Sitting across from a digital screen during the height of the Great Disconnection, Tyler Shaw did not look like a man who had spent 18 months idling. Most of the pop world spent the lockdown period stagnant, but Shaw used the isolation to dismantle his own creative process. He emerged with a self-titled record that feels less like a third album and more like a definitive introduction. It is a sharp, sonically aggressive pivot from the polished safety of his earlier hits like “With You”.
The decision to slap his own name on the cover was not an act of vanity. It was a flag planted in the ground. When I ask him about the nomenclature of the new project, he is quick to frame it as a matter of internal validation.
“It’s self-titled for two reasons,” Shaw says. “One, I’m the most proud of the work that I’ve come up with. This album is my favourite work yet, my best work yet and I’m extremely proud of it. So that’s why I decided to self-title it.”
But there is a psychological layer to this record that goes beyond mere pride. Shaw spent the pandemic having a staring contest with his own subconscious. Without the distraction of a tour bus or the hum of a crowded airport, he found himself mining his own mental basement for material.
“Reason number two, this whole album is the deepest part of me because all these ideas have come from the subconscious,” Shaw explains. “When I get my ideas it’s usually when I’m going from place to place and doing this and doing that. My subconscious is picking up on certain things, whether it’s architecture, or someone I see on the streets or a relationship. I’ve realized that’s where the majority of my ideas come from. That being said, I really do feel like your subconscious is a whole of who you are, because it’s always feeding you stuff. It’s always there and you just start realizing it, right?”
The transition from a life of constant motion to a life of domestic stillness was a shock to the system. Shaw had to learn how to find the muse in a cup of Earl Grey rather than a window seat at 30,000 feet. It required a level of presence that most modern artists, addicted to the dopamine hit of the road, rarely achieve.
“So for this album, I took a deep breath in at the start of the pandemic, when I was first starting to get into the writing, had to do some reflecting,” Shaw says. “In terms of, I won’t be traveling anymore. So where am I gonna get my inspiration from? Well, I had to have a conversation with my subconscious. And I started doing mundane things like just being at home and sipping a cup of tea in the morning and reading a book and then pop there would come an idea, which never really happens, it would always be when I’m traveling. So the fact that it came up with these ideas when I was just sitting and being present, made me realize that my subconscious is always hard at work, trying to figure out some kind of idea.”
And it was this forced deceleration that allowed the dust to finally settle. Shaw describes the experience as a sensory awakening. In a world where every artist is screaming for attention on social media, Shaw found his voice by muting the noise and ignoring his phone.
“I think so,” he says when asked if this was his first true connection with his inner self. “I think because of that break, there was no Go, go, go, go, go. It was like, the analogy or the metaphor of the dust settling and their breathing, being calm for a minute. And I had a really good opportunity, like I said, to just be present. I know that’s so difficult to do nowadays with social media and you needing this, you want this and that. I wouldn’t look at the phone for the longest time in the morning and just be here. Listen, look, feel, taste all the senses. Just get them in that one moment at that one time.”
Shaw has always been a "gut" artist. His previous effort, "Intuition", was essentially a manifesto on following one's nose. He remains committed to that internal compass, paying more attention to the atmospheric "feeling" of a track than the clinical data of a radio-friendly hook.
“Yeah, I would say so,” Shaw says. “My last album was called 'Intuition'. So I’m very much into trusting my intuitive feelings, and whatever my gut tells me and I pay attention to the feeling of things a lot.”
Sonically, the new record is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster, but in the best way possible. It lacks the singular lane of his previous work. You have "Remember", which is a thumping dance floor filler, sitting right next to "When You're Home", a track that sounds like it was pulled from a dusty 1960s jukebox. It is a risky move that could feel disjointed if not for the vocal consistency.
“For the most part, totally, I think I’ve realized, the signature in my music is definitely my voice,” Shaw explains. “So in a sense, it doesn’t really matter what music is behind it. For example, the first single I released off of this new album, it’s called 'Remember' and it’s like a full on dance track. Then I have the second single called 'When You’re Home', which is like a ballad from the 60s. So there’s a lot of diverse there when it comes to the production behind the music. And I’d like to show my range with that and show what I’m able to do with that because the voice is so signature, It allows a lot more freedom with the music to just kind of do what’s best for the song essentially. But when it comes to this album, from track one to track 10 there I would say there is a tight cohesiveness minus the fact that 'Remember' is a dance track. There’s not a synth heavy track that’s the standout, I think for me.”
The production on this record is notably aggressive. There is a lack of the "brick-wall" compression that plagues most modern pop. The drums have room to breathe and the guitars have a jagged, tactile edge. It is a miracle of engineering considering the entire thing was pieced together via Zoom calls and home-recorded stems.
