It’s been a few years since your last visit to Australia. What are you most looking forward to about reconnecting with your fans here?
The energy from the crowd was so exciting in 2017 because it had been a while since I played in a country for the first time. I wanted to come back sooner, and it didn’t work out. And I’ve been just dreaming about it since! I found the people so cool and exactly my vibe. I feel like Australians are like my people.
Your new EP, No Land’s Man, feels like a fresh direction. What inspired this project, and how would you describe its sound and themes to listeners?
I got the opportunity to compose the score for my wife Megan Park’s new movie, My Old Ass, which put me in a whole different headspace musically for a while. When I was done with the project, I had some time to record songs I had written, but I didn’t want to leave the mellow space I was in from the score, which was really inspired by the sleepy lake town in Muskoka, ON — where the movie filmed. I wanted this music to feel like something that could be in a movie. I’ve been living in Canada raising kids, and it was really reflective of my current life tempo.
You’ve mentioned that performing live is important to you. How has the meaning of performing evolved for you, especially after the pandemic and spending more time on other projects?
I used to take it for granted, and now I realize how important it is to me personally, creatively, and musically. There’s a magic in performing live that can’t be replicated anywhere else, and it’s become necessary for my life in a way that it wasn’t before.
What are some of your favorite memories from your previous Australian tour, and what are you excited to revisit or experience for the first time?
Being introduced to flat whites in Sydney! It’s still my go-to coffee order. Being attacked by rain leeches with Kate Voegele on what was otherwise a beautiful tropical hike in Brisbane. And buying a beautiful acoustic guitar in Melbourne, made of Australian wood. I’m excited to revisit the coffee, the food and — if my daughter comes — the Bluey House in Brisbane.
A lot of fans know you from your role as Chris Keller on One Tree Hill. How does it feel to have that character still resonate with fans, and does that connection shape your music in any way?
It doesn’t shape my music, per se, but there’s so much of my own personality in Chris Keller that it does give me permission to have fun with a crowd in a way that we both can connect on — like an inside joke between me and 500 other people.
You’re bringing music from across your career to this tour. Are there any songs you’re especially excited to perform for Australian audiences?
The new songs are always the most meaningful because they’re most current with who I am now, but I’m so excited to be touring again that I’m just down to take requests and just have a blast playing whatever the fans want to hear!
With your work in music, film, and now a children’s book, you’re juggling a lot of creative roles. How do these different projects impact each other, and what inspired you to write a children’s book?
I just try to stay interested in what I’m doing, and it helps stave off boredom or feeling stale. As for the children’s book, I had my first kid and I was reading to her so much, and these books were such a part of our day that they started to read and feel like songs. Just felt like something I wanted to take on and try!
You’ve shared the stage with some iconic artists, including Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. What have been some standout lessons from those experiences that you’re taking with you on this tour?
It’s hard not to learn a lot by being around people who have been doing it on such a high level for so long. Longevity isn’t an accident. One thing I find across the board with people who have been successful that long is that they’re genuinely cool and are hard workers. There’s no shortcut for that kind of success.
The new tour is organized by MRG LIVE, marking their first major Australian production. How has the partnership been, and what unique elements can fans expect from this tour?
These have been some of the best promoters I have worked with. I would play anywhere in the world they wanted me to play. Good people, hard workers, and every show we’ve done together has been great! I couldn’t have a better partner to return to Australia with.
For fans who have been following you since the early days, what would you say to them about this tour and your current musical journey? What do you hope they’ll experience at your shows?
I’m just hoping for a lot of fun, and I’d love for them to have a night of singing along with some laughter, and if there’s a moment of goosebumps thrown in, that would be a bonus. There’s nothing like a good live show, and I’d love to be someone who gives that to people.
TYLER HILTON AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Tickets via www.mrglive.com
MRG Presale: 9am AEDT, Wednesday 13 November
General Onsale: 9am AEDT, Thursday 14 November
Thursday 6 February Lefty’s Music Hall Brisbane Tickets
Friday 7 February Mary’s Underground Sydney Tickets
Saturday 8 February Northcote Social Club Melbourne Tickets
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