over three years ago in early 2022 as a vessel to talk about my battle with imposter syndrome. That same imposter syndrome kept me from considering this song good enough to be heard, and thus, it sat in my phone every day since. In 2023, despite my efforts to fight it, that imposter syndrome started to become unusually worse. In both my creative efforts and in my personal life, I was drained of my passion and didn’t feel as if I was enough to achieve anything that I strived for.

Near the end of the year, it reached its peak. By early 2024, I considered my dreams to be dead - and my future not far behind. The thing about imposter syndrome is that it will lie to you without shame. It’ll tell you that you’re incapable of doing the things you want to do in life and will turn you into a miserable, ugly, soulless version of yourself - all while making you feel like your progress to be the opposite is undeserved and by mistake, rather than by design.

The reality is, that couldn't be further from the truth. In the end, the only thing standing between you and what you want to achieve - and who you want to be - is yourself. This release is the antithesis of what the song itself is about; from directing/producing the music video, to creating all of the artwork and materials, to orchestrating the rollout, it represents me finally deciding to do something about what has been holding me back. It’s a release that’s empowered by an amazing team and support system that have had my back and believed in me for as long as I can remember. And it’s a release that’s unapologetically the most authentic sonically that I’ve ever been - and the catalyst for what’s to come.”

I also came up with my own interpretation of Ty’s latest single, “Fall With Me”, which dropped July 18th. To me, it’s about embracing the moment at the time it’s happening, not regretting what’s in the past or worrying about what’s to come in the future. There is beauty in letting go and just existing in the present – it’s a liberating feeling.

The following are Ty’s thoughts on “Fall With Me”.

“Too often in life do we find ourselves being caught up in the passing of time - specifically in wanting new beginnings or endings to occur - that we lose sight of the moment that we’re currently in. ‘Fall With Me’ is a song that invites the listener to simply exist in their events without expectation or anticipation of the next one - and to come to terms with the idea that beginnings and endings are not only co-existing, but co-dependent on one another.

I wrote ‘Fall With Me’ in Spring 2023 while I was experiencing a large looming life change. I had been looking forward to and romanticizing it for a long time, but as it got closer, I began to experience deep feelings of regret for how I had treated - and neglected - the things that I already had around me. Writing ‘Fall With Me’ helped me cope with that regret and served as a reminder to appreciate where you are while you’re there before you no longer can - but it also reminded me that sometimes in life you have to allow things to fall away in order for new things to take shape.”

One of the things I love about Ty’s music is that he is giving us a personal look inside of himself – what’s in his heart and soul. Though his songs are about his own personal experiences, it’s all very relatable because it’s about experiences almost everyone has gone through or is going through in their own lives.  I’ll be honest that I personally suffer from “imposter syndrome” – always wondering if I’m really good enough.  I also tend to worry about the future instead of embracing the present. The messages in Ty’s songs definitely resonate with me.

Something else about Ty is he is so talented!  Everyone who I have discussed his music with or who I have heard talk about it, including my colleagues with The Sound 228, agree that he is a wonderful vocalist.  I am so glad he is pursuing the hard rock genre of music, because even though he had initial doubts about it, he absolutely belongs in this world!

There is a great music video for “Burning Star”.  Ty shares that he wanted to create a sense of intensity through tight, up-close shots that felt claustrophobic and chaotic. Since the song deals with imposter syndrome, it felt fitting to obscure most of the faces -- including his own at times -- as a subtle way of expressing the uncertainty and disconnection that often comes with it. When you're caught in that mindset, it's easy to lose your sense of self, and he wanted the video to reflect that unraveling. 

This was also the first time that Ty took on the roles of directing, being director of photography (band shots), producing, and editing at the same time for his own video. Ty says he was very fortunate to work with a great group of people to bring the music video to life in the way that he wanted.  Chris Rivera was director of photography for his shots. Matt Boykin was a production assistant. Nathan Day graciously saved them from an equipment mishap and lent them all of his gear to finish the shoot.  Ty’s live band -- guitarist Jeffrey Fisher (The Arbitrary, Rogue), drummer Jeff Griffin (AFTERDUSK), and bassist Corey McLeod (AFTERDUSK) -- were in the performance shots. The entire shoot came together within a span of about two weeks, which is incredible.  Ty says it was an amazing experience and he is very proud of what they created.

Saturday, July 26th, Ty and his band opened for Keith Wallen, the guitarist and backing vocalist of Breaking Benjamin who also has his own solo project and is currently on a headlining tour with support from the band LEVELS. The show was at Cannery Hall in Nashville, and included another local opener, Vantage Ruins.  From the videos and reactions I saw on socials, it looks like it was a great show and that Ty's set was enjoyed by all in attendance.

I’m excited for what’s to come in the future for Ty Trehern.  There is more new music coming this month and I can't wait to hear it. One thing I know is that Ty is very intelligent, and every decision he makes will be thoughtful and staying within the scope of his vision and ultimate goals. The best way to follow Ty Trehern is on his socials – @tytrehernmusic. Also make sure to listen to his music on whatever streaming platform and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Written by: Annie Schlottman Promo photos: Chris Rivera @chrisveraphoto Live performance photos: Gina Di Maio @theycallmeginaa