Standing on the humid, packed grass of LeBreton Flats Park on Jul. 1, you can feel the heavy air of Ottawa pressing down. It is the kind of heat that makes the Canadian flags feel a bit heavier in the hand. But for the thousands gathered, the sweat is a secondary concern to the optics of the national birthday. Amidst the corporate sponsorship and the sea of red and white, Tyler Shaw is prepping for a set that feels less like a gig and more like a homecoming.
The career trajectory of Shaw is well-documented in the Canadian pop ecosystem. He emerged in 2012 with "Kiss Goodnight," a track that went Platinum and cemented him as the sensitive boy with the guitar. And he has stayed there, mostly, racking up Gold and Platinum certifications for tracks like "House of Cards" and "Wicked." That run eventually led to a JUNO nomination for Pop Album of the Year in 2019. But today, the stakes are different. He is the soundtrack to a citizenship ceremony.
"I didn't realize initially that my performance was tied so closely to the citizenship ceremony, but learning that, it's incredibly humbling," Shaw shares. It is a sobering thought for an artist who usually plays to screaming fans. Here, he is playing for people who are just starting their official lives in this country.
"What better place to celebrate Canada Day than in Ottawa? It's such an honor to provide the musical backdrop for these individuals becoming citizens, an incredibly pivotal event in their lives," he says. The sentiment is genuine, even if the setting of LeBreton Flats is a bit of a dust bowl compared to the usual Parliament Hill backdrop.
Shaw is not just resting on his old hits for this set. He is testing the waters of a pivot. He is debuting "Out of Sight," a track that leans into a rock aesthetic that he has been hinting at for a while. He is also doing a bilingual version of "With You" with Josiane, an artist from Dieppe, New Brunswick. It is a smart play for a national broadcast.
"As an artist, when you release music, you can only hope for a positive reaction," he says. The vulnerability is real. When you have been the "ballad guy" for a decade, trying to turn up the gain on the amp is a risk.
"But when I wrote 'Out of Sight', it was one of the most exciting sessions I've ever had. I'm looking forward to laying my heart on the line because this song really means a lot to me," Shaw adds. You can hear the shift in his voice when he talks about this new material. It is less about the charts and more about the itch to play something louder.
That itch comes from a childhood spent listening to the heavy hitters of the 90s and early 2000s. Shaw is not just a pop product; he is a fan of the grit. He grew up on a diet of distorted guitars and aggressive vocals.
"Growing up, I used to listen to a lot of rock music, from Tool to Nickelback to Rage Against the Machine," Shaw reveals. It is a surprising list for the man who gave us "Kiss Goodnight." But that is the point of an evolution. You eventually go back to what made you want to pick up an instrument in the first place.
"So, with 'Out of Sight,' I'm digging into that lane a bit, going back to my rock band days," Shaw says. He is leaning into the nostalgia of his own youth to find a new path forward. It is a calculated move to keep his sound from becoming stagnant in the middle-of-the-road pop lane.
The creative process for this new era seems to be more about instinct than industry pressure. Shaw is not overthinking the hooks. He is letting the songs breathe.
"It was accumulated from listening to new music, discovering new artists, and simply listening to what my heart wanted to say. The creative process is very easy-going and simple for me. It was such a fun session that came so naturally," Shaw shares. This ease is reflected in the music, which feels less manufactured than his earlier work.
When we had our daughter in 2020, things got put into perspective. Her grandparents aren't getting any younger and we wanted our daughter to have a relationship with them. We just wanted to spend more time around family.
His upcoming album is also moving away from the hyper-specific love songs that defined his early 20s. He is looking for something more universal, or perhaps just more vague, to let the audience find themselves in the lyrics.
"I've made it broader," he says. "Some songs tell a bit of a story, but mostly it's up to the listener's interpretation. They're not very specific, allowing listeners to relate it to their own lives." It is a classic songwriting tactic: give the people the outline and let them fill in the colour.
But the biggest change in Shaw’s life isn’t the music. It is the move to Ottawa. He has traded the Toronto grind for the capital’s pace, largely because of his daughter, who arrived in 2020.
"When we had our daughter in 2020, things got put into perspective. Her grandparents aren't getting any younger and we wanted our daughter to have a relationship with them. We just wanted to spend more time around family," Shaw recalls. It is a relatable pivot. The pandemic forced a lot of artists to look at their support systems.
The move to Ottawa was a strategic family play. And let’s be honest, living in the capital as a high-profile musician has its perks, including the proximity to the very stages he is playing today.
"Besides, the additional help with the kids is definitely a bonus," Shaw smiles. It is a rare moment of domestic honesty from a guy who has spent years being marketed as a heartthrob. He is a dad now, and he is leaning into it.
His daughter, who will be three in Dec., is already showing signs of following the family business. She isn't just watching from the sidelines; she is getting her hands on the gear.
"She's always asking to play the piano, sing on the microphone, and she even tries her hand at playing the guitar in my studio," he says. There is a clear sense of pride there, the kind you only see in parents who are genuinely surprised by their kids' interests.
But Shaw is also wary of the industry. He has seen the burnout. He is not going to be the stage dad pushing his kid into the spotlight before she can tie her shoes.
"If she doesn't end up going down the lane, then that's totally fine. Whatever she's happy with," Shaw emphasizes. It is a healthy boundary to set early on.
Shaw’s career has put him on stages with the likes of Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, and Alessia Cara. But he doesn't seem to get caught up in the celebrity of it all. To him, a crowd is a crowd, whether it is 50 people or 50,000.
"To be honest, it's like any other show. Obviously, there's a bit more energy because there are larger crowds, but you just want to connect with the audience. You just want them to feel like they are a part of something," Shaw says. That desire for connection is what keeps him grounded when the production value gets massive.
He is also savvy enough to know how to play the digital game. His cover of Gayle's "ABCDEFU" went viral on TikTok because he had the sense to flip the script.
"I saw Gayle's version on TikTok, thought the lyrics were kind of mean, and flipped it around. And it blew up. It really just took off. People love it," Shaw says. It was a simple creative exercise that turned into a massive marketing win.
Collaboration remains a key part of his strategy. Working with Josh Ramsay of Marianas Trench was a moment of validation for him. It is the kind of thing that makes the years of touring feel worth it.
"I've been a fan of Marianas Trench since I was a kid, so when Josh called me, I said, absolutely," Shaw reveals. He describes the experience as a full circle moment.
Then there is "Confidence," his collaboration with Sasha. The song carries a weight that hits differently now that he is raising a daughter. It is a message of self-assurance that he wants her to hear.
"It’s basically saying, ‘you have confidence inside you, it just takes a moment to find it’. And that journey is totally fine," Shaw says. It is a simple message, but in an industry built on insecurity, it is a necessary one.
The Jul. 1 schedule is a logistical nightmare, but Shaw is taking it in stride. He is hitting two cities in one day, a classic Canada Day hustle.
"I'm doing my performance in Ottawa at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time, and then I hop on a flight to Toronto and do an evening performance in Markham," he says. His family will be at the Ottawa show, making it a rare moment where work and home life actually overlap.
As the noon sun beats down on LeBreton Flats, Shaw’s performance with Josiane will be beamed across the country on CBC and Radio-Canada. He is sharing the bill with a diverse lineup, including Pierre Kwenders and Delhi 2 Dublin. It is a snapshot of what Canadian music looks like in 2023.
The evening will see more performances from the likes of Jann Arden, Dax, and Preston Pablo across the country. But for Shaw, the day starts in his new backyard, providing the score for a group of new Canadians. It is a solid showing for an artist who is finally comfortable enough to stop being just a pop star and start being himself.