“Production was super fun to work with,” Shaw says. “Keep in mind all this stuff was done over Zoom. I don’t think I went into the studio once when it was time to produce things. So that was a challenge in itself. But I recorded probably all the guitars and all the tracks at home. My good friend, longtime collaborator, producer Alex Pilz did 'North Star' and 'Sex On The Beach' and a couple other tracks on the album. We have a very good working relationship. So it was basically when it came to him and I working together, I would give him what he needed vocally and guitar wise and he would just do the rest because I trust him.”
But Shaw didn't just stick to his inner circle. He reached across the Atlantic to pull in fresh ears. The inclusion of female producer Charlie McCLean on the track "Say Nothing" adds a layer of sophistication that Shaw admits he was eager to absorb.
“It was actually really cool to collaborate with a bunch of other producers as well for this album some being in the UK, Sam Merrifield, a female producer Charlie McCLean, who did one of my favourite tracks the album called 'Say Nothing',” he says. “Just seeing how they work really inspires me and that’s how I learned the best is seeing how other producers work because maybe there’s tips and tricks that they use that I can implement within my own productions. Whether that’s working on myself or other artists. It was just really cool to be a part of.”
Hidden among the new experiments is "I See You", a track that feels like a spiritual successor to his earlier work. It turns out the song is a literal relic from the "Intuition" era, a survivor from a massive pile of 80 tracks that almost didn't make the cut.
“That’s so crazy. Yeah, it is. It definitely is an older song,” Shaw admits. “I wrote that one on my first writing trip for the new album in December of 2019. So I just got off The Wanted Tour, that ended in Vancouver and I just went south into L.A. and that was the first session ever for this next project. We held on to it and I’ve written over 80 songs for this album. So you could really see how that might have gotten lost in the shuffle of things, but once it resurfaced, we were like holy shit. Why are we not using this, let’s go. So really happy it resurfaced and everything happens for a reason.”
I remember starting, I was hiding behind the acoustic guitar a lot. When you look back at footage, you can really tell that I was most comfortable with the acoustic guitar. So once it was taken away from me, I kind of felt lost. But then, I started thinking about all the songs and how I used to just do the most random ridiculous movements in my bedroom, listening to these bands and kind of tapped into that and just feel the music and the music will guide you to where you’re supposed to do and move here to do that. You don’t need to over think the process. Just let it go. Let the music do what music’s supposed to do.
The album also features multiple iterations of "When You're Home", including a Dzeko remix that leans into the club scene. But for Shaw, the stripped-back version remains the definitive take. It was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment, written in less time than it takes to watch a sitcom.
“The closest to the way I wrote it would be the piano string version,” Shaw says. “It was written on piano. This is the fastest session I’ve ever had was written in 45 minutes. All on piano and that was the way I envisioned everything. Jon Levine took it into a new world with the production that he did, which is the single that’s out no, which I love. I love that he took it away from the piano and put the guitar bass instrument into it. Breathe it some new life, which is incredible. My personal favourite would have to be the string version because that’s how it was written. Then you have the Dzeko DJ Remix, which is just like if you’re ready to get down, throw that on and you’ll be good to go.”
There is a latent rocker inside Shaw that most fans don't see until they are standing in the third row of a theatre. He grew up on a diet of punk rock and metal, and that aggression is starting to bleed through the pop veneer. He points to the current revival of pop-punk, led by artists like Olivia Rodrigo, as a sign that the world is finally ready for his heavier side.
“I don’t know if I’d want to create the dance music,” Shaw says. “Like long term, I think I’ll always want to be a part of it in some way, whether that’s being featured on a track or writing for others. I wanted to try it out with 'Remember', and I’m glad I did. But in terms of where my heart falls, with the music, it’s more along the lines of 'North Star' and 'Worst for Me'. I grew up listening to like punk rock music, and a little bit of metal and rock and roll. So I feel like that is a part of me, and I really want to explore that more when it comes to the new music. Olivia Rodrigo, she’s got a 'Good 4 u', which is basically like, a Blink 182, Paramore song, you know what I mean? So it’s coming back, and I’m happy that it is.”
And that energy is palpable on stage. Watching him live in London, you can see the moment he decides to ditch the acoustic guitar and actually perform. It is a liberation from the "singer-songwriter" trope that often keeps pop stars boxed in.
