Kyle Schuesler has signed with HEY NOW Records, moving to the label after a stretch with Liz Rose Music.
The West Coast guitarist, vocalist and writer built the case for himself the slow way, releasing 12 individual singles independently before any publishing or label deal came along.
The live record backs it up. He has played South By Southwest in Austin and Coastal Country Jam, and shared stages with Vance Joy, Alana Springsteen, Evan Honer, Jonah Kagen and Logan Crosby.
"Kyle has such a unique way of merging styles," said Kris Lamb, HEY NOW's president and co-founder, who singled out the warmth in the voice and a falsetto that hides how difficult it is to sing.
Schuesler is blunt about the filing problem his music creates. "People don't really know what to call it: Indie? Alt-folk? Acoustic-pop? Coastal country?" he said, naming Noah Kahan, The Lumineers and Zach Bryan as artists he loves who also refuse to sit in a box.
What drew him to the label, by his account, was that nobody there asked what to call it. New music is due later this year, which will be the first release under the deal and the first test of whether the country end of that description sticks. Other writers on that same border have been signing too, among them Rich Harris at Prescription Songs.
The facts
- Kyle Schuesler has signed with HEY NOW Records
- He was previously signed to Liz Rose Music
- He released 12 individual singles on his own first
- He has played South By Southwest and Coastal Country Jam
- He has shared stages with Vance Joy and Alana Springsteen
- New music is due later this year
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