An artist, a record label and a common philosophy: POP CAUTIOUS is a composite concept that is best expressed simply –through the honest resonance of authentic music.
First off, POP CAUTIOUS is the creative persona of Texas-born and raised singer-songwriter, Tyler Porterfield.
Growing up near Houston in the Galveston Bay town of Seabrook, POP CAUTIOUS was first mesmerized by piano hymns played by his grandmother. Studying classical music and theory, he showed up at piano lessons playing Blink 182 songs by ear. Church and school bands added to the mix as he alternated between guitar and drums.
In high school, he formed a group with his two brothers that toured regionally. It was the music of Simon and Garfunkel, introduced to him by his choir teacher that he remembers, “Really sparked the fire.”
Enrolling in Musicians Institute in the center of Hollywood opened up new possibilities, as POP CAUTIOUS studied the methods of the modern music business and the rise of indie record companies. He met similar souls whose styles and philosophies were complimentary to his vision.
To create a home for this inclusive community, the Pop Cautious record label was formulated.
“This has been growing organically,” says POP CAUTIOUS. “It is a collective, collaborative movement of artists helping each other out.”
In this interview spotlight, we spend some time with Tyler to discuss being a musicians in this digital age, the need for a musical renaissance in the U.S., his newest project and much more.
Full Q&A along with links and streams can be found below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Born in Houston, TX and raised just south of that in a little place called Seabrook.
Seabrook is about 15 min from Galveston Island and right on the waters of Clear Lake and Kemah Bay.
The bay connects to the Gulf of Mexico.
Growing up, I’d spend a lot of time on fishing and sailing.
My music is a culmination of my years of playing and studying various styles.
In general, one might classify it as “Alternative Folk Rock” and “Indie Rock”.
In reality, it pulls ideas from jazz, classical, rock n’ roll, indie folk, americana, alt rock and more.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
I believe the first interest that I had in learning to play music was sparked by my grandmother giving my family an old out-of-tune upright piano.
She’d come visit for the holidays and play Baptist Hymns.
It was the first glimpse I had of someone performing music and shortly after I signed up to take piano lessons.
After taking piano for a few years, I began performing at our community church.
By age 12, I was picking out Blink 182 songs by ear.
My interest in alternative rock and punk music began to blossom and I picked up my first electric guitar for my 13th birthday.
Shortly after, I saved up and bought a drum kit and started to learn percussion in the Junior High School Band.
Playing by myself just wasn’t cutting it so I taught my brothers and friends to play music.
Most anyone I’d come into contact with was handed an instrument and instructed on how to play.
In high school, I learned that I could sing and joined choir.
Auditioned for the acappella jazz group and began actively singing.
I began to write my own songs on guitar and formed a band with friends and siblings.
We toured Texas and won the Greater Houston Area Battle of The Bands.
When college rolled around, it was no question that I’d be enrolling as a Music Major.
Fortunately, my vocal performance got me into the University of Texas at Austin.
There I would study classical theory for a few years.
My band had split as we all were attending different schools and I picked up the acoustic guitar.
Folk and singer-songwriter music was then my focus.
I began to help write music for film students and applied to study in Los Angeles, as film was a minor.
It was in LA that I was asked to play mandolin for a folk rock ensemble called Seneca and The River at Musicians Institute.
Had one laying around and decided to give it a go.
The band ended up winning an Artist Development competition and we have stuck together since.
During the time we won the contest, I was finishing up some music business and entrepreneurship courses.
I launched my own indie label and Seneca and The River was the first signee.
Individual members of Seneca and The River had solo projects that would go on to be included on the label roster, as well.
Everything music related to my life thus far has seem to progress very organically and I couldn’t really see myself having a career in any other field.
I’ve worked in construction, food services, education and retail but music has always been there.
Even at the lowest points in my career in the music industry and as an independent musician, I’ve never once thought, “Time to move on”.
It’s just a part of me at this point.
Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?
Listening to other artists live and sometimes even just on recordings can get the creative juices flowing.
A lot of time, I can’t help but to theoretically analyze a song or piece of music upon first listening.
To me, music is kind of like a language. Little ideas are like words you can piece together.
Subconsciously, I’ll grab melodic hooks or guitar riffs that somehow end up transformed and in a different context in the tunes that I write.
Most of the time, I won’t notice until afterwards and think “Oh, that kind of reminds me of this song that I was listening to last week”.
Musical notes are like the letters that make up these musical “words”, which go on to form phrases, and so on and so forth . . .
More than ever recently, I’ve noticed this creative process becoming less of a creative influence and more a second nature. It’s not just writing a cool piece of music and adding lyrics afterward.
Now, I’ve began to see myself write songs about situations and people. I feel like there is more meaning behind writing music this way. It’s like I’m doing it for something or somebody besides myself and my own personal infatuation with music theory.
