Meet Ty Gallaway | Lead Vocalist/Guitar and Song Writer for Shady Oaks

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ty Gallaway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ty, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I get asked this question a lot when talking with other musicians and bands. I think everyone gets so wrapped up in social media, making a “brand” for themselves. Everyone dresses to a certain style to help the audience perceive who they are without even listening to their music. It can be toxic and disheartening to rely on likes and shares for success. Social media is a factor but the truth is, community is what drives our success. There is nothing better than seeing the same faces in the crowd at all of our shows. And then seeing more new faces and then seeing those faces at the next one with NEW faces. Seeing this community of people that just want to see a group of musicians attempt to achieve the impossible. Most of them are close friends, sometimes family or coworkers. But then you start to see that close circle bring out more people and the circle grows. I owe everything to them. I just write loud music, they handle the rest.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I (Ty) put Shady Oaks together in late 2019 to give my solo project a backing band. This was when I was writing under the name Ty Himself. I put out an EP that was really chilled out and was more of a Modest Mouse/The XX kind of vibe. At the end of my project, I was starting to write more folk/blues guitar heavy music that really needed a band behind it. Our first song we re worked was called Home, and that changed everything. That was when we decided Ty Himself was no more and we needed a band name. Shady Oaks. We have always had one mission and that was to bring a rock n roll band that (as far as I know) hasn’t existed in Denver for a long time. Heavily influenced by The Black Keys, The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, but with a more psychedelic flavor to it. Something that made you feel angst and anger but also love and hope. I just write a few heavy riffs, but our rhythm section should be credited for bringing our music to life. Jonah Samp, Jake Walker, and Matt McClelland helped Shady Oaks really mold our sound to what it is. Jake being the grooviest bassist ever with no effort, Jonah having the most massive drum sounds that shake the earth, and Matt laying down atmospheric rhythm guitar while implementing his dreamy vocals behind mine. Without them, Shady Oaks would still be just myself playing guitar and whining about my insomnia. I would also like to credit our newest member Loren Dorland, an extremely accomplished audio engineer at Mighty Fine Productions, and our new vocalist/synth wizard. And the most important bandmate is our Manager, Molly Schorsch. The most common question I get from other bands is “Dude, who does you social media and booking?” And then I brag about how I have the most amazing friend in the world who decided to be apart of the band since day one. I can’t wait until we are famous so I can buy her an island because without her, we would be LOST. I guess I just want Colorado (and the world) to know that we are coming for ya. We just want to bring that old vintage guitar heavy rock n roll that your dads loved, but with a younger (sorry dad) modern take on it. I really just want people to leave our set saying “damn, I haven’t been to a ROCK show in a long time”.

Shady Oaks came at the best time in my life. I was a geologist, working in Weld County, trying to make a responsible life with a career and a hobby. But.. I quickly realized that this job was giving me a lot of angst to put towards the band but was not sustainable whatsoever. I decided to chase this dream and my other dream of being an audio engineer. I actually quit my job, and started volunteering at Dog House Music Studios in Lafayette, CO. I knew that if I tried to do both, I wouldn’t be able to show the Dog House crew my true commitment to music. I essentially lived off savings for 5-6 months and spent every second of free time I had at the studio, learning from the lead engineer John Remington. I just knew I had to show the owners (Kenny and Liz Vasko) and John, that I would literally give anything to be apart of their team and help grow it with them. I think they finally saw that in me and hired me on as a Studio Manager and John’s assistant engineer after my internship ended. That was the happiest day of my life.

I just want the world to know that if you truly have your heart set on a dream or an idea, just take a chance. We are not here long enough to be something less than what we know we can be. Or to be “comfortable”. I learned and am still learning that being uncomfortable means that you are actively chasing your dreams.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would say wake up around 11am (at some random air bnb), coffee on the patio, stroll over to lunch at AJ’s Pit BBQ. Hang at Number 38 and catch a cool band, head over to Goed Zurr for some cheese and sour beer. And then drive 30 minutes to Boulder for my unbiasedly favorite place in the world that is Back Country Pizza and Taphouse. Then probably never actually making it to a hike because of constant intake of too much food and beer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate our success to all of our close friends in town who have helped form this community for us to thrive in. Through thick and thin, they have always been there for us. 

Website: www.shadyoaksband.com

Instagram: @shadyoaks_band

Facebook: @theshadyoaksband

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkc_GLvv35XGeMq5AJbnU4Q

Image Credits
Photos: Chris Carboni Dan Hemenway Jesus Ortiz