Meet Ty Myers, Gen Z blues guitarist turned TikTok country heartthrob

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Out of the six tattoos Ty Myers has acquired during his 18 years, he considers the one depicting an armadillo, which he chose from a pre-selected set at an Oklahoma festival, to be the most foolish.

The singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas, casually mentions that they had around twenty choices to pick from, quickly.

Next time Myers is back in the city where legend has it Willie Nelson rejuvenated in the early ’70s at the Armadillo World Headquarters, he intends to work on enhancing his tattoo design.

He mentions that he plans to accessorize with a red bandana and style his hair in what is known as Willie braids, which is a nod to the famous honky-tonk bar that closed down almost thirty years prior to his birth.

The individual, sporting tattoos such as “Leroy” inspired by Jim Croce’s song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and the emblem of Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s FAME Studios, exhibits an affinity for vintage styles. His upcoming debut album in 2025, titled “The Select,” draws inspiration from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” as indicated by its title. This album blends bluesy guitar melodies with soul-rock rhythms that are low-slung, as demonstrated in the track “Let ‘Em Talk” and the slow, waltz-like “Ends of the Earth,” which has garnered over 70 million streams on Spotify and is gradually climbing up the country radio chart.

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However, the performer has gained his expanding fanbase in a modern fashion. Back in 2023, just shortly after he began sharing his music online, his track “Tie That Binds” became popular on TikTok; today, you can find numerous videos of teenage girls, some even younger than Myers, excitedly singing along with him at concerts, such as the one he played this past weekend following a Royals game at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.

The newest song he released is titled “Through a Screen” – an elegant ballad reminiscent of the ’70s, that narrates the story of falling in love with a person you’ve only encountered digitally and not in person.

He expressed on TikTok that he believed people would find this particular video relatable, writing this in one of numerous videos hinting at the upcoming song which was released on Friday.

Distinctively polished and charming, Myers makes an impression in the country genre that’s traditionally filled with burly, bearded figures like Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen – artists known for their rugged bad-boy appeal as much as their catchy tunes. However, Myers stands out, offering a more refined image through his music, where even the drinking songs exude an understated sophistication. His music, mostly self-penned, is often infused with a gentle sincerity that shines through his dreamy gaze.

He chuckles as he explains, “I’ve never really sought to come across that way,” during a coffee chat at Chateau Marmont in LA. While performing and engaging in flirtatious acts on stage may attract attention, and he does enjoy fashion, it’s not his primary focus or intention.

As a dedicated follower of the music scene, I can’t help but admit that when I brought the talented singer under my wing, I was indeed on the lookout for an untapped market niche.

Barry Weiss, the founder of Records, noted that the overall atmosphere in country music was starting to feel somewhat mature. He explained, “It’s about finding opportunities where others haven’t yet, and I felt that there wasn’t a young, charismatic male country artist who could captivate a younger audience.

In essence, Weiss observes that the Nashville community often values purity highly. However, this doesn’t necessarily translate to a lack of credibility for those perceived as young. Ty, for example, is exceptionally talented and can be compared to artists like John Mayer and Otis Redding, despite his youthful appearance.

Music

In simple terms, the 25-year-old nationally recognized singer now has a fresh release titled ‘Different Night Same Rodeo’, featuring collaborations from Luke Combs and The Kid Laroi.

Myers may seem too good to be true with his youthful appearance and endearing social media posts, but he truly possesses talent. His guitar playing is effortlessly skilled, and his voice carries a world-weary tone for someone so young. As a songwriter, he excels at adding emotional depth to his narratives, as demonstrated in “Help Ourselves,” where he collaborates with Harper O’Neill to portray a couple trapped (or stuck) in a toxic relationship.

This isn’t a farewell / You’ll be back, knocking on my door when you’ve had enough,” Myers sings, slightly wounded but resilient. “I might receive a call in the middle of the night at 12:30 am / Three months down the line, I’d better remind myself to stay strong.” (Just so you know, he’s a great guy, not an angel.)

Myers hails from Dripping Springs, Texas, where music was a prominent part of his family’s life. His great-uncle co-founded the country band Lonestar, while another played keys for George Strait. By the time he reached elementary school, he had already gained a reputation in town as a talented singer, often performing covers like ‘Check Yes or No’ during physical education classes. At around 11 or 12 years old, he stumbled upon Stevie Ray Vaughan on YouTube and was greatly influenced by his music.

He mentions, “That was ‘Lenny’ in his renowned ‘Live at the El Mocambo’,” he explains, expressing admiration for the blues-rock artist’s iconic concert film. “I thought, ‘Exactly! That’s what I aspire to do.’

According to Myers himself, playing guitar and composing songs turned into somewhat of an obsession for him. He managed to fit this passion in between attending school and participating in sports like football and baseball, which he considered a deeply ingrained part of Texas culture. However, a serious sports injury during his sophomore year left him unable to play – he suffered damage to his ACL, MCL, meniscus, and PLC in his knee. To help divert his attention from this setback, his mother created a TikTok account for him, while his sister played a key role in managing his online presence.

While on vacation in Key West, Florida, “The ‘Tie That Binds’ video” gained significant popularity; Myers recalls being immediately swamped with inquiries from record labels and management companies, including Starstruck Entertainment from Nashville, the company led by Narvel Blackstock, who was married to Reba McEntire from 1989 to 2015.

According to Myers, it’s evident that his mother was a frequent viewer of Lonestar on the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs). Whenever Reba won an award, they would show her and Narvel, who were always seated nearby, and the screen would display Narvel’s name. This is how Myers explains that his mother knew who Narvel Blackstock was (Narvel Blackstock, Brad Paisley’s former manager, tragically passed away this month at the age of 69). Myers later signed with Starstruck, a management agency with which Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce are also associated, and spent approximately a year meeting with record labels.

“I think we met with all of them,” Myers says. “By the end, I was about done with meetings.”

Music

68 years after the passing of the Rock and Roll’s monarch, a fresh collection is assembled, delving into the creative output he achieved in Los Angeles during the early 1970s.

Weiss mentions that he traveled to Austin for a meeting with the singer and his family. “His mother recognized me,” the executive explains, “as she had read about me in the book on Britney Spears, where I was credited for guiding her career, along with NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, to success.” He adds that while this could have been a double-edged sword, it ultimately proved beneficial since his mother was a fan of Britney Spears.

According to Myers, he chose to work with Weiss’ firm as they had teamed up with Columbia Records to sign the artist. One reason for this decision was that Weiss is skilled at leveraging youth effectively, rather than viewing it as a hindrance by saying “he’s really young…”.

While Weiss anticipates that “Ends of the Earth” could rank among the top 5 country radio hits – even potentially securing the No. 1 spot, he and Myers are envisioning a broader reach. As the executive explains, they’re aiming to attract audiences beyond just country music fans, such as girls in Greenwich, Connecticut, who would attend these shows.

Myers is steering clear from producing overly-commercial pop records as per Weiss’ advice. Instead, he’s recording his new album at FAME Studios, renowned for the signature Muscle Shoals sound that artists like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Etta James made famous. He’s also planning to perform more live shows this year than ever before – a total of 109, as of the last count. In celebration of this milestone, he may even get another tattoo, perhaps when he repairs his armadillo design, given that he can now legally get tattoos in Texas since turning 18 recently.

He notes that certain locations have difficulties with this, he shares an example from Austin where they called a store previously: ‘Hey there, is a 17-year-old too young for the task?’ The store replied, ‘I’m afraid that would be considered child endangerment.’ Laughing, he adds, ‘Well, in two months I’ll be old enough, and you’ll definitely help then.’

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2025-08-20 13:35