Tanner Boyle’s second single, “Headphones,” was released today–
Tanner Boyle recording vocals for “Headphones” with Ybor City Records® at Bronx Recording Studios in the Historic Kenwood neighborhood Saint Petersburg, FL.
—A second step toward his upcoming album and audible evidence that the warm reception of his debut single, “What You Missed” (May 2023), was not a case of beginner’s luck, but the beginning of a journey for a songwriter with a lot more up his sleeve.
While he is a relative new-comer to listeners and DSPs, Tanner Boyle feels familiar and welcome with his relatable lyrical content and stand-out vocal talent, leaving listeners a bit frustrated that his pair of singles are the only material currently available for consumption. Luckily, these tunes live comfortably on playlists with artists like James Morrison, Allen Stone, and early Amos Lee, to hold you over while Boyle puts in the hours on a debut record worthy of these first two offerings.
Tanner Boyle came to singing and songwriting over time, which is surprising, because his vocal chops and delivery hint at a life-long and well-studied vocal pursuit. That’s not to say that Boyle hasn’t put in the work or gotten help over the years. Boyle is a self professed acolyte of Ryan Montbleau, being inspired by some early performances of his, and attending Montbleau’s songwriting retreat in the years since. Are you wondering what takes place at a songwriting retreat, and if Boyle came away with anything productive? Hear for yourself in the opening seconds of the track, where an actual phone recording of Montbleau and Boyle work-shopping a few lines of “Headphones” is woven into the intro, almost like a tiny preface to a novel.
Like Montbleau, Boyle is a writer with natural pop sensibility and the preference to deliver those pop leanings through a mix of Americana, R&B, and Soul tool kits, and as with his first release, he sought out the Ybor City Records (YCR) team to help put those tools to use on “Headphones” in the studio. As with most Ybor City Records releases, other artists from the label make up the studio band for this track. In addition to engineering by YCR’s Andrew Boullianne, the incomparable Liam Bauman joined Mercy McCoy’s Stefan Scheuermann to bring the track to life with Boyle, helping to realize his ideas through the prism of their signature tastes and approaches.
Headphones is a nostalgic soulful rock tune, sparked from a childhood memory as Boyle watched a friend's Dad plug his headphones into a giant receiver and zone out. Written in 2022 and recorded in 2023, Tanner spent the last 6 months putting in the work to make the track a reality. The result is a pop-anchored genre blend with elements that remind us of Maroon 5’s “Songs About Jane '' and proceeds to evolve into a Leon-Bridges-style groove-rich outro. As with Boyle’s first single, his voice is the star of the show, which, considering the musicians supporting him on the release, is a tall and well deserved compliment. Released on Ybor City Records®, “Headphones” was recorded in Saint Petersburg, FL and distributed through our official partner, Symphonic Distribution.
Headphones, Released February 9, 2023
Written by Tanner Boyle
Produced by Andrew Boullianne