elektro exclusive interview with Tyler Sherritt

Are you excited about EDC?

Tyler Sherritt: Yea I’m super stoked. It’s my first big festival. I’m really looking forward to it.

What was your initial reaction when you heard you were going to play?

Tyler: I was definitely shocked and stuff like that, but the shows we’ve been playing in New yOrk just continued to grow. It sounded right when they told me, so...

Can you tell everyone a little bit about your new song?

Tyler: My new track, “Petrichord," is coming out on Garuda Music this Summer sometime. It’s just a high energy borderline trance progressive house trance that brings a ton of intensity when I play live at shows.

Are you playing it tomorrow?

Tyler: Definitely.

Does it have a specific spot in your set?

Tyler: Well, since I’m first, I don’t even know how it’s gonna happen. I hope they open the doors right at 12. I’m gonna drop it last three songs probably just so somebody hears it.

Have you preplanned you’re set it in your head or are you just going to go with it?

Tyler: I mean I have a huge folder of current songs I like to play, but regardless of how many people are in front of me when I’m playing, I’m still gonna come out and show who I am. Like if I was at a club and it was empty, I wouldn’t play hard and big songs. But depending on how it feels tomorrow I’ll play pretty hard… and I know a good… I mean it’s only an hour and there are a couple big significant tracks that I love to play in my sets and that’s gonna take up about half and then I got room to work with it for another 5 tracks or so.

Who’s your celebrity crush?

Tyler: Tiesto? Haha It’s a cliché, it’s been a joke with me and I don’t know if I believe it anymore but Taylor Swift. I feel like we’re made for each other. Well, I did when I was 13.

Have you ever been arrested?
Tyler: Never.

Have you ever been grounded by your parents? What did you do?

Tyler: I think I just cheated on a test on school, nothing exciting. Everything else I got away with.

What did you want to be when you grow up?

Tyler: I went through a lot of things. Soccer player. I wanted to be a skier cause I grew up in Alaska. Then I guess musician started when I was 11. Nothing with a degree haha.

How did that come into play? Playing drums and becoming a musician?

Tyler: Well I moved overseas to a third world country when I was 12 and I only had like 8 kids in my class and nothing to do. We had to stay in a compound and stuff. So I just kind of was brought to music more. I always sang, so I just kept singing. Then we made a couple of garage bands and just kinda went from there.

Do you have any pet peeves?

Tyler: People who speak with their mouth open, or smack when they eat.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Tyler: Whatever that Superman guy has, that’d be cool. I would love to fly but then if you’re not invincible then you’re probably gonna die. So is that two or more? I don’t know. If you fly does that mean you’re automatically invincible?

If you could have any other DJ’s hair, who would it be?

Tyler: Probably Bassnecter’s. I’d only want it for an hour.

Yea, keeping that hair up must be pretty tough. If you could create a DJ supergroup, a combinations of DJ that you’d go on tour with, who would it be?

Tyler: I don’t know, that’s such a hard question. People are gonna judge me on this. Well, I’d put Prydz on there cause I think he’s incredible. So yea, Prydz and I don’t know… Gesaffelstein. And then I can do the hard part of it. I love to combine all those styles.

If you could give a DJ a hug, party with, or DJ alongside with it’d be?

Tyler: A hug, I would like to hug one of the Nervo twins. Party with I don’t know… Diplo looks like the fucking man. I would love to party with him. And play with, I’ve played with most of my idols except for Tiesto, so Tiesto.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Who said it?

Tyler: Go back to your room and work more. Everyone in my life. My dad, my manager, my publicist, my siblings.

If you could give a shout out to anyone in the world right, who would it be and what would you say?

Tyler: Shout out to my sister, Lily, and I’m sorry I missed your birthday.

What’s been your favorite festival to go to or play at?

Tyler: Coachella 2010 was a revolutionary year for me. I actually snuck in to it, which is incredible. Which I advise strongly against. And I snuck in, literally like I was not supposed to get in at all. And I went in, I saw Tiesto, and I saw Muse, Deadmau5 and Kaskade. It was incredible. That festival solidified that I wanted to do electronic cause I was a singer/songwriter before.

How did you sneak in?

Tyler: It’s kind of a long story haha.

Can you condense it?

Tyler: Kinda. We had to sneak through all these horse stalls and the group I was with got tackled and I was hiding in the shadows. And then I camped out in the porta-potties behind the last fence for a good 15 minutes making sure nobody was there. Then I jumped the last fence, ripped my jeans, was about to get caught and then I just slipped right in and ran to the stage. I’m proud of sneaking in and I wouldn’t be here now if I didn’t sneak into Coachella.

What was your first DJ gig ever?

Tyler: Well it was here in the city at this place – I don’t even think it’s open anymore – it’s called Open House. There was like 30 people there or so and I played this huge festival-style set and I didn’t know how to read people at that point. I learned quickly after that.

Have you had any weird groupie/fan experiences yet?

Tyler: I mean, sure. It’s weird that you see the groupie attention the day right before the show or after the show but then during the week you’re left alone. Nothing too crazy though.

If you could be anywhere in your career in the next year, where do you hope to be?

Tyler: Well this year I really want to spend time just getting my sound down and I think I’m gonna release 5 to 6 new tracks by the end of the year. And then by the turn of the year just touring all the time.