Shalloboi is the husband and wife duo of Tyler Ritter and Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter who create dreamy, ethereal, expansive, and intense sounds that are melodic and enveloping. The sounds and songs make me feel like I’m being wrapped in star dust and fog and transported into another realm where feeling all the feels is a beautiful transcendent experience.
I had the pleasure of meeting Tyler through one of the quintessential artist jobs: in a coffee shop! And I was then able to meet his awesome and crafty wife Stefanie! I got to know Tyler over the years and though we no longer work at the same coffee shop, I have always and will continue admire Tyler’s work and artistry that he expresses through his sound. I am so thrilled that he was open to me asking him these personal questions about his work, his inspirations, and his process. Read on for some amazing insight into another artist whose work I truly appreciate and know that you will too! Scroll all the way down to play a few of their songs to get a soundtrack going while you read through the interview!
What is the energy/driving force behind your work?
I feel overwhelmed a lot of the time I'm conscious. Music has always been something that's helped me make sense of everything around me- my emotions and memories in particular- so that's always been what's motivated me to write and record music.
What drew you to your particular medium?
I've just always been fascinated with music and how it's made. My mom told me I used to try to get her to play certain songs for me over and over before I could talk- 'Knights in White Satin' by the Moody Blues is an example. When I hear it now it makes perfect sense to me why I wanted to hear it over and over as a two year old- it's a beautiful song filled with fascinating sounds and some intense emotion. The idea of being able to write songs like that was always an amazing idea to me while I was growing up. A lot of those songs that sparked that interest when I was a kid haven't lost any of their appeal to me over time. Music has a way of freezing time in a way while also bending it.
What’s your view on “failure” vs. “success” when it comes to a completed piece?
A song that's a success is usually very evident as soon as it's finished- there's an unmistakeable feeling that I've managed to communicate the feeling/sound/mood that I'd set out to capture with it in the first place. When I fail to get that across it'll usually lead me down a different path that will reveal something else that I hadn't expected. My biggest failures are usually when I feel like I've asked too much of the listener in a song and not been able to deliver the payoff appropriate for the amount of patience that I've asked for.
What is your opinion or view on the concept of the muse or creative genius?
From what I've observed in writing my own songs the best stuff tends to be something that I have no idea where it's come from and it seems as if I've had little to do with it- I've just served as a conduit for a force that I'm not meant to understand. In that sense I try not to abuse that knowledge, I'm just grateful it still comes around from time to time.
What do you hope your work is communicating to others? What is your work communicating to you?
Getting emotions across is what's most important to me. Capturing a glimpse of some kind of beauty in unexpected places and very small, seemingly insignificant and fleeting moments.
What would you tell someone who doesn’t believe that they’re creative/can be an artist?
There are no mistakes in art.
Could you describe the process of what it looks like to develop your unique style and voice?
I tend to develop a voice and a sound on accident, which just comes from combining what I've been listening to with what I'm going through at any given time. Usually I'm chasing a sound that I'm hearing in my head and will hit upon something that will either match it or surpass it in a way I hadn't expected.
What’re your thoughts on creative blocks? Have you experienced them? What do you do to alleviate them? Where do you think they come from?
When I hit a creative block I think of it as a good time to take a step back and leave something that I've been working on alone for a while. I use blocks as an opportunity to take care of busy work related to writing and recording songs and putting albums together. I don't worry about them because I've always seen them as an opportunity to view the pieces I've been working on as a whole. It's nice in a way because it forces you to remove yourself from it and that's only going to help you see it objectively for what it is. That knowledge helps when the block passes and you dive back into a project.
Could you share some early work/pieces that show your growth along this journey? What has that looked like?
I'm very happy with the fact that there have been many different phases and facets to the type of music I've created and released over the years. There's a lot of growth from album to album and the only reason I've kept making music is because I've always been able to take it somewhere different that's kept me engaged. I've always been really proud of the 'Petals' album, which is the apex of that early sound and setup I was going for when I started writing my own songs. 'All Hope is Blind' is a favorite of mine because it stands very much alone and I've never done anything that's come close to it- on 'Hopelessly, Completely' I was aiming for something similar but it turned out completely different.
What do you feel have been essential elements to your spiritual growth?
Being comfortable with the unknown and the unnameable. Being able to appreciate little, seemingly insignificant moments- when you notice them and appreciate them they become easier and easier to find.
What would you tell someone who is just starting on their artistic journey?
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
How do you make time for your art practice?
When I'm looking at my week and what I'm working on I try to figure out where pockets of time can be freed up. I'll usually block out an entire day each week to record if I have a bunch of songs to work on. Besides that one day I try to find ways that I can chip away at parts after work or late at night. When I work on recording a song I tend to do it very quickly in a condensed block of time. If I'm in the studio and everything is flowing I tend to not come out until I run out of gas, which can take as little as three hours or as many as nine. At that point everything else gets pushed back to make room.
Any non-art related interests? Hobbies? Favorite things?
I drink a lot of beer and watch a lot of baseball- often at the same time. I brew beer as well sometimes, but that's mostly so I have beer around to drink.
What other creatives inspire you?
Some bands I've been inspired by include- my bloody valentine, Spiritualized/Spacemen 3, the Cure, Sigur Rós, Elliott Smith, Low, Beach House, Swans and Grouper. People I've worked with who've inspired me include- my friend Billy who played cello on most of my releases that have featured cello, my friend Mike who has always helped me when I've needed him, my friend Katelyn who played violin on most of my releases and was one of the most accomplished musicians I've ever worked with and Stefanie, who played drums on my first releases to feature drums and inspired an entire era of the band, not to mention who has played every show with me and gone on both tours I've launched for the band.
Scroll down a bit to get a feel for some of Shalloboi’s songs! Then check them out on Bandcamp HERE or Soundcloud HERE!