Between Giants

Click for winners! - Independent Music Awards

Among the many rising bands in New York City, Between Giants is one to keep an eye and ear out for, especially for their upbeat sound that surely lightens anyone’s mood. Between Giants, formed and based in Brooklyn, Between Giants highlights the musical talents and charisma of Tyler John Berkich (lead vocals, guitar), Hans Massaquoi (piano/synth), and Pat Williams (drums). They self-released their debut record, Jupiter, on August 1, 2018. Just this past fall, they put their sophomore record, Crowded Thoughts, Empty Places, in September 2019 (also self-released). Most recently, on December 4, 2019, they shared two new singles, “Yours and Mine” and “Strangers”. Last year, they received the Independent Music Award in the Pop category for their debut album Jupiter.

Aside from performing nearly sold out headline shows on the East Coast, they have shared the stage with popular artists including Kodaline and The Rocket Summer. In December 2019, they supported the up and coming Sea Girls at Mercury Lounge. Ahead of their January 16 show at Baby’s All Right, they generously and kindly shared some of their time and thought to discuss the beginnings of Between Giants, artists currently on their own music radars, and their favorite pizza and taco places in New York City, along with posing for a few portraits.


What’s the story behind the formation of Between Giants?

TYLER: BG initially started out as just me because I wanted to make music, but then I wanted to make music with other people. I was madly in love with Hans and Pat, but we couldn’t be together - real Romeo and Juliet type shit. So, we made a band instead.

What was the first instrument (musical or non-musical) you started making music with?

HANS: I started with piano when I was a child and took lessons for a few years. I quit because I never wanted to practice and did not like the songs I was learning. I started getting back into it when I was in middle school after hearing ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen, and have been hooked ever since.

Which song (released or unreleased) are you most proud of?

PAT: I don’t know about the rest of the guys, but I’d say that ‘November Beaches’ is probably one of my favorites to this day that we’ve written. It was the first single we released as a band (after Hans and myself joined) and I think it is such a banger. It definitely displays the differences between all three of our musical styles and it’s truly a work of art in my opinion.

TYLER: Hi, yes hello. That, too, is my fav song. It slaps.

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You recently released two new singles, “Yours and Mine” and “Strangers” on December 4, 2019. What was the process of writing, recording, and producing those two songs?

TYLER: The process as a whole was pretty standard. Hans looked incredible as usual. I wrote ‘Strangers’ about being young and dumb and in love in New York City while acknowledging how temporary everything is, and “Y&M” is about a relationship starting and ending.

While on the road, what are some of your essential tour items?

TYLER: Alcohol, gum, and a notebook mostly. I may need to reassess my priorities.

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What are you currently listening to?

HANS: I am currently listening to Sea Girls, which is a great band we got to open for, as well as Thelonius Monk and Isley Jasper Isley. I like to listen to a variety of genres.

What’s your favorite food and/or restaurant in NYC?

HANS: My favorite restaurant is probably Los Tacos No. 1 in Midtown. They make the corn tortillas fresh and it has such a lively and fun atmosphere. One of the best taco spots in the city, hands down.

TYLER: Hans doesn’t fuck around with his corn tortillas.

If there were a pizza with the name “Between Giants”, what toppings would it feature?

PAT: I personally would say that a pizza named after us would be something similar to a Hawaiian pizza. While some people think pineapple on pizza is unconventional, it still tastes great. BG is an amalgamation of very different musical styles, but we still make damn good music together.

TYLER: I love the thought that went into this. Absolutely. Let’s make it happen. Call Joe’s right now.


Who is your favorite superhero character, and why?

PAT: Deadpool. Because he is not only a weapon specialist with regeneration powers, but he is funny as hell and says whatever he wants. How could anyone not love such a guy like Wade?

What’s a question you have wanted to get asked in an interview, and what’s the response to it?

TYLER: Not really a specific one, but I’d love to talk more about my words. My lyrics are how I express and process my feelings, so it would be really cool to unpack some lines with someone who took the time to read through it.

A huge thank you to Between Giants for coordinating and for their time and thought to answer the questions and to pose for the portraits.

