A year ago Tayo Oyekan was busking 10 hours a day in his hometown of Reading, England. Now, the 18-year-old Nigerian-Scottish songwriter who performs under the moniker Tayo Sound gears up for the release of his debut EP with co-signs from indie tastemakers and industry heavyweights alike. After leaving school at age 16 to pursue music, Tayo busked full-time until he saved enough money to buy the production software he needed to record his own demos. When music blog Hillydilly shared his song “Yes or No” he caught attention from the US and UK and subsequently signed to Black Butter/Arista Records.
Growing up in a church setting where long sets and instrumental interludes were his introduction to music, his older brother’s ringtone was the first time he heard a 3-minute long pop song. Fascinated, Tayo dedicated himself to learning the art of songwriting. With a passion for exploring various music cultures and scenes around the world, his influences and taste run the gamut from grime music (British electronic music), drill music (aka Chicago mumble rap), Indian pop, and alternative acts like Easy Life and Still Woozy. Interlacing bits and pieces of his Nigerian and Scottish heritage, Tayo uses African drum beats and enlists old Scottish folk storytelling in his creative process delivering a wavy, laid-back alt pop sound that feels effortless amidst its dynamic production nuances and thoughtful lyrical construction.
Tayo’s eclectic taste, DIY approach and lyrical sensibilities drip with cool, easy style. “I love music discovery; finding genuinely good underground music,” says Tayo. “I’m just a normal, introverted guy chilling in an unimportant town in England trying to figure out how to be an artist and how to have a sound that I love and that other people will love.”
