TVOD - Interview
Interview & foreword by Forrest Hackenbrock
TVOD by Kristin Sollecito
TVOD (Yes, that stands for Television Overdose) is a rowdy, Brooklyn-based, 6-piece outfit lead by Tyler Wright on vocals.TVOD is influenced by post-punk, egg-punk and krautrock, and they weave their influences in a seamless way that seems both effortless and highly-energetic.
TVOD are basically a party unto themselves– aggressive, but in a wholesome kind of way. At the shows, Tyler will engage in a call and response with the crowd: “What time is it?!” / “Party time!”... They’re that kinda band— a universal band that anyone can have fun with. For that reason, along with many others including their dedication to rocking and friendship, they have picked up major momentum in the scene. They have received acclaim from Creem, and Rolling Stone have called them “one of [New York’s] most exciting up-and-coming bands”.
TVOD has extensively toured the US, Canada and Europe, performing at major festivals like SXSW, Hopscotch, Sled Island, End of the Road, and Les Trans de Rennes, all the while sharing the stage with acts like Warmduscher, Snõõper, Gustaf, Civic, Soul Glo, Balkans, and Iguana Death Cult. They are on a roll recently, and they are clearly not showing any signs of slowing down.
The band’s new album Party Time just released in May, and the band is back to celebrate their record in their hometown of NYC at Baby’s All Right, this Friday August 8th in Brooklyn. I caught up with Tyler ahead of the show.
Check it out below.
TVOD by Kristin Sollecito
FORREST: After growing up in southern California, you packed up and headed to NYC, where You’ve been involved in the music scene for over a decade now— playing in various bands, booking shows and so on. What drew you to the music community here as opposed to Socal which also boasts a vibrant music culture?
TYLER : I was actually just following love when I came to NYC. I always wanted to visit and when I was 20, I took a one way flight here to meet a girl I had been falling for in SoCal. It was one of those crazy life decisions that completely changed my life forever. The relationship didn’t work out in the end, but I ended up staying here because I felt so inspired by the music and scene happening here.
FORREST: It seems to me that there’s less house shows or DIY venues in NYC than there was during that 2014-18 era of Shea Stadium, Silent barn, Aviv and so on. Are there less bands? how have things like that changed in your experience over the years?
TYLER: There are definitely not as many DIY venues as there once was. There are still a few left, but you have to look a lot harder than you once did. I think there are still tons of great bands here, but a lot of venues are having a hard time keeping their doors open with the current insanely high prices of this city.
TVOD by Kristin Sollecito
FORREST: You started TVOD in 2019. It’s a six piece band that’s seen a decent amount of members come and go (if I remember correctly tell me if I’m wrong ). How do you manage to keep the band together and keep everyone involved?
TYLER: Yeah— I started TVOD right before the pandemic hit. A lot of people’s lives completely got uprooted during that time, and it was very difficult to be in a band that was just starting out. I think finding people that are inspired and motivated as you are about music is key to longevity. Also, definitely make sure they are your best friends. Being together in such close spaces for long periods of time can be really difficult, so you have to make sure you love the people you’re with.
FORREST: As we speak now y’all are coming off over a month of touring in Europe and Canada. I’ve heard from other bands that playing in Europe is different than playing in the US, in terms of audience reception, getting paid etc. what are your thoughts on that?
TYLER: Yeah— Europe, UK and Canada are very different when it comes to touring. They care about music, arts and culture so much more than the average American. They treat artists with respect and appreciate you being there, sharing your music with them. The US can definitely take some notes.
FORREST: What were some of the highlights of the tour? How were the bands you shared bills with?
TYLER: There were too many highlights to count. It felt like every show was completely insane and the bands we got to share the stage with were also incredible. I feel so incredibly lucky for that tour and experience.
FORREST: How did you end up on Mothland, a label based in Montreal, to release your first full length record? What’s it been like working with them?
TYLER: We went to SXSW in 2023 and played “Hole in the wall” to a crowd of 3 people and 2 of them happened to be the owners of Mothland. They approached us after the show and the rest is history. You never know who you will play to or what will come after a show. It’s just another addition to the classic cliche, play every single gig like it’s your last. We really don’t care if there are 2-5000 people in the crowd. We want to have fun up there and give it our all. We hope the crowd enjoys it as much as us.
FORREST: What can we expect for the album release show at Baby’s August 8?
TYLER: You can definitely expect another bonkers night. We’re excited to play Baby’s and share the new album with our hometown. There will probably be some new songs too that people have not heard yet!
TVOD by Kristin Sollecito
