Inside The Mind Of Tyde Levi
Photography by Sara Regan
Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Tyde Levi has finally found his voice. Levi’s debut hit single ‘Goldchains’ was released in 2018 when he was just 19 years old. The slick R&B banger was co-written with Silverchairs’ frontman, Daniel Johns and produced by Cosmos Midnight. Having released multiple tracks since then, such as ‘AAA’ a sultry alt-R&B track, boasting over 2 million listens on Spotify alone. Levi’s newest release ‘Open Up My Mind’, a sensitive indie bedroom-pop track, was written at a time he describes as a “major turning point” in his life, and Levi has settled into his most authentic self yet.
After a major breakup, Levi found himself in a downward spiral, “this was the first time I'd properly been single. And I think at the beginning of that, I was so excited and blinded to have time to give into myself. But I wasn’t making healthy decisions. I did have fun, but it was very much like a false sense of it”. The vulnerability of ‘Open Up My Mind’ is what makes it really hit home. The fear of crawling inside your own mind and exposing to yourself what’s really going on inside is not for the faint of heart. However, Levi does it with grace and introspection “Why the hell I open up my mind?/And try to see inside?/All the reasons why/The man inside my head is petrified”. The turning point for Levi began with running. “I wanted to feel everything and not hide or block out all my emotions, so I started running. Then I started going to yoga and I stopped smoking ciggies and I started to make all these health decisions and through all that, I’ve really found a new sense of peace”.
However, vulnerability has not always come easy to Levi. Having been so young when he first stepped into a studio, he found it difficult to advocate for himself and his sound, “I wouldn't really say my piece. In the beginning, it was a big deal when I was signed to a label. The first songs were doing really well, but I think I felt pretty detached from it. I was scared to voice my opinion in the sessions and in the studio. Yes, I was proud of that music. But at the same time deep down I knew it wasn't really what I wanted. Whereas now I feel like I've found that strength in the studio”.
Having dabbled in DJing, producing and spent 5 years as a disability support worker before falling into singing by accident, Levi says songwriting has come quite naturally to him “I definitely hear melody first. Sometimes I'll have one lyric written down.” however Levi shares how his “brain hears melodies” quite naturally, allowing him to just “blurt them out and or record a voice memo”. On other occasions, when Levi has a “excerpt from my journal, or a lyric written down, then I'll flesh out the words to the melody that I've come up with. I'm like a big believer that if it happens quickly, then just follow it”.
Now, Levi is gearing up to release his debut album ‘A Thousand Ways To Say Nothing At All’. Produced alongside long-time collaborator Hamish Patrick, Levi shares how he trusts Hamish, having “worked together for so long. He knows what I want before I do anything”. The release date isn’t quite confirmed as of yet, however, his new single ‘Washed’ is out NOW on all streaming platforms!