His mellow, beautiful instrumental music is part travelogue – an ode to the vanishing landmarks of America’s past – and part meditation – a reflection of the anxieties of the country today. Musically, there’s krautrock (hints of Neu! And Autobahn-era Kraftwerk), pastoral folk melodies and psychedelic noodling.

Expect five evenings of intricate, transporting storytelling – somewhere between the gentle vibes of a night around a campfire and the erudition of a smart lecture. It’s music that enhances the human capacity to understand ourselves. William Tyler's last outings in China were with Lambchop in 2016 and the Concrete & Grass Music Festival in 2018, and this time he is adding a series of workshop dates where he’ll go into fingerpicking techniques (a style he helped pioneer in its contemporary form) and his songwriting approach. Dates and details are below. 

We sometimes tend to call music like William's – expansive, emotional – as perfect for “driving.” That description, while perfect, stops a bit short of really capturing what makes William Tyler special. While there is an element of the road in his work, it always goes beyond the highway. This is music that stops to look, goes offroad to explore, and talks to those we meet along the way.
That, in a sense, is the essence of this tour. Stories of the road from a storyteller on the road. In Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou, William Tyler sets us off on journeys both imaginary and real, and through music and words, takes us to places far removed from the everyday. A powerful reminder in the times we live and that difference and diversity is to be celebrated, and not merely ‘tolerated.’

We hope you’ll join us for the ride.

Nashville-native William Tyler has played with the likes of Ty Segall and Lambchop, and has released five studio albums as a solo artist. 2016’s Modern Country was hailed by Rolling Stone as one of “the best country albums of the year” and his 2019 work, Goes West (on the legendary Merge Records) was released to widespread critical acclaim.