Published in The Islander Magazine June 2014
Jordan Tydings, lead singer and guitarist with progressive reggae band Thread Belly
"If I want to play punk or metal or finger-pick a song… that’s what I want to do."
-Jordan Tydings
Jordan Tydings, front man, lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Thread Belly (in addition to solo shows as Jordan Tydings) international upbringing may be, in part, responsible for his broad interest in music styles. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma but raised primarily in the Czech Republic and Meridian, Idaho, Tydings was exposed to many genres of music beginning with an intense study of bluegrass. Playing guitar and mandolin in his family’s band, primarily to back up his two sisters who were nationally competing fiddle players, Tydings learned to be a disciplined musician by the age of 10. His father, as Tydings says, wouldn’t just ask his kids to go and get their instruments to perform at family functions, “it was a command. I learned a lot but it was mostly Texas swing. It didn’t really push me.”
While traveling around the U.S. for his sisters fiddle contests Tydings listened to performers like old-time country and western stars, Del McCoury and Bill Monroe but hadn’t heard much of anything else. A chance viewing of a public access TV show, while in the Czech Republic, however, entirely changed Tydings’ perception of what music could be, in an instant. “There was a guy with a white Ibanez guitar and long hair. It was really cheesy because he had a fan blowing his hair back… but hearing him shred… I was blown away.”
Tydings spent his teen years going through musical phases in metal, punk, rock and blues. His world was once again rocked when a local music store owner in Meridian, Idaho, JR Lawing (a guitar player for a brief period in Gregg Allman’s band) gave Tydings advice he’s never forgotten. “He told me to get B.B. King’s, Live At The Regal and The Allman Brothers, Live At Filmore East, because ‘that’s guitar school’. He didn’t really take me seriously until I came back and played (B.B. King) Sweet Little Angel,” laughs Tydings.
Though Tydings was feeling more confident as a guitar player, he had never tried to sing and was unsure about his voice, until one late night at a party after mostly everyone had left or fallen asleep “I played Crash Into Me by Dave Mathews on the acoustic guitar and sang. That was the first time I ever sang. When I was done a very cute redhead took the guitar out of my hand and put it on the couch. I was wondering if I sounded really bad… She took me by the hand and lead me into the back room. That’s when I said ‘I’m gonna start singin’. I thought, ‘there’s at least one girl who likes my voice.’”
Tydings moved to the Houston area in 2005 and says he was, and still is, heavily influenced by the underground rap scene when it comes to writing lyrics. Although his band is largely known for it’s reggae influenced sound, Tydings admits he strives to present a diverse range of genres. “I’ve heard what we do described as progressive reggae but I don’t want to get pigeonholed just into reggae. It’s such a small niche. It’s one part of music I want to play. Unfortunately some bands get thrown into that box and never get out of it. If I want to play punk or metal or finger-pick a song… that’s what I want to do.”
Tydings latest influences include Dave Mathews and John Mayer and can be heard in his nicely crafted solo tune on Reverbnation titled, “Melancholy Glad”. In addition to playing gigs in Houston and Galveston over the last few years (The Beach Hut, Rip-Tide and Float) Tydings has been trying to break into other markets. His future is looking bright as he has recently been signed to a distribution deal with Universal subsidiary, 3G Entertainment, out of California. “A lot of things are falling into place right now. I’m not sure of all the details of the deal with 3G but I trust them and am looking forward to whatever is coming.”
Look for Jordan Tydings and Thread Belly at any of Galveston’s fine live music venues this summer. Music, dates, photos and more at www.reverbnation.com/threadbelly
Zach Tate is a writer, photographer and musician. (www.ZachTate.com)