Don’t miss any updates from Between Giants by following them on Twitter (@BetweenGiantsNY) and Instagram (@betweengiantsofficial), and liking them on Facebook (/BetweenGiantsOfficial)! - Urban Vinyl Magazine

By Paula Araujo

The great thing about art is that it is up for interpretation of the viewer. It can mean anything to anyone. One day, Tyler John found himself in an art gallery in downtown Orlando where he was captivated by a piece entitled “Among The Giants.” It just so happens that this artwork had been the sign he was looking for. This moment inspired the title of his new project, Between Giants.

Tyler elaborates, “The picture was of a man walking along a path surrounded by these massive trees. The trees were looming over him, casting shadows on his path. At this particular moment in my life, this piece really spoke to me. The man wasn’t among the giants, he was between them. I saw it as an idea that no matter what is surrounding you, be it your anxieties, your fears, your insecurities, your circumstance, you can always move forward and stay on your path. And that’s what this project is to me, it’s my path and my direction when the problems surrounding me feel larger than life. This project is my hope, and that’s what this music and the name are all about.”

Tyler’s musical journey began a few years back when the opportunity to perform presented itself thanks to his best friend. Being on stage and performing in front of a crowd was an indescribable sensation. Tyler recalls the memory as a pivotal moment in his life. “I could never articulate in words the way I felt that day when I stepped on stage to over 150 people and performed for them. I got to watch the headliner and listen to that crowd scream their lyrics back at them as if their life depended on it. That moment solidified my love for performing and entertaining and showed me what music can do to bring people together.”

On March 1st, Tyler officially launched his project, Between Giants, by releasing his first single “My Truth.” Tyler has a myriad of talents and this idea allows him to showcase all of those muses. He explains, “I was in desperate need of a project where I could be free to explore, create, and express myself fully. I set out to cultivate a sound that was unique, fresh, and dynamic and that is how this solo project came together. I still wanted to create something that was larger than just one person, so in my live sets I play piano and guitar, and sing simultaneously. My music is a mosaic of a multitude of different genres and influences.”

With charming vocals, a catchy chorus, and intricate instrumentals, Tyler successfully captures the sound he is after with his new single. The song is one about self discovery, something Tyler had found himself having to confront frequently while creating this new music. One of the most challenging things for Tyler is being completely vulnerable. He shares, “I have a lot of troubles being trusting and opening up, and I needed this project to be genuine. It’s scary to put your deepest feelings out into the world for other people to judge and interpret. But I was able to push past those fears and write about genuine struggles in my life.”

By persevering, Tyler has discovered new ways in which the importance of music has played in his life. He says, “I learned how important music was to helping me express those problems and this helps alleviate a lot of my feelings.”

This is the beginning of bigger things to come. With his ambition, Tyler dreams of touring worldwide and playing iconic venues. “I want to be in the position to be living off my music, and in a position where I can connect with and entertain as many people as possible. I want to sell out Madison Square Garden. I want to tour the entire world. I want to make a lasting impact in the world and leave it better off than I found it.”

Stay up to date on Between Giants here:

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Sandwiched between an unhurried, calming piano hook that is both the intro and the outro, is a multi-dimensional, split personality track from Tyler John of Orlando, Florida. The most prominent dimensions are aligned with the personalities. At times, “Conversation” is melodic and the lyrics may be troubling, but there is a peace in the awareness that further exploration is not healthy: “I found peace in a mind where I was doubted… And I don’t want to see inside the darkest corners of my mind.”

While this first personality of the “Conversation” has a troubling peace, the second is undeniably troubled. A Rap rhythm accurately captures the inner turmoil reflected in the lyrics. But with all well-crafted lyrics, there is room for different interpretations. Do the two sides take turns surfacing, as in the song? Or has the inner turmoil been left behind after the resolution to stop looking further? This second interpretation is best supported by the transition that occurs at 2:47. The Rap conclusion is that it’s time to find a peace. A wake-up bell can be heard within the mix. Then, the transition to the more soothing approach is followed by references to finding love and finding peace.

“Conversation” has similarities to Twenty One Pilots, but is lyrically more contemplative. Interestingly, Between Giants is the project of Tyler John, while Tyler Joseph is the frontman of Twenty One Pilots. - Indie Obsessive

Music doesn't make you famous after a few days. Tyler John is Between Giants and has been working in the music industry for more than 10 years now and he is proud to announce his debut single, "My Truth."

“Between Giants is the first project where I had complete creative control over it. I was seeking to create a sound that took influence from a wide variety of artists that I like to become something brand new. Something dynamic, unique and fresh that people would want to be a part of.” Tyler comments.

