Tyler Mullendore Unveils Debut EP ‘Time Heals Everything’
Tyler Mullendore releases his debut solo EP, Time Heals Everything, on November 21, 2024 (Photo: Fadetowhite Photography)
Cape Breton-born, Halifax-based artist Tyler Mullendore is no stranger to the music scene, but this November marks a special milestone in his career: the release of his debut solo EP, Time Heals Everything. The album reflects Tyler’s journey through some of the most challenging and transformative years of his life. "Over the last decade, I haven't necessarily been kind to myself. Everybody has their own issues, but it wasn’t the happiest time for me, so those are the kind of songs that came out," he says, noting that he’s in a better place now. “When I finished this album, I looked at the songs and 'Time Heals Everything' was the message. It's not all dark; it's darkness with the light at the end of the tunnel," he reflects.
Growing up in Cape Breton, Tyler never imagined that life would take him from the quiet isolation of rural life to the stage of Canadian Idol when he was just 19 years old. “I had a lot of exposure at a very young age. It was fun, and it helped shape me in a lot of ways, but it kind of hindered me for a while because I was so young at the time and didn't really know how to handle that kind of attention,” he reflects. “I spent a few years after Canadian Idol with this false illusion that things would be handed to me.”
Following his time in the televised music competition, Tyler quickly learned that pursuing a music career wouldn’t be as easy as initially thought. “There was a period where I was kind of feeling down on myself like I was kind of a has-been,” he shares. These feelings partially inspired his first single from his album, Living the Dream. The song paints the picture of a man who came close to stardom but finds himself playing in taverns, far from the rockstar dreams he once had. “Living the dream is such a widely said figure of speech. If someone asks you how you're doing, and nine times out of ten, people will say, ‘Oh, you know, living the dream…’ and it doesn't really hold any weight. It doesn't really mean anything. It's just something that people say, but did their life turn out the way they planned?”
In October, Tyler released his second single from the EP, She’s a Storm. A personal favourite of his on the EP, he says he wrote the song during a COVID-19 lockdown. “Like the rest of us, I was feeling locked up, kind of drained, and in a weird headspace - the same thing we were all going through,” he says. “I had nothing but time to create, and I was kind of in a stagnant relationship that was kind of headed south, and you know, I was starting to feel nostalgic,” he adds. In the song, Tyler compares a tumultuous relationship to an untamable storm. “Mother Nature is beautiful and powerful, but she does what she wants. That was kind of the relationship that I was writing about. I'm sure a lot of people can relate.”
Looking back on his career, Tyler believes the timing was right all along. “There’s been a lot of times where I’ve thought to myself, ‘I should have three albums out by now,’” he admits. “But maybe I wasn’t really ready until now.” Today, Tyler is more seasoned, confident and eager to share his music with the world. “I’m glad that my first album is going to be one of quality... one that took years and a lot of thought, blood, sweat, and tears, and I’m really proud of it,”
Bringing this album to life wasn’t without its hurdles. “There were times when I thought it would never get done. I was sinking all the money I had into it, and things just didn't seem like they were progressing. When I finally had all the components recorded and heard the mix come together, it was surreal to hear the recording that had been in my head for five or six years,” he says. “Knowing that I'm going to put it out in the world is really rewarding for me. Besides being a father, music has always been my purpose. That’s what I was put on this earth to do—music and be a dad.”
Over the years, Tyler has felt a deep connection to his audience, which kept him pushing forward. “Many people have said, ‘Tyler, you got to get an album out! When can I buy an album?’ Hearing that is what it's all about for me,” he says. “The fact that people can listen to my music and connect with it means I’m doing my job.”
Tyler Mullendore’s highly anticipated EP Time Heals Everything will be available on November 21, 2024, on all streaming services and Bandcamp.
On the same day, he’ll host an EP release show at The Carleton - Tickets are still available. Later that week, Tyler will be part of The Last Waltz Halifax show at The Marquee on November 23.
