Tyler Ballgame en concert à Rock en Seine
Another example of the redemptive power of music, this American artist’s journey is one of spiritual awakening after a long period of depression and drifting. A former student at Berklee College of Music, he chose a stage name to reinvent himself completely: Tyler Ballgame, a heightened version of himself, rooted in the tradition of the great songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s. The media have compared him to Randy Newman, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Nick Drake and Roy Orbison, and the comparison is far from overstated. Newly signed to Rough Trade, he released his debut album in January, produced by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen. Twelve warm, joy-infused tracks recorded the old-fashioned way, delivered with a radiant fervour that truly comes alive on stage.