Tyler Connolly Talks Theory of a Deadman’s New Album
Theory Of A Deadman has announced an October 27 release date for its next album, Wake Up Call — and has woken up fans with the first single and video, “Rx.”
The song has a much more pronounced pop feel than most are used to from the usually hard-rocking Theory, which frontman Tyler Connolly tells us was the result of writing more songs on a piano he acquired last year:
“It came from a place of complete freedom. It didn’t come from a place where a lot of people, including myself…When you sit down and write a new record you go, ‘OK, where’s music right now? What’s rock doing? What haven’t I said yet that I want to say?’ It’s, like, all these things go through your head. This was just me sitting at a piano playing chords and notes and then all of a sudden I come up with a song idea. To me this is the most exciting writing process, funnest record. It’s been nothing but bliss ever since I got that piano.”
Connolly acknowledges the direction did raise some eyebrows when he began playing the songs to the rest of the Theory team, however:
“It wasn’t a conscious thing. I told our management and label this wasn’t something (where) I said, ‘I’m sick of rock. I’m sick of this. I want to change.’ It was the opposite; It was just me finding a place of, like I said, freedom or happiness, maybe…something was happening that was great, in my opinion.”
Wake Up Call was produced by Martin Terefe and recorded at his studio in London. Theory has a half-dozen concerts during July and August, with a full-scale tour slated to start September 29 in Minneapolis, with dates booked into mid-November.
Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
