Whether you know it or not, you’ve most likely heard Tyrone Wells music; the singer/songwriter has had his work showcased on myriad television shows and films including Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries, Scrubs, and The Odd Life of Timothy Green, to name a mere few. He is also an accomplished solo artist with 12 studio records under his belt, the most recent being Roll With It, which was released earlier this year. The Washington state native, who will be making a tour stop in Santa Barbara, promises that all 11 tracks on the new album will provide “a shot in the arm of feel-good optimism,” and that it will be hard to see this show without tapping your feet along to the music. In anticipation of the show, I spoke with Wells about homesickness, songwriting, and wedding singing.
Who were your earliest musical influences? My musical influence growing up was largely gospel music and hymns. Being the son of a preacher man, I guess it's what you'd expect. I remember the first artist outside of that genre that really interested me was Stevie Wonder — he's still probably my all time favorite.
So you grew up raised on gospel music alongside four sisters. How did your upbringing shape your early experiences with music? My sisters, my dad, and my mom were all very musical. I think it made me [not only] enjoy music, [but] be more interested in music from a very young age. It wasn't something I just heard on the radio or on TV; it was something that was being played and sung right in front of me, by my own family.