“I knew immediately ‘Left Of Center’ would become a cornerstone of the WAY BACK WHEN - EP. In Nashville, it can be so tempting to write love songs and party songs, but this one is different. It was the first time I was able to sum up my story and my values in three minutes, and I’m immensely proud of it,” shares Dial. “Although it’s very specific, I think everyone will be able to relate because I feel like we’re all a bit ‘Left Of Center’ in our own ways.”
Co-writing all songs on the autobiographical collection, the Dial, Andy Skib, and Adam James-penned tune-rich “Left Of Center” anthem takes a revealing route in the chorus: “They said it would hold me back / But it’s brought me the farthest / You can call me left of center / But last time I checked / That’s right where the heart is.” Directed by CeCe Dawson, the adjoining lyric video finds Dial singing off a roof of his friend’s house in his hometown of Arizona – watch here.
Tyler Dial’s WAY BACK WHEN - EP Track List:
1. “Way Back When” (Tyler Dial, Adam James, Logan Wall)
2. “Left Of Center” (Tyler Dial, Andy Skib, Adam James)
3. “Damn, Denver” (Tyler Dial, Melissa Fuller, Andy Skib)
4. “Runnin’ Downhill” (Tyler Dial, Melissa Fuller, David Hodges, Mike Robinson)
5. “Wild Thoughts” (Tyler Dial, Emily Falvey, Andy Skib)
6. “Still Smokin’” (Tyler Dial, David Ryan Harris, Melissa Fuller)*
All Songs Produced by Andy Skib
*Produced by Andy Skib and David Ryan Harris
Creating the yin and yang of his new-era vision – night and day, acoustic and electric, traditional and progressive, city and country, Vans and cowboy boots – the WAY BACK WHEN - EP is the direct result of late nights gigging on Sixth Street in Austin, TX, as a UT (The University of Texas) student mixed with his post-college grind at an East Nashville, TN, bar combined with rowdy shifts on a pontoon boat/party barge. Remaining true to his Southwestern roots while collaborating with some of Music City’s hottest tunesmiths like David Hodges, Melissa Fuller, and David Ryan Harris, Dial steps into his own with signature “little bit Country, little bit Rock ‘n’ Roll” sensibility since relocating after college.
“This is a project that I’ve been dreaming about for a long time, and I’ve been chasing these songs ever since I first picked up a guitar in middle school. WAY BACK WHEN - EP is a culmination of me playing cover songs on Sixth Street in Austin during college and writing songs in Nashville for the last four years,” shares Dial. “These songs represent a new chapter of my life. They are the direct result of me finding my footing in town and realizing that, if I want to stand out as a musician and a songwriter, I just have to be myself. It’s for the kid that wrote his first song in high school – way back when – and it’s about the person I’ve become ever since.”
Already riding top-tier critical buzz after dropping his first single in three years with full-throttle rocker “Runnin’ Downhill” – which Billboard hailed, “He further raises his songwriting and blazing production up several notches” – Dial also released title track “Way Back When” and “Damn, Denver” in advance. With shout-outs from key media including features in CMT, E! News, Entertainment Tonight, and more, American Songwriter further praises his ability to “create something that is wholly his own.” Surpassing 5 MILLION global streams to his credit, he’s scored major playlist adds on Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Country; Apple Music’s New in Country and Soundcheck; Spotify’s New Music Nashville and Next From Nashville; TIDAL’s Country Waves; and YouTube Music’s Country's New Crop.
