Keeping The Music Coming With Jason Lyles

Local Musician Jason Lyles on how to stay productive as a musician and avoid burnout.

While things are still far from what they were before, there is a lot of hope now filling the streets of Chattanooga. As the vaccines roll out and people start connecting again another thing is filling our streets: the return of music. Local musician Jason Lyles is a great example of this, as since 2021 began he has performed dozens of local shows at breweries, music pop-ups, and events around town.

We last spoke with Jason in December when his latest album Chameleana came out in December. Since then he has seen a huge rise in the number of shows he has been a part of and is promoting Chameleana hard on social media or through local events at record stores like Yellow Racket Records. Being able to keep his calendar full and always be active has made Jason stand out in the music scene this year.

“As a solo artist, I’ve been able to book a wide range of shows and perform safely despite the pandemic. I’ve been performing everywhere, from restaurant patios to big venue stages,” Jason said.”

When asked about how he stays so busy, Jason told us that it is all about the hustle. He makes sure to never pass up on opportunities and make sure to follow up on any that he can’t be a part of. His advice to any new local musicians is to find their niche and then take all of the opportunities that they can within it.

“The worst that can happen is that they say no,” Jason said. “It takes a lot of work to build a reputation and forge relationships with venues and their owners, but it is worth it.”

When it comes to avoiding burnout while staying so busy, Jason says that he relies on being able to see his music as both an art and a business. Jason loves being able to create music and perform for others and he knows that the better he manages his schedule and markets himself, the more opportunities he will have to do that.

“I kinda switch back and forth between Jason the Artist and Jason the Entertainer,” Jason said. “I gotta think about how if I book more shows, that’s more studio time I can buy for my single. Then that single can be performed at more shows. It goes on like that.”

Jason just released his newest single “The Fight last” week, featuring Hannah Kuhn on cello. He also has another single in the works and is continuing to schedule more and more shows each week at local venues. Beyond these, he is currently speaking with other local musicians to potentially put together full band shows in the coming months.

You can keep up with Jason Lyles by following him on Instagram and you can also visit his new online store! Make sure to give “The Flight” a listen and to be on the lookout for his next single!