EPK
Origin: Chattanooga, TN
Genres: Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Folk Rock/Americana, Powerpop, Singer/Songwriter
The energy and enthusiasm that Lyles shows on this record is definitely contagious. Listeners everywhere will feel the urge to stop what they’re doing, get up and start dancing. Moving and uplifting all at once, let’s hope that Lyles keeps the momentum going and releases more albums in this vein soon!
- My Nguyen, Pitch Perfect
Tandem is a beautifully diverse collection of songs covering a range of emotions and sonic feels...To put it simply, the album showcases range. And it does so gracefully and cohesively.
- Andrew Oliver, V13 Media
"As a good Power Pop song, 'Tandem' is made to hook you. In my case, the first thing that made me interested was precisely the orchestral brushstrokes that weave behind Lyles' voice. He reminded me of Electric Light Orchestra and Badfinger: the catchy melody; the vocalist, frontal, but smiling; the progression, full of fireworks."
- Aureliano Carvajal, Columna Musical
Jason Lyles' latest release, "Bargain Bin," is a motivational track backed by a full band complete with a horn section. We dare you to try to listen to this song and feel bad about yourself. If Jason's lyrics don't make you smile, the back-to-back saxophone and guitar solos are sure to do the trick. - Soundcorps Soundbites
"A guitarist and talented songwriter of Americana folk and pop music, Lyles is as comfortable as a solo artist as he is performing with an ensemble. Resting comfortably somewhere between the wiry pop classicism of The Cars and the twangy rock thump of Jason Isbell, the positive music of Jason Lyles rambles around its influences, creating a bridge between the aesthetics of pop, folk and rock."
- Carla Pritchard, The Pulse Magazine
"[Counterfeit] is a perfect answer to never disappear between fear and the desire to know ourselves completely, animating each moment...If you want a beautiful opportunity to never stop smiling, this song will make you feel it."
- Indie Criollo
"[Counterfeit] has a warm signature approach with playful melodies and a certain retro-flavored appearance...these elements create a signature shimmering aura around the tune..."
- KMS Reviews
Appreciate the chill, vibey, and upbeat tone on [Counterfeit]. The style captures that indie pop-inspired sound blended with alt-rock and dream pop elements. It makes for a hooky, lush, and lively vibe that's easy to follow through... Appreciate the simple melodic textures as well as the catchy progression. Recalls the likes of Day Wave, Turnover, Local Natives, Real Estate, etc.
- UNXIGNED
“Chameleana is a record of blurred edges and compounded influences, of memories doused in twilight and the slight shiver of a cool evening breeze. Pop theatrics exist comfortably alongside more subdued folk wanderings and burly rock movements. "
- Joshua Pickard, Features Editor,
Beats Per Minute
What do you get with Jason's music? Unflinching, unapologetic positivity. Not to mention a good time.
Jason Lyles has always been interested in what lies between genres – in that gray area where sounds tangle together and kick free of any sense of restriction or confinement. Whether it’s the sharp twang of an acoustic guitar blended with the emphatic thrust of some euphoric power-pop echo, or the tumbling movements of mid-90’s alternative rock spliced with 80’s jangle-pop, he has a unique ability to graft musical histories together in a way that doesn’t feel forced or disconnected. And he brought this gift to various bands in and around Chattanooga, Tennessee, developing a preternatural knack for how to operate within the band format while also working on material which grew from his own experiences and struggles.
Rather than allowing his musical roots to become inextricably intertwined in the geography of his personal history, Jason Lyles grants his creativities a welcome freedom to roam and explore the fringe of some well-worn genres, discovering new ways to impart humor and ache through song. His words – created through the lens of specific moments in time – convey universal sentiment without wallowing in overt sentimentality. Resting comfortably somewhere between the wiry pop classicism of The Cars and the twangy rock thump of Jason Isbell, the music of Jason Lyles rambles around its influences, creating a luminous bridge between the tumbling aesthetics of pop, folk, and rock.
Lyles' debut Shades of Grey found him straddling the line between loosely woven roots rock and alternative rock arrangements with an uncommon ease. His follow up EP, Ethereal, was a further blending and blurring of borders and sounds. Subsequently joining together with bassist Jeff Caldwell and drummer Jeff Bridges, they released Jason Lyles and the Sonic Avatars, bringing a more muscular rock sound to his work – recalling the emphatic and inescapably memorable roar of bands like Cheap Trick and Badfinger. After its release, Lyles settled back into an acoustic atmosphere, sharing The Undersea Acoustic Spree in early 2019 and bringing its collection of guitar, cello, and mandolin to venues across the Southeast.
It wasn’t long after The Undersea Acoustic Spree release that Lyles began to look at ways of digging deeper into the hazy landscapes of his past work and creating something still based in those experiences but free of any redundant methods. His pop, rock, and folk instincts saw an opportunity to redefine themselves, developing a catchy thump and twang on which to hang his wistful lamentations on love, joy, and our desperate search for both. The resulting batch of songs came to be called Chameleana, a title indicative of the songs’ ability to traverse genres and adapt themselves to any given situation.
The brief opening “Intro” acts, unsurprisingly, as our introduction to this new world that Lyles has created. We’re quickly thrust into “The Fight”, a song that’s equal parts Better Than Ezra and Matthew Sweet – which is to say, a perfect pop-rock confection that you’ll be humming for days. “Twenty-Three” harkens back to early cow-punk pioneers like True Believers and The Beat Farmers, while the orchestral flourishes of alt-country rambler “Good Year” brings to mind the more euphoric rurality of The Bottle Rockets. Lyles is not unacquainted with these sounds, but he provides them remarkable license to bloom and expand, making them feel wonderfully unique and undiscovered.
Chameleana is a record of blurred edges and compounded influences, of memories doused in twilight and the slight shiver of a cool evening breeze. Pop theatrics exist comfortably alongside more subdued folk wanderings and burly rock movements. Lyles isn’t afraid to get personal and offer something that’s going to take some time to comprehend – the lyrics are in service to a great emotional canvas supported by the music’s effortless gestures. His aim isn’t to provide answers to everything, but to simply provoke our own desire to understand. And through his work on Chameleana, Lyles has provided a way, if only for a few minutes at a time, for us to approach these deeper truths which always seem to lay just outside of our reach.
Contact askjasonl@gmail.com for booking.