Tyler-James Kelly Says Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down in New Song ‘Big Dreams’

Tyler-James Kelly’s acoustic solo set during AmericanaFest in Nashville was a head-turner, thanks to his fleet-fingered playing style and songs from his upcoming debut album Dream River that had listeners at the September Social day party at Dee’s at rapt attention. The Rhode Island native previews his new LP with the release of the song “Big Dreams,” which delivers a message of not being defined by what others predict for you.

“They say don’t build castles in the air/Cuz you’re a nobody from nowhere/Around here it’s a crying shame/For anyone to go against the grain,” Kelly sings over steel guitar, fiddle, and his own textured guitar playing. It’s a reminder that small towns, while nurturing and protective, can also be stultifying.
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“It felt good to record as I’ve always liked the message of it. Taking a leap out of the small town mentality and being yourself. Don’t let the bastards get you down kind of thing,” Kelly says in a statement. “Big Dreams” follows the release of the album’s first single “Traveling Troubadour.” Recorded at Dead Pop Studios, in Providence, Rhode Island, Dream River will be released Nov. 15.

Inspired by the works of Jim Croce and Kris Kristofferson as a songwriter, Kelly is also a deft chicken-pickin’ guitarist, plucking out twangy notes that land squarely in the sweet spot between honky-tonk country and Americana. He’s set to play a show on the border of his home state, at Saloon No. 6 in Webster, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Oct. 19.