While in Rome this summer with my buddy Adam, it’s safe to say we had the time of our lives. These short video clips below illustrate just how serious we took ourselves in one of the world’s most historically magnificent settings.

We had just arrived in Rome; spirits were high and Barcelona hadn’t worn off just yet. The map would lead us to our hostel but our spanish would help us with the Roman locals.

Adam and Tyler offer culturally rich commentary from the grounds of the Roman Forum.

In the lights of a true Roman tradition, throw a coin over your shoulder and make a wish. I threw .50 euro so I’m expecting 50x the wish power.

As you can tell, we handled Rome with the utmost of reverence and grace. This was filmed inside the Vatican Museum… can you tell which is a statue and which is Tyler?

Living is for everyone; dying is an art.” The mantra of the slave Gladiators… anything to feel at peace moments before dying. We sound like sober stoners…

With the onset of the New Year, I’ve spent a lot of time re-evaluating my musical approach and the arsenal that backs it. It seems that so much has happened in the last year that it was absolutely necessary that I revamp my EPK (electronic press kit) and illustrate my growth as an artist — because there has been much.

It took some time to compile, but I am extremely proud to present my 2010 EPK. Give it a look and feel free to pass it along to anyone that may be interested. Thanks!!

To view the EPK, click here or on the image below.

To view the EPK, click here or on the image above. Enjoy!!

Tuesday February 16, 2010 was the day I turned 29 years old. In all honesty, it was a day I had feared for some time — not because of its proximity to the dirty-thirty but because I wasn’t sure who I would spend it with. Now that I’m in Tennessee, I’m removed from my life-long comfort zone and the friends that I have accumulated as a result of sheer history. That said, I found myself asking, Have I made enough of an impact that calls for a birthday party? Of course, I have made friends but much like an airport run, I wasn’t sure who I had reached that level with.

My first instinct was to let the day pass without raising much of a fuss but a lovely friend of mine urged me to live it up. I listened to her advice and sent out the invites. I’ve only known most of them for a matter of weeks/months but I’m proud to say that they made my day as special as the previous 28. Thanks guys!!

With this new year ahead of me, I’ll admit, I feel every bit of 29 and I’m so grateful for that. The years under my belt are invaluable and I feel totally confident that I’m ripe for this new adventure — the ultimate professional push. I’m not the boy I was just a few years ago and though he is missed at times, I’m proud of the man I am at 29.

Thank you mom and dad for giving me life. Thank you mom and dad for raising me right. Thanks brothers and sisters for keeping me grounded and thanks to my friends for making me feel cooler than I am. See you next year — the dirty-thirty:)

I recently posted a number of videos that promote my new album Bittersweet Parade by discussing and explaining the behind the scenes perspective. I’m taking each song, one-by-one and giving it some time in the spotlight. Enjoy the collective media behind Fight til Dying Day – track #10 off of my new album Bittersweet Parade.

FIGHT TIL DYING DAY

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EXPLANATION

MUSIC VIDEO COMING SOON!!

LYRICS TO “FIGHT TIL DYING DAY” by TYLER STENSON

As long as there has been a song, I’ve felt it in my bones
It was a gift from my dear mother and her father who passed on
A long line of the Music Makers and of Soldiers for the Muse.
Oh, that boy in my war fell out of tune as he fell upon a couple grenades.
That boy in my war is still alive and he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

I crossed into California with a smile upon my face
But then I soon left San Francisco with my tail between my legs.
I swear, I was good as I could be on any given time of day
Still, that boy in my war saw the beach burn and the earth quake like a grenade.
That boy in my war is still alive and he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

He’ll blow like leaves in the wind
But be proud just to know that he can be his own man-
Not that boy.

I burned a bridge in the desert and left Arizona northbound
And thought If it’s not in Salt Lake, is it Oregon to be found?
On certain nights all the notes were bright and on others they would fade
And that boy in my war called out to god: Tell Hell with all the grenades!
That boy in my war is still alive and he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

He’ll blow like leaves in the wind
But be proud just to know that he can be his own man-
Not that boy.

Now, every time I sing, it’s just my confidences wearing thin
So I have to believe this lonely road will bring ‘em back again.
I’m as good as I can be on every given time of day
Oh, that boy in my war will no doubt rise in spite of a couple grenades.
That boy in my war is still alive and he’ll fight ‘til Dying Day.

