Tyler Ellis uncorks a bottle of 100 Proof truth on his earthy new folk single — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Award-winning Toronto singer-songwriter Ellis is one of the unsung heroes of folk-roots music on the scene, but his distinct knack for concise storytelling, underscored by his rugged, down-home voice, shines brilliantly on the new single 100 Proof. The song is from his upcoming eighth album Down By The Don, due in June.
100 Proof has already been busy making waves: A cover of the song by Julian Taylor — included on his Juno-nominated Beyond The Reservoir LP — was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Single Of The Year in 2023, and has received more than one million streams. “Tyler Ellis wrote it, and I just loved it,” says Taylor. “I believe he’s one of Canada’s strongest songwriters in the folk realm.”
A gentle, finger-picked acoustic charmer, 100 Proof tells the life story of a man who finds his way — and helps others find theirs — with a homespun recipe for human beings to be able to thrive together: “If kindness were a spirit / Be 100 proof.” Explains Ellis: “The song is a roadmap of sorts to help navigate a world gone mad, and encourage resilience and caring. It’s also a bit of a pushback against the ‘suck it up, buttercup’ model of masculinity that was prevalent in my youth, and sadly, still is in many circles.”
Ellis has worn two musical hats for a long time. On the one hand, he’s a critically acclaimed, award-winning singer-songwriter; on the other, he’s an award- winning music teacher. With the 2019 release of the double album Well-Seasoned, and his more recent live album Greater-Than, Ellis confidently throws both hats into the ring. His wry, thoughtful songs about love and life in The Great White North comfortably rubbing shoulders with his songs about the seasons, Venn diagrams, and counting to 10.
Over the years, Tyler has shared a lot of music with a lot of people. Whether writing ditties for CBC Kids; co-writing with The Julian Taylor Band; talking about music education; presenting university lectures on the joy of singing; hosting the long-running Riverboat Monday Open Stage; performing shows solo and with his band The Eddy Line; his many years of conducting a 75-plus member junior elementary choir; or, just working on his craft, for Tyler it’s always just music as usual.
Check out 100 Proof above, hear more from Tyler Ellis below, and toast him on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