“Yes, I do and some things I needed to be pulled out to me because I remember starting, I was hiding behind the acoustic guitar a lot,” Shaw says. “When you look back at footage, you can really tell that I was most comfortable with the acoustic guitar. So once it was taken away from me, I kind of felt lost. But then, I started thinking about all the songs and how I used to just do the most random ridiculous movements in my bedroom, listening to these bands and kind of tapped into that and just feel the music and the music will guide you to where you’re supposed to do and move here to do that. You don’t need to over think the process. Just let it go. Let the music do what music’s supposed to do.”
When we look back at this era in 10 years, "Say Nothing" will likely be the track that evokes the feeling of the 2020 lockdown. It was written in the shadow of the Junos being cancelled and the world grinding to a halt.
“Well for me, the entire album is because I wrote it over Zoom during the pandemic,” Shaw says. “'I See You' was not written during the pandemic, 'When Your Home' wildly enough was not written during the pandemic. That was just before everything got shut down. I was in the UK and pretty sure the day or the day after I came back is when the Junos got cancelled, and the NHL got cancelled and everything just shut down. If there was one song, I’d have to say 'Say Nothing' would be like, Oh, I remember this. Just because it’s such a beautiful song and that’s probably one of my favourites on the record.”
For Shaw, the song is the currency. Everything else—the tours, the social media, the branding—is secondary to the writing. He views the craft as an emotional exhaust pipe, a way to process the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight.
“If you have a good song, what else do you really need?” Shaw asks. “If the foundation is there, you have something to show people, you have something to sell is a business, you have something to say, you just have this song that’s just good, this is great. Then everything else kind of falls into place. If you don’t have a good song, then there’s not much there. There’s no substance. It’s not only, let’s get this song out there to help other people to inspire other people. It’s an outlet for me, if I go through a terrible day or if I have the best day ever, I can put that into music. I can put that energy into music. And then that could help other people go through the same kind of thing with helping them accentuate their feelings, whether it’s sadness or happiness or whatever it may be. So writing has always been important. I started writing even before I even did covers. I started writing very early.”
The most significant change in Shaw’s world, however, isn't musical. It’s personal. The arrival of his daughter, Everly, has fundamentally shifted his perspective on the industry and his own legacy. He isn't just writing for the charts anymore; he's writing for her.
“Oh my gosh, complete 180, she has been an angel,” Shaw says. “Honestly, she makes everything just perfect. And if I were to kind of turn it back into the music side, I always say since the moment we found out that we were having a baby, this whole kind of, I call it a paradigm shift, in my mind, just went like this. And it opened up my mind to just everything, it’s always been on my mind, like I want to be better, you know, I want to do better, I want to make the world a better place. But when you have someone to do it for like your child, it intensified, it’s like, I want the world to be a better place for her. I want to be a better version of myself for her.”
This new maturity is reflected in the lyrics. Gone are the simple "I fall in love" platitudes. Shaw is reaching for more complex imagery and more "tasteful" content.
“When it comes to songwriting, I surprise myself sometimes with different lyrics or different melodies, or we can have a concept and the way, like, let’s say, this person falls in love with this person, the way you get there within the story,” he explains. “I feel like I’ve never thought this way before. Let’s go take this route, instead of just doing I fall in love. It’s like, I fall in love through a waterfall or something like that, something more imagery and a little bit more tasteful and mature content. She inspires me every day, looking into her eyes is just a whole universe that is unexplainable. I hope one day she can tell me the secrets of the universe.”
While "Intuition" was a love letter to his wife, the next project will undoubtedly be dedicated to his daughter. Shaw has already written a stockpile of songs for her, though he is keeping them tucked away for now.
“That is still to come,” he says. “I have written a bunch of songs for her. But they’re not going to be on the album. Most likely the next project will be a handful for her.”
His 2018 record was deeply entwined with his marriage. It was a real-world look at relationships, including the "negative" bits that most pop stars prefer to ignore.
“Yeah, there were tons of songs on there for her definitely, 'With You', 'To the Man Who Let Her Go',” Shaw says. “I’m forgetting the track listing now, even honestly, like even 'The Wall', it’s a negative song, but, it’s real life. I don’t believe any relationship is 100% perfect. So yeah, there were a lot of songs on there for her. I released it in 2018. We got married in 2018. So, I think the inspiration behind that is obvious.”
As for the rest of the new self-titled album, Shaw is eager for fans to hear the unreleased tracks. "Worse for Me" and "Heaven" are highlights that he believes show a new level of emotional depth.
“I’m so excited for the next half,” Shaw says. “What can they be excited about just the new music honestly, the new stories that I’m about to tell. One of the songs on there called 'Worse for Me', when I was recording the vocals I got teary eyed just because of the story and the dynamics and the message of the song, it’s incredible. 'Heaven', which just takes you to this different place, but keeps you here. Again, the dynamic of that one is just it’s very interesting. One of my favourite songs lyrically. Lots to look forward to honestly, it’s a lot of fun to listen to front to back.”
