Tyler Rich and James Barker Band

Tyler Rich has spent most of his life surrounded by music. While the Yuba City native grew up listening to country with his mother in their small farming community in Northern California, his uncle instilled a passion for music. At every family party, Tyler’s Uncle Tim brought a guitar and played alongside his college friends.

The country singer-songwriter’s dream from a young age was to learn guitar and play with his uncle. By the time Tyler was 15, that dream came true, and he was “fully jamming with them” and began writing songs. After college, Tyler moved to Los Angeles and connected with songwriter-producer Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes) and production and songwriting team The Monsters & Strangerz. For three months, he wrote songs, and The Monsters & Strangerz critiqued them.

“It was one of the most useful moments of my entire musical journey,” Tyler says of their mentorship.

Through The Monsters & Strangerz, Tyler connected with another group of songwriter-producers. When the team asked about the music he wanted to make, Tyler explained that he grew up playing, loving, and listening to country with his mom. For the first time in his career, the songs he was writing were acoustic, guitar-driven. The team decided to record three songs, and the first Tyler released as a solo artist was “Radio.” The nostalgic breakup song’s success led to opening slots for Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, and Sam Hunt. Soon, Nashville came calling, and Tyler relocated to Music City in 2015.

One way to Nashville, life packed up
Everything I ever owned coming off of that truck
“Whiskey Go Bad”

A publishing and record deal came one and a half years later. Along the way, Tyler notched three No. 1 hits on SiriusXM’s The Highway from his debut album, Two Thousand Miles, and amassed over half a billion global streams. Those No. 1 singles–RIAA gold-certified “The Difference” and “Leave Her Wild,” as well as viral hit “Better Than You’re Used To”– put Tyler on the map as an engaging songwriter with a unique country-rock flair.

Now an independent artist, Tyler is taking full advantage of his newfound creative freedom, leading up to his sophomore album, Poppy & Iris Deluxe. In March, the singer released “Side A” from his forthcoming 22-song album. Titled Hello California, the 10-track preview includes songs he previously shared with his former label team and received a positive response. He then created a Google form with snippets of 30 songs and crowdsourced fans, family, and friends, and tallied up their favorite 12 songs.

“Creative freedom is like a drug,” he says. “It was so fun and exciting. We were having too much fun, so those 12 songs turned into 22 songs, and because of that, it became a double album.” The project kicks off with the sunny “Hello California.” With elements of country and rock, “Hello California” blends all of Tyler’s musical influences. Alongside ear-grabbing guitar riffs and infectious woah-oh-oh’s combined with vivid lyrics and his warm vocals, the track is a memorable introduction.

Many of the songs throughout the project urge the listener to live in the moment. One track, “Whiskey Go Bad,” Tyler describes as “Dropkick Murphys country.”

“‘Whiskey Go Bad’ was my way of writing a drinking song that had a different meaning, about life,” he explains. “Life is too short to let the whiskey go bad. Don’t wait for special moments to open a top-shelf bottle. Every day is one if you decide to make it one.”

The response to the autobiographical “Give Up To Get It” convinced Tyler and his band to show up for the big moments in life. The singer wrote the wistful track with Blake Bollinger and Steven Lee Olsen in 2022 while on the road in Michigan and missing home. After playing the song during a USO Tour in 2024, “Give Up To Get It” changed in meaning for the singer. I’m forever grateful, for all I got / But the truth is it’s kinda been a hell of a lot / I’ve had to give up to get it, Tyler sings about the sacrifice one makes when following his dreams. The song’s poignant music video was filmed during his USO Tour.

“When?” continues Tyler’s positive life outlook. With grungy-guitar parts and lyrics that urge listeners not to waste another summer and to live this life like you’re dying, “When?” is a summer anthem.

“It felt like it would make people want to listen to it on a boat, driving down a highway with windows down,” Tyler says of releasing ‘When?’ in June via ONErpm as the first part of “Side B,” titled Leaving California. “I love the message, too: kiss the girl, take the trip, chase the dream.”

Tyler, who recently won two Telly Awards for writing the Detroit Auto Show theme song, worked with producers (and fellow Californians) Brad Hill and Lalo Guzman on Poppy & Iris Deluxe. Musicians include guitarist Nathan Keeterle (Jelly Roll), drummer Phil Lawson (Post Malone), Academy of Country Music 2024 piano player of the year David Dorn (Kelsea Ballerini), slide guitarist Andy Ellison (Jon Pardi), and bassist Lalo Guzman (George Birge).

The project closes with the heart-wrenching “Leaving California,” which Tyler wrote with Brent Anderson and Ben Hayslip. A year after Tyler moved to Nashville, he met his wife, actress Sabina Gadecki. The couple has been living in a long-distance relationship ever since. While they have a home in Nashville and an apartment in Los Angeles, Tyler is often torn between the two.

“It’s about wishing I could sneak up and steal the Hollywood sign and stick it in my front yard,” he says. “Take all of these things that she has to have that are in L.A. and bring them here so that after all these years, I wouldn’t have to continually, every month, keep leaving California.”

Focus track “Damn What a Woman” was also inspired by Sabina. While the song might sound like it’s about how a woman looks Tyler says it’s actually about what a woman can do to you.

“The way she gets in your head, under your skin, and straight to your heart—my wife has that kind of power,” he explains. “She knows exactly the effect she has on me—and the second a woman knows they have that? We don’t stand a chance. This song is a nod to that moment when you realize you’re not just falling, you’re gone. Damn… what a woman… can do.”

Tyler has evolved into a bold and driven artist over the past decade since he left California. Now he’s calling the shots on his career and already planning his third album. “I’m having fun playing music again,” he says. “These were all the songs I had been writing about real-life stuff and real things I was going through. We’ve created something that’s so cool and so me.”

Tyler’s sophomore album sets the stage for his next chapter as an artist who knows himself and as someone who embraces all life offers. All the while, he inspires listeners to do the same.