The music that influenced Tiberius’ Troubadour
Once a solo project of Vermont native Brendan Wright (they/them), Tiberius has grown into a dynamic four-piece mixing Indie Punk, Alt Country, and Psychedelia into what they call “Farm Emo.” Their latest album (Troubadour), balances intensity and warmth, from the twangy pulse of ‘Moab’ and ‘Sitting’ to the sprawling ‘Redwood’ and ‘Painting of a Tree.’ “For months, I felt insane but inevitably found solace in nature and the constant of the trees,” Wright says. Troubadour captures that transformation with raw heart and sonic depth. Following a Northeast and Midwest tour, the band will announce new fall and winter dates soon. ‘Sag,’ ‘Felt,’ and ‘Moab’ are out now, with the album available starting November 14.
Join us as Tiberius shares the artists that influenced Troubadour.
Neil Young
When I listened to Harvest in the late summer of 2023, I nearly broke down crying. Hearing the woes of someone so washed out and weary at the age of 24 gave me hope—that maybe I was still at the beginning of a long journey forward. Neil Young is the godfather of grunge and a punk at heart, proof that you don’t need much more than three chords and the truth.
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Andy Shauf
During my senior year of college, I stayed on campus a week past winter break—wandering the halls of the campus center, curled up outside professors’ offices, sipping burnt coffee under the fluorescent lights of Case Campus Center—fully immersed in the world of Andy Shauf’s The Party. There’s something about Andy’s melancholy lyrics and anxious delivery. I was completely dumbfounded by his arrangements—how delicate and deliberate they were, and how deeply they made me feel.
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Car Seat Headrest
Will Toledo redefined what “professional” production means. I love—and I mean adore—the Car Seat Headrest catalog. Writing songs that mattered didn’t require more than the motivation to hit record on a laptop. It feels like the container of the song can barely contain the explosive emotional energy within. I love how his most specific, nonchalant, and seemingly trivial observations hit the hardest. We grew up in the same generation, seeing the same things—and it’s deeply relatable.
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St. Vincent
I started making Tiberius songs around the same time I first discovered Annie Clark’s sophomore record, Actor. I remember reading an interview where she talked about demoing and arranging in GarageBand, transposing guitar parts she’d written—and I thought that was the coolest thing. She’s such an incredible arranger and songwriter, and her entire body of work inspires me.
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Pinegrove
“You kind of sound like the dude from Pinegrove” is probably the most consistent comment I get. It’s one of those influences that, no matter how I try to shake it, is written all over my sleeve. I remember seeing them play Falstaff’s at Skidmore during my freshman year—their energy and ethics really stuck with me. But it wasn’t until about five years later that their music truly hit me in a way I’ve never been able to move past. There’s an honesty in their songs and performances that feels alive—like the music is breathing with you. Their songs calm me down and make me feel like I’ll live another day.
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