Jenny & Tyler are an acoustic folk-pop duo whose live performances strike a rare balance of intimacy and intensity. They share their songs, their stories and their lives with a candor that captivates, inspires and transcends age and cultural divides. Regardless of background, their music hits closest to home for people who are wrestling with faith and searching for answers in an uncertain world.
Acoustic guitar, mandolin and the kick-drum of an old suitcase drive catchy melodies to support thoughtful lyrics as Jenny & Tyler chronicle lives marked daily by love, joy, loss, doubt and redemption. Their blend of driving, percussive folk-pop rings of Mumford & Sons and Nickel Creek, and at times echoes popular male-female duos such as She & Him and fellow Nashville darlings The Civil Wars.
What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you or at your show?
Earlier this year a woman came up to Jenny after the show. This is very normal. What isn’t normal is that this woman started massaging Jenny’s pregnant belly vigorously with both hands while talking to her. This lasted for a full minute. Jenny was sort of shocked and didn’t know quite what to do, so she essentially just stood there until the woman finished speaking. Jenny doesn’t remember any of her answers to the lady’s questions because she was so distracted by the belly rubbing. People who know Jenny know that she’s not a super touchy person, so this was especially awkward.
What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist?
A few years ago at a show in Mississippi, Tyler looked out into the audience and caught eyes with one of the audience members, whose facial expression was somewhat contemplative, somewhat amused, and somewhat elated. He happened to be a pretty close friend. Upon making eye contact, Tyler started to chuckle. Tyler stopped singing but kept playing his guitar, trying to regain composure. The chuckle then grew into a full belly laugh, at which point Tyler stopped the song entirely, laughed for a solid three minutes, and then vowed to himself never to look upon his friend’s face again, at least for the remainder of the night.
Here’s another one. At a show we played in North Carolina last year to a mostly high school aged audience, after finishing one of our more romantically-themed songs, a girl from the audience shouted the question, “Does Tyler have a younger brother?”
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Nothing super specific.
If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?
Engaging. (We hope.)
How do you connect with a crowd?
We try to treat the audience the way we like to be treated, tell personal stories, and have a laid back tone to the set. We like to invite them into our story, into a conversation.
How did you decide on your band name?
It’s our two first names. Jenny comes before Tyler because 1. J is a softer consonant than T, 2. It’s alphabetical, and 3. Ladies, first.
What is the best way to write music?
We like to sit down with our guitars, voice memos on our phones, and journals and try to put together what we’ve learned and the melodies we’ve been hearing.
Catch Jenny & Tyler playing at Eddie’s Attic THIS Sunday, May 5th! Tickets below!