With a mix of pop tones, alternative sounds and Tyler's easy and soothing voice will take you on a musical journey of more than four minutes. The contagious vibe and the relaxing ambiance sounds will have you moving in no time. The freedom of the lyrics can really speak to you, it is an empowering track for proving yourself that you don’t have to prove who you are to others.


Be sure to get in touch with the singer:
https://www.instagram.com/betweengiantsofficial
https://twitter.com/BetweenGiantsFL
https://www.facebook.com/pg/BetweenGiantsOfficial/ - Loudlight News

The indie-pop guy unpacks remarkable beauty in heartbreak.
The galaxy of stars and planetary orbs plays a remarkable role in our everyday lives. Without the moon, we wouldn't have tides and life might not be nearly as thriving, and we'd likely be on a collision course to doom as we speak. But that's all conjecture. What we do know is the starry beings looming over our heads have had an indelible impact on our very way of life for millions of years. From the four seasons and other such naturally-occurring events as hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms, we are bound by the intangible, which runs in our blood and affects our every movement, mood and encounter, even romantic and heart-struck entanglements.

Tyler John, a singer-songwriter currently out of Florida, maps out a storyboard, on a rather minuscule scale, comparatively. His debut album, the appropriately-named Jupiter, whooshes with spacey synths of the 1980s and zips across a blanket of stars, crashing full-steam into the Milky Way and getting lost in creamy, gaseous matter. Going by Between Giants onstage, John seeks to replenish his chest with greater understanding, turning to his songwriting as a way to reassess his youth, relationships and the big-body of Jupiter itself.


Tyler John

"I lived in Jupiter, Florida as a kid for one year, and since the album was written and inspired here, I thought that was a nice homage for this body of work," John explains of the album, premiering today. "It worked well with the celestial concept, though, because one thing I always loved about the planet Jupiter was that it creates its own auroras. I'm big into astronomy. It is the only planet to do so, and it literally creates light out of nothing. I love that, because at its core, that's what music is. Taking inspiration from whatever form it takes and translating it into a song."
Jupiter pushes and pulls with various synth-pop tones, from the EDM-lite of "Every Night" (featuring Violet Hart) to the hip-hop-looped whirl of "Lie to Me" to the ethereal, stinging, neon-busted glow of "Nevermind," which sees John linking up once again with former bandmate Brett Cameron (of Kalimur). Cameron not only lends his piercing vocal to the latter track but also produces it. While John wrote and produced the majority of the album solo, he enlisted Au Chyld to lay the production in meaty layers for "Cautious," bubbling and thick and warm.

On putting together his debut solo record, he tells Popdust it was born out of similarly-crafted songs that were drawn together on their own. "I eventually found an overlap in a lot of the material I was working on. Extreme cross over in the words and message and instrumentation that I knew had to be a full body of work in order to really shine. I knew from the first single 'You' that dropped last fall what I wanted this record to be."

Jupiter erupts in posh grandeur, smokey-eyed and nurtured and precisely angled. Between Giants is a craftsman of the highest order, and even as an independent musician, his offering is carved and creased with shadowy but reflective insight. Below, John discusses the recording process, several essential cuts and relationships.

Listen to Jupiter ahead of its August 1 streetdate:



What led you to finally writing and recording your debut album? Did it come out of a necessity? Or were you examining things in your life?

I am always writing. That never stops ⎯⎯ it is an outlet for me, so pretty much everything I experience gets translated into some kind of composition. So I have all these songs constantly flowing out, but if I was going to do a record I wanted it to be a piece of work. A soundtrack to a period in my life, or a certain experience or feeling. Cohesive you know? And with this, I found a lot of inspiration from relationships during some of the biggest formative years in my life in a new town and it just felt right putting them together in the same coalescence.

"Colors of Your Mood" is a definite standout, drenched in classically-80s synths and a dance-floor grind. What's the backstory? Did it take time to get the production just right?

This all came from one sentence. A girl said to me, “You don't want me like you think you do." I couldn't find a way to answer that in the moment, so this song was my way of doing so. How I make it all right I guess. Sort of like when you realize all the great things you could've said in your argument from earlier in the day?! I used this song to articulate how I was feeling, that I wanted her and every part that comes with it. Every mood swing, every cold fall night, every impulsive move. I wanted it all. The production was extremely tricky ⎯⎯ I wanted it to incorporate that feel-good 80s electro pop sound without slipping into inauthenticity. The guitar on the track was extremely difficult to record and mix how I wanted it to sound also, it was a lot of work so I am very happy that everyone is loving it.

