William Tyler

A gifted guitarist and thoughtful songwriter, William Tyler was a prolific force in the worlds of indie rock and alternative country. The son of country songwriter Dan Tyler, Tyler was born in Nashville in 1979. Despite playing guitar in a number of local acts, Tyler did not intend to follow in the family business and was planning on becoming a history professor when at age 19, fate intervened. Tyler was invited to join the alternative band Lambchop-at first as an organist, though he was given the chance to play guitar instead when he revealed that he did not, in fact, play the organ. Tyler's success within the acclaimed group led to him playing with other prominent acts, like the indie rock outfit Silver Jews and folk star Bonnie Prince Billy. In 2010, Tyler put out his first solo record, the well received Behold the Spirit, which held tightly to his acoustic roots. Next came 2012's Impossible Truth, which brought in new harmonic techniques and fingerpicked electric guitar. 2016's Modern Country drew more attention as it grappled with the political and cultural divide of the United States, while 2019's Goes West explored a distinctly brighter sound, influenced by Tyler's recent move to Los Angeles.