To be completely honest I really had no idea what to think when I found out that I would be interviewing Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights (JTNL). I knew of them but was not as in tune to their music as some of the other people that I have interviewed in the past. But once I heard their entire album, Pardon Me, I was hooked. I have always liked country and rock music, but JTNL was that sweet mix of both genres that you can only find in the South.
JTNL hails from Dallas and is made up of Jonathan Tyler, Brandon Pinckard, Jordan Cain, Emotion Brown and Chase McGillis. They are signed to Atlantic Records, and their first studio album, Pardon Me, was released to high praise from critics. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of talking to Jonathan Tyler about his experiences over the past few years of writing and touring the country.
Growing up, who were you biggest influences?
I was raised in the South, in Alabama, so I grew up on Southern music. Including country music, gospel music, blues and church music because I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church. The big influence at a young age was a lot of Southern Rock bands like Lynard Skynard and ZZ Top on my parent’s stereo.
What about later in life when the band was coming together?
As I got older and started playing guitar it was a lot of the same stuff but more specificly. I also started listening to some of songwriters like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Recently I have started going really specifically into some of the not so famous bands to find some inspiration.
When did the current band come together? Where did everyone meet?
We met during high school in Dallas. Brandon, our guitar player, was the first person I met, and we played in some high school bands. Then maybe a year later I met Jordan, our drummer, and we all played some of the clubs and bars around Dallas. When we were in college, we really got into playing the bar scene.
What was it like starting in Texas and then touring outside of Texas?
Texas really has its own music scene that is separate from the usual LA-NY-Nashville triangle, which allowed us to find an audience that we could play for on an independent level. We really didn’t need a record level to get started recording. It seemed like the Texas music scene really embraced it and led to us playing shows all over the state. It really was a great place to start out.
Once we started playing outside of the state it felt different to be outside of that Texas scene. Having a major record label really helped us promote and gain fans outside of the state.
Did the band start out more rock or country oriented?
Definitely more rock oriented. I was totally against country music when we started because I had only been exposed to pop-country music at that time. As I started listening to the classics I started to open up to the country genre a little more.
Where was your favorite place to play at earlier in your career and what about now?
We play at the Grenada in Dallas all the time. It is our main place to play, and we have played New Years the past few years. Our first favorite place to play would have to be the Continental in Austin.
Does the band have a favorite festival to play at or do they like smaller venues?
We love festivals like Austin City Limits and Bonnaro; they were really good for us to get our name out there.
After being discovered at SXSW, does it have special place in the bands history?
We had been talking to record labels for a while before that but we really didn’t meet the studio rep until SXSW. It really does have a special place in the bands history and after that we learned that the music business is really a business.
Who was your favorite band to tour with?
I really loved touring with ZZ Top, but I really don’t think we made the most fans off of that tour. Only because their fans are a little bit older than our usual fans. But meeting all the band members was still amazing. We were living the rock and roll live for a minute there.
What was it like playing with legends such as Lynard Skynard, ZZ Top and AC/DC?
There is that part of you that is like “I can’t believe I am playing with this band.” Then there is the part that is watching them and how well their crew works. They would just have to show up at the venue and pick up their guitar. Don’t get me wrong they had to pay dues just like we are paying dues.
How did 'Pardon Me' come together? And what was some of the influences during the recoding process?
That came together after we signed with the label, but we had already had all the songs written. The main thing was we were looking for a producer, and we really liked Jay Joyce. The record company put us in contact with him and got along very well with him. Then we went into the studio with him and some of the big influences we had were Oasis, Tom Petty and Brian Adams.
Did you lose any creative power once you signed?
That didn’t actually happen on the last album, but it is happening on the current album we are recording. Now we have to work as a team with the record label to get to something we all enjoy.
Did you have a favorite song to record?
My favorite song off that album is "Devil's Basement," but because I write all the songs, I feel a strong connection to every song we recorded.
Is there a favorite song to perform? What song really gets the crowd excited?
The crowd really loves and knows "Gypsy Woman" the most. It is a song that really gets them singing along and excited.
Is Gypsy Woman written about anyone in particular?
Yeah, it was definitely written about someone.
Did being featured on "Boardwalk Empire" help you guys gain more fans?
I think it did, and I feel like the people that watch that show are the people that I would want to be hanging out with. So that was a good group to have exposure to. The only thing was the feature didn’t say our name or anything. Honestly I felt like it was more of a boost to our street cred in the business of music licensing. The people who pick all the songs definitely know what they are doing and are more critical than the normal viewer. It was like a pat on the back from the industry.
What about performing on Jimmy Kimmel?
I was so nervous for that, I think because I had built it up so much in my head. It was really cool and happened so fast that it was over before we had time to revel in it.
I am a big fan of the album art of "Pardon Me." Who came up with or designed that?
The photo was an idea that I had because I had this Indian headdress from New Mexico, so I wanted to incorporate that. At the time we were working with a fashion photographer, and he shot that picture while we were in Austin. It ended up looking pretty amazing when we saw it later and decided to use it on the cover after the label had their designers touch it up.
This is a tough question, if you had to change anything about the album what would it be?
I wish it was a little more live sounding. Some of the parts were compressed. Nowadays you have to do that if you want it to sound good on the radio. Overall I really don’t have any regrets and am pleased with how it turned out.
Would you guys want to do a live album?
Most definitely. I would really love to do that, and I’m sure that we will. I think that we need to do another album so that we have more songs to choose from. But I think that is something that will happen in the next few years.
What is the hardest and most fun part of touring?
The hardest part is going into a town that doesn’t really know who we are and playing for a small crowd, which can be fun but sometimes it’s hard because it is so much work. The most fun part is going into a town and everyone is excited about the band. You can feel that energy coming from the crowd when you are playing.
Do you guys have a favorite part about coming to Fayetteville?
It has been a while since we played, but we love coming to George’s. When we come the people definitely know how to party, and I remember going out on Dickson after each time we played.
Last question, does the band have any projects in the works or songs coming out anytime soon?
We are currently writing and recording out in L.A., trying to get some new stuff. It is definitely a new process this time around especially when we need to make some adjustments to the album. Like I said, we now have a team that we have to run most things by before we do anything major. We also have a ton of new songs that we have been playing to try them out with all the crowds.
You can purchase "Pardon Me" on iTunes or listen to in its entirety on their website, jonathantylermusic.com.