BUY or DOWLOAD FIGHT TIL DYING DAY HERE: http://www.cdbaby.com/tylerstenson2

Happy Valentines Day one and all. This is a special day for many reasons but to me, none more important than the fact that it’s the one-year anniversary of the completion of my song The Road.

Yep, exactly one year ago I put the pen to paper and navigated my way through the new song. Though I tweaked a few lines over the months to follow, it was written, roughly recorded and given as a Valentines Day gift to a loved one on Feb 14 2009.

In celebration of the one-year anniversary, below are the 2 versions of the song … separated by one very long year.

THE ROAD (Feb 14 2009)

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THE ROAD (Feb 14 2010)

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Time is a funny thing. This song has taken on a whole new meaning across the last year and what was originally written as a private Valetine’s Day confession has become the promoted single off of my new album Bittersweet Parade.

If you enjoy this track, it is up for consideration to be included on the KINK.FM Plug in Portland Sampler. This is a vote based contest, so I would endlessly appreciate your support by voting here.

I recently posted a number of videos that promote my new album Bittersweet Parade by discussing and explaining the behind the scenes perspective. I’m taking each song, one-by-one and giving it some time in the spotlight. Enjoy the collective media behind Great Man’s Funeral – track #4 off of my new album Bittersweet Parade.

GREAT MAN’S FUNERAL

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EXPLANATION

LIVE PERFORMANCE

LYRICS TO “GREAT MAN’S FUNERAL” by TYLER STENSON

There’s only one thing certain in this life;
If you breathe, one day you will die.
With any luck, they’ll show up in a line
Making sure that your memory is soaked in wine.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.

I do believe you’re gone before your time
And that my days in your sunshine were kind
And the education gained along the way
Was good as gold and all its accolades.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.
Somewhere on this great timeline
I’m confident they’ll call this a Golden Day.

I’m a better man for bleeding almost dry-
My bag of bones is a medal of that pride.
I can’t believe we lived to tell how we survived
(Cause it seems to me) we starved 40 days and nights.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.
Somewhere on this great timeline
I’m confident they’ll call this a Golden Day.

If there was ever one thing certain in this life;
If you breathe, one day you will die.
But look at them all standing in a line
Making sure that your memory is soaked in wine.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade.
Somewhere on this great timeline
I’m confident they’ll call this a Golden Day.

It’s a great man’s funeral;
His passing is a bittersweet parade
And the simple fact I knew him when
Will long and always be my claim to fame.

BUY or DOWLOAD GREAT MAN’S FUNERAL HERE: http://www.cdbaby.com/tylerstenson2

I played the “Second Friday Songbirds” round at the Sommet Center the other day with some other great writers. We each played about 5 songs and I was happy to finally get to test out my new Flip HD camera! Below is the video for the “oldie but a goody” Rome Tomorrow and a picture of the crew. Thanks Stephen for the invite … cheers to many more!

Here is the crew: Cody & Chance, Tyler Stenson, Stephen Salyers, Chelsee Oaks and Rob Bolin. They were all fantastic writers and performers but above all, our group lunch outing afterward proved that they are good people. The conversation was totally offensive and irreverent and comfortable. Thanks for the camaraderie.

I received a tweet today from one of my favorite Northwestern gals Mrs. @sprizee … she took a trip to the beach this weekend and was sweet enough to take this very special picture for me. It is a lyric from my song Whistle Stop:

Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be;
Be like a wave,
Leave impressions in the sand.

Thanks @sprizee for thinking of my music when there were millions of others to choose from. Every sun is going to fade, but in the morning rays I hear a songbird singing your name.

Happy New Year, happy New Decade!!! I rang in the New Year last night at a house party in my new city and was proud to have some good friends to share the experience with. Though it was an innocent New Year’s peck, I even got my first kiss in Nashville:)

With the change of the calendar and my new album in hand, I’ve decided to give my website a face-lift. You’ll notice the function is the same but I wanted a new website to reflect the Bittersweet Parade vibe. You can visit the new website by clicking here or on the image below.

Happy New Year one and all – may it be better than the last.

While driving through Montana on my way to Nashville, I looked to my left to see a lone fisherman standing in a river — it seemed obvious that the man was exactly where he wanted to be. As my wheels turned toward the east, I realized I could relate:

I am a fisherman;
Not in the sense
That I stand at the shoreline in sport,
But in the way I cast my words.
For you see,
If and when they bite,
Why, nothing on God’s green earth
Is more fulfilling.

I am a Fisherman