“Ever since Ifirst learnedhow to strum a couple chords on a guitar, rock music has been a huge influence on mystyle,”saysTylerBraden.“I thinkthatNeon Gravereally kicks it up a notch.Ithas that underlying thread ofcountry storytelling,butit alsochannels thesamekind of energy that fans feel during my live shows. I’m excitedfor everyone to hear and experience the direction that we’re headed in.”Neon Grave, produced by Randy Montanaand released via Warner Music Nashville,marksa creative milestonefor Braden. The charismaticsinger-songwriterhas spent much of hisyounglifecultivating his distinctive musicalvision. He’s also builta massive fan base through a series ofmore than a dozensuccessful digitalreleases,racking upan incredible200millionstreams.Meanwhile, he’smade his mark as a powerhouse live performer,with an earthy energy to match his emotionally insightful, melodically infectious songs.The six tracks that compriseNeon Graveoffer an impressivesamplingof Braden’sdynamicmusical approach,which effortlessly combines a deep-rootedgrounding in country traditionwiththerollicking, high-energyinstinctsof a bornrock ‘n’ roller.Braden’s ability to imbue hisself-penned tunes with gritty urgencyandemotional intimacy isreflected in theswaggering, irony-laden title track, and on the stirring“Try Losing One.” Thelatter numberappearsonNeonGraveintwo distinctversions, one with Braden’sheartfeltsolo vocal and theotherasanemotion-charged duetwithSydney Sierotaof Echosmith.The original version of “Try Losing One”hitNo. 1on Sirius XMThe Highway’sHot 30 Countdown, while the duetis accompanied by a black-and-white video that underlines thesong’s starkemotional landscape.“Songwriting is one of the most satisfying parts of music for me,”Bradennotes. “Building a song from nothingmakes you feel something that’s hard to explain. Especially when it’s something that people can relate to. Everysong onNeon Gravehas a lot of emotional value for me, different ups and downs,and different moments ofrelatability. I wanted people to feel what I felt when writing these songs. I feel like, if I can make that happen, it’llbe a success.”Braden’s songs, like his personality,reflectthe solid foundation ofhispersonal history. Growing up in the smallrural community of Slapout, Alabama, he began playing guitar and writing songs in his teens, withthe support ofparents who were musicians themselves. He soondemonstratedhis mettle as a live performer, fronting ahard-chargingband andgaining a reputation for playingfour-hourcover-songsets.He also channeled his energies into his work as a firefighterin nearby Montgomery, learning some key lifelessons that he says been able to apply in his musical life.“Being a firefighter taught me emotional stability,”Bradenstates, adding, “That line of work is mentally tough, and the fire service helped to make me the level-headed man that I am.”Bradencontinuedtoserveas a firefighterafter movingto Music City to pursue his musical career.He met hismanagerin January 2017following a performanceinNashville’s influentialWhiskey Jam concert series,which ledto hiscurrentrecording deal with Warner Music Nashville. Hereleased hiswell-receiveddebut EP,What Do TheyKnow,in 2021.Thepropulsive entertainercontinues to win new fans, maintaining a strong online presence andperforming liveon stages across America.“Our live shows are really high energy,” he asserts. “We try to build moments ofemotion into our set list to create a true experience that people will remember. We don’t want it to feel like just alist of songs. And I’m confident that anyone whosees one of our shows will want to see another.”Bradenhas also made the most of hisdues-paying gigs as an opening act, warming up shows for suchsuperstars asBrooks&Dunn,Brantley Gilbert,Chris Stapleton,Dierks BentleyandMitchellTenpenny.He’ll joinLuke Bryan’sCountry Ontourthis summer.“I’ve learned a lot from the acts we’re toured with, from watching how they formulate their sets to how they interactwith the crowd,”he says. “My favorite way to get people to hear my music is touring as much as possible andgetting the live versions out there. That way, the fans can really feel the emotion that we want to convey. That’smy way of spreading the true intentionof the songs. So come to one of our shows, and I promise that you’ll getthe real deal.”