We all yelled “SHOTGUN!” as we hopped into Tyron Benoit’s car to speed off to Mid-City
Out on Sept 26
From the haunted waters of the Louisiana Bayou to the majestic mountains of Colorado, Tyron Benoit’s musical history book is a bit like an accordion, weaving back and forth between pages filled with rock, country, blues, and folk.
“We getting casse’d with the coullions,
From Barre to Fourchon,
Where the water gets high,
And so do I, you know
We doing just fine” – “Louisiana Time”
With Tyron’s smoky and character-filled voice, paired with his roaming melodies, the songs on Mid-City resonate with any lover of American music. These songs serve as place markers, novellas, and city poetry, set in motion as the album is scheduled for release on September 26.
Tyron teamed up again with producer, Donald Markowitz, on bass (Taj Mahal, James Taylor) and an A-list of studio musicians: Shane Theriot on guitars (Darryl Hall, The Neville Brothers), Doug Belote on drums (Robben Ford, Dr. John, Marcus King), and a host of others, in Mid-City Studios in New Orleans.
Three singles are coming out over the summer with videos by noted filmmaker Michael Brouphy. Here are some song insights from Tyron:
“Louisiana Time” – single out on 7/25
“A feel-good tune about hanging out at a proper Louisiana camp on the bayou. A camp is the man cave that Louisiana men understood hundreds of years before anyone else, remote, away from prying ears and eyes, a great place to hang out, cook, eat, drink, play music with friends, and more. The quintessential setting for the true spirit of Louisiana life.”
“Raining In Kentucky” – single out on 8/22
“A lovesick song written in a Kentucky horse stall, missing home. A song about being in the wrong place, at the right time, to finally understand that when life feels the darkest, it is there where you can see the first rays of sunrise, signaling a better tomorrow.”
“Spent” – single out on 9/26
“This is a beautifully sad song about regret, remorse, and heartache over the demise of a relationship, all by one’s own actions, and in true country fashion, drinking away the pain in the process. And without time to repair, or time to mend, or time to forgive, you realize it all just simply fades away, “like the sands of time, they never come back, only time “Spent.”
Who is Tyron Benoit?
After a combat tour in the U.S. Marines and a stopover in NYC with dreams of being an actor, Tyron’s songwriting began with his brother Tate, which led to his move to Colorado. He drew inspiration from their favorite artists, including Tom Petty, Ray Charles, and The Rolling Stones. Tyron recalls, “I remember the first record I ever owned; it was a Ray Charles album. I must have been around 10 years old – little did I know how profoundly valuable it would be in terms of musical influence. “
Home started to call Tyron, so he returned to New Orleans a year before Hurricane Katrina hit. When it did, he set his accordion down to help with the city’s recovery efforts. In the midst of it all, he and his wife, Michelle, started a family. And sure enough, he began playing music again. He and his construction co-workers would get together to play music for the sparse neighborhoods, at the end of each week’s reconstruction efforts, naming themselves The Bywater Rock Group. It only grew from there, and Tyron has never looked back.
In 2022 he released an album called Waitin’ On Friday – filled with some great songs and earning some great reviews, including by Offbeat – the Louisiana Musical Bible; “his version of “Just Like Heaven” is surprisingly faithful—even with his accordion taking the familiar guitar and keyboard licks—though his voice is far tougher than Robert Smith could manage.” His song “Feels Like Home” got picked by Rouses, a major grocery store chain in the Gulf South, for their holiday ad campaign back in 2021. Then he hit the road with his trio, playing festivals such as Jazz Fest in NOLA, Sunbanks Music Festival (WA), Durango Blues Train (CO), and many more.
In the true-grit spirit of a DIY artist, in 2024 alone, Tyron and his band played fifteen major festivals, from the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, to the W.C. Handy Blues Festival and packing out the crowd at the prestigious Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, to a multi-state run opening for brother Tab’s album release tour and then immediately flying across the Atlantic to close out the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland – BREATHE – to a year-ending run of dates in Florida with the fabulous Samantha Fish…
Tyron really loves the road and brings his high energy that alternates between a fiery revival tent preacher and a soulful troubadour. Always true to his Louisiana roots, Tyron Benoit delivers a stellar collection of songs that seem woven together in a style and delivery entirely his own, yet reminiscent of the classic country, rock, and roots music we have come to know and love. “It’s all about the live show…” laughs Tyron.
Check the oil, crank the boat, and stop by the store, we’re going to the camp!
