TYNE-JAMES ORGAN

Tyne-James Organ blew us out of the water with his maiden LP Necessary Evil, a collection of raw, honest indierock anthems in 2021. It was released shortly after he captured audiences around the country with his blistering, high-octane cover of The Kooks' Naive for triple j’s Like A Version.

WORDS BY JACOB MCCORMACK

Æ As listeners and fans, we sometimes forget that artists endure the full spectrum of human experiences. After all, that’s how they shape the art that resonates with us so deeply.

Tyne-James has been no exception. His new single Blue acts as a marker in time when he was grieving for his father. Its conversational tone captures the essence of what it means to share grief with the loved ones around you, as well as the depths we can plummet to coming to terms with loss. It humanises the universal nature of farewelling dear ones and the emotions that manifest from this process.

This August, Tyne-James and his band are set to go on tour, across five different Australian cities in commemoration of the release of the new single. They’ll be playing Blue for the first time live, an endeavour that is equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking.

“I don’t know how long I’ll play Blue live for,” he says. “It was kind of like what I did with Watch You Go. I’m nervous for that kind of aspect of it, of how I’m going to feel emotionally on stage playing it ‘cause it just locked me in every time. It’s beautiful to connect with people on stage but there was a time I had to pull it because it was just getting too much for me.” As well as new songs they have been working on, Tyne-James and his band will be performing songs that many have come to love. We might even be able to expect his high-energy rendition of Naive by the Kooks.

“I’m so excited,” he says. “It feels like it’s definitely the first tour that should run as planned. The last few years involved writing and recording the album and touring it. I’d been dreaming of doing that for years and then when it all came around, we got three or four shows in and then it was all over.

“It was hard to find a rhythm, but now that things are flowing again, it’s just got me buzzing to think we’re actually going to do this tour and it should be able to go as planned. Being back in all these cities again is what I love about touring, it’s my favourite part of music. I love recording and writing, but there’s nothing like connecting with people face to face.”

The pandemic affected us all in our own unique ways and it seems distorted and stuck in a loop to continue to discuss its impact. But for Tyne-James – who lost his father amidst it all – his situation meant that period of time was particularly challenging. Through Blue, he’s opening up discussion about mental health and grief. “Having the stories that I have, I don’t want to avoid it all by not opening up and being honest about it. With Blue it was a very unplanned song that I never thought I would show anyone. It was just a little release. It’s part two for me on my own journey, I guess.

“Essentially, I was in a relationship throughout the whole time that my dad was passing. Then he died, and I had this beautiful relationship going. Then 12 months later, it ended. I was so nurtured at that time by my partner that I hadn’t felt the true sadness of losing him. Then when we broke up and it all came tumbling down – it hit me that my dad wasn’t there. It took me into a very hectic place, and I started living with my mum. I went to a dark place I never thought I’d go. And my mum was right by my side the whole time. My mum’s my rock, she’s been my rock since. There was one particular night where things got out of hand and that’s what the song is explaining.”

It’s this frank form of songwriting that bolsters his sense of conviction to his musicianship.

“My journey of life isn’t about the fame and glory. It’s about the realness of my experiences and connecting and sharing these stories that are real.”

“Mental health is something that is real and often goes overlooked and judged in a negative way. That’s what Blue is talking about, at least from my experiences.”

TYNE-JAMES ORGAN

WHEN: 5 AUG

WHERE: CORNER HOTEL