Interview with Vocalist Danny Vaughn of Tyketto
Cosmick View: Hello, Danny, and welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
Danny Vaughn: It’s my pleasure!
CV: How would you define longevity for an artist? What specific elements do you feel are needed to contribute to the success of having longevity in today's music industry?
DV: I can’t pretend to know exactly what works in today’s music industry. I don’t think anyone really knows. We’re all floundering around in the dark trying everything we can just to see what might have a decent effect. I can only go by my “old school” ethics, which are, work hard, respect the audience, be true to yourself and the music that you love. I still believe that if you are genuine, your audience will find you. And they will stay with you.
CV: The new single, "Higher Than High," from the upcoming album "Closer to the Sun," is out and making positive waves with both critics and audiences alike. Is there some level of validation for you as an artist with that type of listener reception that good music still matters to people?
DV: Absolutely! We all have dreams when we start out in this business but we don’t really have any concept of longevity and how to attain it. So, for a band that has existed for 34 years to be on the receiving end of so much support and good will is a real rush for all of us. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excited.
CV: Tell us a little about what fans can expect from the new album "Closer to the Sun."
DV: In a nutshell, it’s an uplifting album. It’s fun, it’s got swagger, it’s an album you can put on in the car and listen to while driving with the top down without ever having to skip over a song. There’s no filler in here and the vibe is very positive.
CV: For a veteran band, does a four plus decade career offer you a new perspective on how music gets done? Or is the process still relatively the same as it's always been? Is there a “modern way” as opposed to an “old way” of making music?
DV: There are aspects of the newer technologies that are really useful. Being able to video call with one or more of your band members is a great money saver when you are in the writing and planning process. The capabilities and quality that home studios have, even just on laptops, are better now than most demo studios were from years gone past. But I still feel that there is no better way to record an album than when all the band members are together in the same studio, going at it for hours and hours a day for many days in a row. Budgets aren’t what they used to be so working in studios like Rockfield and Flip Flop, as we did, aren’t always options for many bands but if you have the chance to make a record that way, you definitely should. And, again, today’s technology makes it possible to record many things in home studios, where you’re not paying by the hour, and bring those parts in later. So, it’s a balance.
CV: With nostalgia being big business these days and with the 80s being cool again, is holding on to the past healthy for an artist or should the goal always be to move forward and break musical barriers in your opinion?
DV: The 80’s are cool again? Are you sure? Hahaha! I’m not a fan of nostalgia when it comes to music. Sure, when I go to see a band play live I want to hear my favorite songs like everybody else, but I wince a little at bands that seem to have no desire to move ahead and create something new. In Tyketto, we’re not breaking musical barriers, but we aren’t trying to re-write our past records either. As a musician, you take on new information, new styles, alternative ideas and you try to make them part of what you are doing now. We will always make melodic AOR music, that’s what we do. I have no intention, and we never did, of changing our style to try and fit in with current trends. If you chase after fashion, you’ll always end up behind it.
CV: What do you feel is an example of how music changed your life?
DV: Music has brought me everything that is good in my life. My marriage, my friends, my hopes and dreams. Tyketto has a very close relationship with our fans and we take very seriously the effort that they make to support us and help us along. It’s always such a good feeling to see both familiar and new faces out in a crowd and to know that they are rooting for you to do well.
I have no idea what I might be doing now if someone hadn’t introduced me to playing music at a young age.
CV: Where do you see AI and other technologies taking music in the next 10 years? Do traditional artists have a reason to be concerned or is this just another trend?
DV: We definitely need to be concerned. The downfall of popular music began with MTV. Previous to music television, you saw your favorite bands live or not at all. And you bought magazines that came out maybe once a month, to learn more about them. MTV made a critical mistake in the artist/fan relationship: it gave the audience everything it wanted when it wanted it. Once they got everything they wanted, they got bored and moved on. And they got bored more quickly with each passing year. And so, over the years, we have no attention span for music anymore. How many people put on an album and listen to it all the way through? This is why the resurrection of vinyl is such a great thing. More people are sitting and listening rather than telling Alexa to find something else after the first chorus!
AI should have us all worried. Like all technology, it can be used for good or for evil. And evil almost always pays better.
CV: Many people now believe that what made music special and enduring is no longer present in the songs and artists of today. Do you agree with such a sentiment, or is such criticism coming more from a demographic that has already aged out and possibly trapped in the past?
DV: I don’t agree with that sentiment. We all feel that the best music is the music that we listened to in our teenage years. It’s got something to do with the formulative neural pathways of the brain. But to say that what made music special back then is missing today is just wrong. One of the advantages of today’s technology is that you can reach out anywhere and any place to find new artists at every level. And while there is certainly a fair share of formulaic rubbish out there, there are also loads of great bands doing it the hard way, coming up in the clubs and bars, perfecting their craft. Look at groups like The Temperance Movement, The Commoners, This House We Built, Muddibrooke, Dan Byrne. They are all coming from a place that is real. They believe in what they are doing and you can hear it.
CV: With a new album and an upcoming UK tour, what more can fans expect to see coming from you in 2026 and beyond?
DV: It’s amazing to say that, at this phase of our careers we are growing, but, ever since we came back out of our homes after the COVID years, Tyketto has been on an upward trajectory. We are headlining mid level festivals, touring in countries that we haven’t played in for many years and, with the help of a wonderful, brand new record company, we’re getting airplay and attention from media outlets that weren’t even aware that we still existed. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new album in its entirety. THAT’S gonna tell the tale!
2026 will see us playing more live shows than ever and banging the drum even more loudly to say, “Not only are we still here, we’re still kicking ass!”
CV: Thanks again for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
DV: Thank you for helping us to spread the word!
Check out Tyketto at:
Official: www.tyketto.com
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, author, show host, big dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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