And then there is the mystery of "The Man Who Let Her Go". Shaw still doesn't know if the subject of that song—the man who failed the woman Shaw eventually married—knows he’s the villain of a Canadian pop hit.
“You and me both,” Shaw laughs. “I’m not sure. I have a feeling - Maybe he does. I’ve never asked him and I don’t plan to. It was great for him to be, inspiration for that one.”
But Shaw isn't interested in holding grudges. He is a relentless optimist. He views the chemical stress of negativity as a waste of time, a philosophy he has tried to maintain throughout the grueling pandemic years.
“Absolutely, absolutely,” he says. “Just on being positive, it’s cliché as it sounds, like life’s too short. If there’s anything, don’t be so negative about it, and just try to find the positive in everything and the chemical reactions that goes down when you’re getting all stressed out and negative. It’s not worth it.”
That positivity manifested in ArtistsCAN, a charity initiative Shaw launched with Fefe Dobson and his manager Danny Reiner. They gathered a stable of Canadian icons for a cover of Bill Withers’ "Lean on Me", raising millions of streams for the Canadian Red Cross.
“I actually started my own initiative called ArtistsCAN,” Shaw says. “That was all stemmed from a conversation I was having with my manager, about COVID-19. when it was hitting hard. And that was around the time Bill Withers passed away. And obviously, he’s got his hit 'Lean on Me'. What a message that song has to offer, especially going through something like COVID-19. So I created this artist initiative, charity called ArtistsCAN with myself, my manager, Danny Reiner and Fefe Dobson, and Dan Cantor. We all came together and reached out to our contacts and decided to get as many Canadian icons as possible on a cover of Lean on me. When we released the song 100% of the proceeds are going to go straight to a Canadian Red Cross. I don’t even know the number right now, but it’s got over a few million plays and streams and listens. It’s incredible to see that support come through, because when I was doing a stream of interviews back then, the beautiful thing about having a song go straight to charity is that it’ll never stop. As long as the song is repeatedly listened to, or watched, all those proceeds, all those earnings, go straight to help those who need it.”
The connection to the Red Cross was personal. Shaw’s wife was working in a hospital during the pandemic, giving him a front-row seat to the mental and physical toll of the virus.
“Yeah, my wife worked at a hospital during the pandemic, she’s on mat leave now obviously, but hearing a lot of the stuff that would go on in the hospital and just so awful, it was really did take a toll on her mentally which obviously affected me knowing what was going on there,” Shaw admits. “It made every sense to try to help out as best as I could. There was a point where I felt helpless because like, Okay, I’m going to what am I going to do? Like, how can I help during the I was in a writing periods, I wasn’t releasing any new music. So I did feel helpless but with conversations I had with Danny, Fefe and Dan, we came together and decided to make a difference, which I’m super happy about.”
While ArtistsCAN is currently on the back burner as Shaw and Dobson focus on their respective album cycles, the door remains open for future initiatives.
“That is the goal,” Shaw says. “We have yet to decide on where we actually want to take this thing, whether every initiative is going to be global or if it’s going to be national. We’re just not sure we haven’t had the opportunity to talk too much in depth. I got a project out, Fefe has a project coming out, so Life goes on obviously, but it is on the back of our minds and it is something that is important and we want to be part of still.”
Fans won't have to wait much longer to see Shaw in the flesh. A national tour is being plotted for 2022, with potential stops across the ocean.
“There is a tour in the works for 2022,” he reveals. “Nothing on this side of the year 2021, but for 2022, I do plan on going on a national tour plus maybe some international travel as well. So yeah, there’s a tour in the works.”
One of those international stops might be China. Shaw, who is half-Chinese, visited Hong Kong with his father a few years ago and felt a deep connection to the history and architecture of the city. His only regret is not paying more attention in Chinese school.
“Absolutely, with or without the music, I’ve only been to Hong Kong once with my father back in 2015, 2016, somewhere around there,” Shaw says. “Loved it, absolutely loved it there. Lots of history, lots of family history, but lots of history on its own right. Lots of inspiration to find in that beautiful, beautiful city, and with the music. I would love to go there, it just makes sense, I am half Chinese. I wish I kept up with Chinese school. But as a kid, you know, you want to hang out with your friends on the weekend.”
And he isn't worried about a language barrier. Shaw recognizes that music is a universal currency that doesn't require a translation.
“Very true,” he says of the global appreciation for English pop. “That’s a very good outlook on that. Maybe I’ll go catch an international show once they start coming back. That’s very cool.
