How do you introduce Tyler Holmes? They're a sonic mad scientist, inventing and re-inventing soundscapes that are equal parts introspection and confrontation. They act with intention yet embrace chaos. Their life and their art have been shaped by Oakland and carry the energy of the city in every note.

Their newest album, Patience, is vividly experimental. Soaring from bucolic to brutal, it demands attention and focus, never content to idle in the background. After premiering lead single, Copy, on House of Love in August, a conversation with Tyler seemed well overdue.

Introduce yourself and your music!

I’m Tyler Holmes. I’m from California. I’m an experimental pop artist. I’m currently curious about the nature of sound, using concepts as textures, and the through-line throughout my work is trapping human consciousness in media. I like to perform with electro-acoustic arrangements. I like to re-work, remix, sample, re-create, re-arrange, I love finding newness in older creations. I want to create work that’s visual, bittersweet, and transportive.

When did you decide to start working on Patience?

 I was already working on a few songs in 2022 and eventually realized some sort of collection was coming together. Eventually, I had over 90 minutes of new songs I wanted to release and decided it needed to be split into two releases and that’s when I started to distill ‘Patience’. She’s first!

What was the writing process like? Was it different compared to your previous albums?

I realized when I started playing with these textures that I wanted to create a collection that unified the similarities I see in ambient and noise music. These songs are slower, longer, more patient and kind of dwelling. Some of it feels like exposure therapy, meditating on something very dark, staying with the pain to work through it. I really wanted to blend acoustic textures with more extreme sonic textures and supernatural palates. I allowed these songs to be the most abstract, oblong compositions of my catalog. I delayed the release for the summer and added a few songs, those are the ones that sound more ‘songlike’ and even those, like the single ‘Copy’ sound like a whisper of a song that’s trying to reach your ear from another realm. I often have a last minute change of heart.

How do you think about turning life experiences, abstract concepts, and literature into sound?

I process these things a lot of different ways but sound is the way that is the most constant, clearest and present for me.

This weird tapestry is the way that my brain is miswired and kind of the only thing that really makes sense to me. At the end of the day it’s about what feels right and when I’m inspired by an abstract concept or literature, I imagine it as an image or a sound. It’s all ground up and reconstituted as noises, and beeps, and voices.

How do Oakland and LA influence your writing?

I lived in Oakland for ten years, I’m sure the influence is vast. I definitely feel the hyphy influence in a lot of what I do. Oakland, at least when I lived there, was weird, confrontational, and wild in a really interesting way. I hope my creations share those characteristics at times.

I have no idea how LA influences my writing, I think someone else would have to answer that. LA for me is very sisterly.

How has the music scene changed over the last few years?

Oof! I think the energy and the capital to produce and distribute music has diminished. I think this has created a decline in good music. There’s a pervasive exhaustion that’s making the suffering less inspiring and alchemy all the more futile. I feel like there’s also a major surge of sharing, information and emotional honesty, however, and that is a good direction. If only the richest artists can produce work it’s not going to be relatable. Suffering and ‘The Blues’ aren’t the only things that inform powerful art making but if they are absent by and large we have a problem because they are fundamental components of mortal existence.

What are you hoping to see in the scene moving forward?

I know I personally wanna see the girls making sadder, uglier work. There’s this illusory shadow work fetish that’s quite superficial, I think we can all go deeper and it can still be sensual and fun if you need that kind of thing.

What bands and artists should we be listening to?

I mean… you should be listening to what perturbs and inspires you. I dare you to listen to some music you hate, really closely and see what you find in it and in yourself.

I say that and in the same breath I asked my roommate to change the music because it was bothering me.

I like Kelela a lot.

Grumpy is a really good band.

Recently discovered Rachel Chinouriri, exquisite vocalist and compositions and arrangements that are quite delicious.

Disniblud (and their solo projects!), Kohinoorgasm, San Cha, Sehseiya, Julius Smack, Protect Me, Tricky FM are all wonderful listens.

Played with Harry and the Nightgown, they’re so cool.

Maya Songbird is a wildly underrated, tenacious artist and powerhouse vocalist. *Editor’s note: read about Maya’s latest album on the BFF.fm blog!

Throbbing Gristle forever and always.

Sarah McLachlan.

How can listeners find you and support you?

Buy my album ‘Patience’ from Ratskin Records on bandcamp. Follow my IG @ thetylerholmes

And watch the music video for my single ‘Copy’ on YouTube now.

Send me a love letter or a nut video with the sound on.

Call your congresswoman and tell her to send me a Chanel suit.

Support Congo, Sudan, Palestine and Black and Trans people everywhere with your dying breath.

Do something real; touch the earth, plant a food, k1L a billionaire. Put your money where your mouth is.

If you have a good relationship with your mother, call her and tell her you love her.

Anything else?

Come to my album release party in LA on Oct.24 at 2220 Arts and Archives, opening for Disniblud!!!!!!!!!

And if you like more upbeat music, check out my band Pride Month Barbie and look out for new releases from us and for my pop solo record.