Material: An East Coast to Bay Area transplant, Zyles has successfully showcased two sides of his musical persona in, well, two singles. Debut track “Sundresses” highlights heavy retro grooves and swoon-y vocals to play alongside the story of a traveler taking in all the delectable sights and offerings of his temporary home, while “Secretary” showcases a modern pop/R&B seductiveness with a darker underlying theme to its lyrics hidden behind mesmerizing synths. Both singles show similarities to the musical growth of former child star artists like Nick Jonas and Jesse McCartney.
Musicianship: Zyles’ musical background in a collegiate jazz orchestra, combined with his career experience in the tech industry, give his music that harmonious blend of retro and modern and current pop acts sometimes miss the mark on. While still relatively new to the industry as his own act, there is a calculated professionalism that he eloquently showcases within his recorded work and into his live sets that makes the listener beg for what other tricks he may have up his sleeve.
Performance: It’s a shame that Zyles is currently located in the Bay Area, because he proved to be a perfect fit for The Mint. He was willing to not only share stories about his past experiences in music, which includes a fun little encounter with the Jonas Brothers, but to also make sure that his touring band got the recognition they deserve with introductions and special solos. His undeniable humility and charisma packed a punch with the club’s audience, who grooved and swayed. Zyles’ dreamy synth-pop tunes combined with the power of live instrumentation demonstrated that pre-recorded modern pop tracks are still capable of translating to a live setting. He used the opportunity to hook his audience with unreleased tracks that sound like Maroon 5 meets The 1975 with a hint of Charlie Puth. Peppy earworm “Cuddle Puddle” held the attention of the hard-to-please Angelinos, while his impressive cover of Prince’s “Do Me, Baby” demonstrated his goal of appealing to a spectrum of listeners.
Summary: Zyles’ combination of well-produced singles and a confident live demeanor will make new audiences take notice. He has new music and show dates lined up, so he’s gotten the ball rolling on his new career path for the time being. Soon we might hear him included in indie-pop focused playlists or at events where that style reigns supreme.
Contact: [email protected]
Web: zylesmusic.com
Players: Zyles, vocals and guitar; James Small, drums; Zack Bleach, bass; Matt Grandy, keyboard