The new EP is conceptually about my break up last November and the struggle I went through to stay in LA to do music while trying to win her back in my life.
I’m talking either directly to her or about her in every song. I wrote them in hopes she would hear them. She did. And, I won her back.
I’d say political perspectives on issues important to me are interwoven into songs and that current events can definitely impact the creative process lyrically.
It’s not hard to pick up on if you really give the songs a listen.
Other than that, I’d say being in nature and traveling really help clear the mind and inspire to write.
At the end of the day, no one song I write is born in the same way as another. They all have a story and a reason behind the rhyme.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
As previously mentioned, this EP was written in hope of actually inspiring real life change.
It’s not too abstract and introspective, like say my single releases last year. It’s catchy and relatable. I wanted not only to appeal to the masses musically this time around, but to tell a story that provokes thought and makes a statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr6lce_8rGA
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
Over saturation. Everybody and their brother has a band on iTunes via CD Baby.
Unfortunately, its almost not really about how good you are. It’s more like “who can get you on that Spotify playlist that millions will hear?”
Up and coming indie artists don’t make enough money off streaming and digital downloads.
ROI is almost unheard of for the amount of money poured into making a record as an amateur artist, if we were to rely on record sales alone.
It’s really almost kind of about who you know or who decides they want to pick up your stuff to share it based on how much you shell out to a PR firm to blast it out there, if you want to see any kind of significant amount of money back.
But, then you’re spending $2500/month for a minimum three month PR campaign . . . huge risk.
Apple has somewhat monopolized the record industry by taking CD drives out of computers and having iTunes and Apple Music be the only platforms that are integrated on all of their technology.
This is all the younger generations know. The crap quality of a .99 cents download or illegally ripped MP3.
Spotify is cool and curates good playlists, but again, a fraction of a cent per stream is not going to bring home the bread.
Especially when an unsigned artist is shelling out somewhere around $2k just to make a good quality record alone.
It takes cross marketing, well-planned tours and music licensing placements to survive.
Connecting with people to build a fan base isn’t easy. I suppose the internet helps with this a little.
Keeping in touch with potential fans at shows on social media, emailing them to let them know about the next show, blasting out to blogs via Submit Hub, etc.
These are some of the advantages of the digital age.
If the marketing is executed properly, music videos can go viral and offer mass exposure and in turn lead people to streaming/downloading you album.
One reason that I do still kind of like Apple is because of Logic. The recording software makes it easy for musicians to record from home. This is a double edged sword though, because although it can cut production costs, it allows for over saturation.
At the end of the day, success in the digital age as a musician boils down to what kind of money/equipment you have starting out and who you know. It’s all about not giving up.
If you think your music is good enough and you consistently put in the time to get it out there, good things can happen.
There are still those lucky people who have their music heard by the right person at the right time (but, don’t hold your breath!)
However, wouldn’t recommend trying to get signed if you’re an indie artist, despite the unfortunate reality of going at it alone.
You may end up being stripped of publishing and a hefty bill to repay if you don’t know the legal side of the music industry.
My advice is learn as much as you can about every aspect of the music industry and to team with people you trust.
Transparency is something I’d say is vital to my label, Pop Cautious Records.
How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?
As a new label and artist, it’s difficult to make any profit from streaming services.
As a listener, they are quiet convenient. I’m completely torn.
Vinyl sounds amazing and having something physical to hold in your hands while you listen, that includes artwork and maybe a poster is priceless.
I’m all for physical format vs digital. Digital has devalued musicians too much.
On the flip side, digital music is much easier and affordable to distribute.
The fact major labels are trying to reproduce “indie music” is kind of gross, too.
The music industry is like American politics. The Big 3 are much like the 1%.
If you’re not somehow in bed with them, it’s going to be pretty damn hard to be heard on a mass level and sustain success.
If you are with them, good luck on staying true to your own image and music.
You may be taking on a fabricated marketing-friendly plastic replica of who you really are.
Hence the term, “selling your soul”. This is all so that corporate America can grow even more into an unstoppable giant machine that controls what we think is “cool”.
My advice? Buy vinyl, cassettes and CD’s produced by indie musicians and indie labels. 🙂
America is in dire need of a musical renaissance and it all starts with the small guys.
(Not the Donald Trumps.)
Where can we follow you online and hear more music?
- Pop Cautious (Self-titled EP) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr6lce_8rGA
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PopCautiousMusic
- Label Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PopCautiousRecords/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/popcautiousrecords
- Website: www.popcautiousmusic.com
- Label site: www.popcautiousmusic.com
Anything else before we sign off?
For those of you in LA – Pop Cautious and band will be performing the new EP at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood on Friday, Sept. 30th – 9PM.