Earlier this year, you said "Every Night" mirrored the impulsive effects of Florida weather. Were you finding inspiration from other elements or left-of-center sources throughout this album making process?

Definitely. I always carry a notebook with me, and write throughout the day. Sometimes it will be single words or just random incoherent sentences that come from – well wherever they come. Most of the time it's nonsense, but sometimes there are gems. "Every Night" I wanted to be almost jarring in the production, and that stemmed from a major storm that was only happening on half of my house during the recording. Florida is crazy that way. The 'Lie to Me' melody was written as a joke that I sang to my friend over a Snapchat telling her I didn't want to go to the gym. A line that started '5091' was from a conversation I overheard in a supermarket between a couple. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to go find it!

"Lie to Me" has a sort of spacey, starry-eyed rhythm to it ⎯⎯ from the snaps to the tinkling of synths. You have a hip-hop/spoken word breakdown in the second half. How did that come to be?

I struggled on the bridge for a long time – I could never get it to sound the way I wanted. It was the first song from this cycle that I recorded and was the last to get finished. At one point I realized I never liked the melodies that I was writing for the bridge because it didn't feel like it belonged. The track opens with a phone conversation based on one that I had in real life, so if I had the chance to reply now – what would I say? Once I wrote my response and it took the form of an actual conversation, the song felt complete. And I realized that is why I was never satisfied before that point.

Now, the piano version is quite stunning, a nice contrast to the fully-produced, hip-hop-bred recording. Did you begin writing this song originally on piano?

Yes! "Lie To Me" was originally going to be a ballad, but the song has this theme of a beautifully crafted landscape of lies disguising a crumbling relationship. I felt like that was something that needed to be reflected in the production more. When I added the automated digital synth creating a sort of modern-era type romance within the instrumentation I knew where the song needed to go.

Why not leave it as such a stripped down composition for the final product?

While I love the final version of "Lie to Me," it strayed far from its origin. I tend to get lost in production, and created a piece of art that is almost unrecognizable from where it started. I love both versions, but felt that they were so distinctively separate that each needed to be treated as their own song.


Tyler John

Why include that particular live performance on the album?
This fall, I move up to New York City to pursue my music, and this marked my last performance in Florida. I have lived here two years now, and the experiences I had shaped me into a better version of myself and wrote this album. I figured it was only appropriate that my final show here made the record and showcased 'Lie to Me' in its original form.

Do these two versions fulfill different emotional needs for you?

Not so much ⎯⎯ I think that they just convey different messages. Emotionally both feel just as genuine and expressive but just are different perspectives.

With "Nevermind," you're working with your former band Kalimur. Why did it make sense to reconnect on a song? Do you see it as a sort of bridge from your past to the present and future?

Definitely. My experience with Brett Cameron the lead singer of the band shaped me into the artist I am today. The journey filled me with the confidence to start this project and share my art, so it made sense that my first major release incorporated such a big influencer. And also Brett is a national treasure – any opportunity to work with him is one that I will take.

On "The Reason," you actually mention your "axis is off-kilter." How did that relationship send you into a spiral?

This definitely stemmed from the cosmic mood I was in when creating the album aesthetic – and the relationship was one of those things that just made me question myself. We as people are always craving balance and things that keep us centered, but this girl had the power to change my ideals and life ambitions just for another moment with her. The fact that I was able to act these ways, in almost raw desperation for her, made me rethink who I was and what I really wanted in life. A lot of self reflection came after this. But, you know, I'm not too bitter about it. Just kidding, screw her.

Did this album process make you really examine your life?

Definitely. Some of these concepts covered in the songs aren't written in the moment per se, so it is always interesting approaching music and ideas that you wrote in a different headspace. This made me actually quantify my sources of inspiration and realize just how much certain things affected me.

"You" is another instantly unforgettable moment. Is this the same relationship you've sung about on much of the album?

This one is about a different girl actually, but I loved the common trend between this and 'Colors,' of me chasing women who don't want anything meaningful and me attempting to convince them why it would be great. - PopDust