INTRODUCING: TIM LYRE
We speak to Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer Tim Lyre following the release of his latest single with London’s very own BINA., ‘Storytime’.
Interview by PORTIA BRAJKOVIC
Hey tim, HOW ARE YOU?
I’m good. These are exciting times, because the album is getting closer now. The vision is finally coming together. I’ve been working on this album for at least two years. I needed time to figure out what exactly I was trying to say with it. But I always take time to make projects anyway, because I feel like I to gather life experience.
WHAT WILL THIS ALBUM SAY?
I hope it shows growth, especially for those who listen to my music. I tried to write from a very personal perspective. I tried to make sure that, whatever I’m talking about on a track, you can relate to the feeling, even if the circumstance doesn’t exactly apply to you. I’m talking themes of loneliness, heartbreak, love. It’s a journey into myself, but also talking about the experiences of those around me as well, and how those things influence my own life and decisions.
Do you find it easy to be vulnerable in your music?
I think that’s probably the easiest place for me to be vulnerable. I’ve realised it’s much more effective for me to work through certain feelings through writing a song.
why music?
I always tell people, I feel like I was just born into it. I grew up in a church environment, and I come from like a long line of choir masters, organists and church musicians. I could read music from when I was eight years old, I could play piano, I could do all these things. So, it's always been a part of me. It was at uni that I started trying to make my own music and trying different things out. In the back of my mind, I always kind of knew what I wanted to do.
YOU STUDIED LAW AT UNIVERSITY, RIGHT? AND MAKING MUSIC?
Yes, I did law. Law can be so overwhelming; there's so much to read and research, and there’s so much information to take in. If you're trying to balance it with something like music, I feel like it just clashes every time. To my credit, I guess I stuck through it. I saw the whole course out and was able to get my degrees and all that but yeah, it was mad. I definitely almost dropped out a couple of times, like I had these conversations with my parents and everything, but it was just like, you just have to see it through at this point, man.
When I first got to uni, I was just posting stuff on SoundCloud and Instagram, but it wasn't serious, serious music. As time went on, I got a bit more comfortable with my sound and production. I got a bit more confident with what I was doing and I was like, yeah, I can definitely make something out of this.
why is being able to produce important to you?
It's very important for my listeners to feel comfortable. If I don't sound comfortable in whatever space I'm creating for myself, it's just not gonna make sense. I'm so specific about how I want to sound on the track or what I'm trying to say.
what role did SOUNDCLOUD PLAY IN THE EARLY DAYS OF YOUR CAREER?
SoundCloud was very cool. I think that’s what gave me the most confidence to continue, because back then there was no pressure, at least for me. There's a group of artists like me who grew up on SoundCloud, in this part of the world anyway. It was very cool that we had somewhere we could just post, no middleman. All I had to do was post my music online and get direct feedback from people. So I used to post covers on SoundCloud. I'd post any random project idea that I was working on, or demos, just to feel it out. SoundCloud was necessary to my growth because I used it to figure out a lot in terms of my sound.
AS YOU’VE SHIFTED AWAY FROM THAT DIY PHASE, HOW HAVE YOUR VIEWS ON YOUR MUSIC AND THE INDUSTRY CHANGED?
I mean, I think I'm just a lot more intentional now. Back then, a lot of it was me genuinely trying to figure stuff out. Now, there's so many artists. The industry is so saturated with these insane amounts of music. I don't even know what it's like for listeners to open their apps everyday and see all this music coming out. I just try to be so, so intentional with what I'm doing. Hopefully, if you see that someone has taken this much care, it means something.
"A lot of the time, it's just the people around me. I'm lucky to have a hub of friends who are all creative in their own way: designers or producers, so on. It's quite easy for me to want to stay active. I’m also inspired by my relationships with people, as well as just having conversations with people I don't actually know. A lot of the time, it goes back to what I was saying about feelings; seeing something might make me feel a certain way about something. I’ll want to write a song about that or talk about it in a way I feel like only I can talk about it. So, I try not to limit myself in terms of where the inspiration comes from. An idea could drop into my head out of nowhere. Or I could wake up and be like, ‘Yes, I want to write about this’, and force myself to. It depends.”
— TIM LYRE, ON INSPIRATION
how did your collaboration with bina. on' ‘storytime’ come about?
When I released my first album in 2024, BINA. was one of the artists who reached out to me saying that she really enjoyed it. I had found her music maybe, a month before that. So it was, you know, cosmic, as we say. We connected over music, we were talking back and forth over Instagram every now and then. I was in London last year and we met up in the studio and we were able to work on this song. It was one of the easiest sessions I've had because she's incredible. As I was making the beat, she was already singing her whole part. I appreciate when an artist has depth to them. I’m so happy I got to work with her.
WHAT DOES THE SONG MEAN TO YOU?
For me, it's a very conversational type of piece. It's two people seeking closure in a relationship or situation or whatever it is, trying to have that final conversation in the most civil way they possibly can. But it never is fully civil. I was trying to capture the emotions around the finality or ending of a relationship.
Follow tim lyre
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What would we find on your spotify playlist?
A lot of rap: Jordy, Kendrick’s new album. I find rappers so interesting. And I’m constantly listening to Nigerian music: Wizkid and Rema’s recent albums.
What DO YOU DO FOR PEACE?
I go to the beach. I hang out with my sister a lot because we’re quite similar. We're both very calm and we just talk about life. I hang out with my friends; play football, play games, just relax however we can. I'm a pretty chill person.
WhaT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
My album is coming out in the middle of this year. There’s some insane featured, and more visuals coming with that. I'm excited for people to see that play out.