Tahlequah resident and musician Kyron Lee started taking his craft more seriously later in the game than some artists, but he enjoys playing in smaller venues when possible.
Lee first took an interest in performing in middle school through his older cousin, Michael Kyle Brown. Lee said his cousin taught him to play bass and allowed him to play with him until he moved out. rice field.
“I didn’t really know what a chord was, what a note was, what a key was, but when I got to college, I took it a little bit more seriously and really tried to learn,” Lee said. . “It was a long process because I was self-taught, but I didn’t know what I was doing, so I was reading a lot of his YouTube videos and tabs.”
The main instrument Lee plays is the guitar, but he also enjoys the ukulele, banjo and mandolin.
Lee began writing the song around 2012 and struggled to finish it until friend and fellow musician Derek Webster advised it was usually easier to write about one of life’s greatest tragedies. .
“I went through a divorce many years ago and didn’t really dwell on it, but it was one of the biggest tragedies I could think of at the time.” said Lee.
Since the release of Lee’s first song, he has played a few small gigs around Tahlequah, but didn’t start playing paying gigs until around 2016.
“If you’re playing music and you have an Oklahoma accent, it’s always going to look like some kind of country. It’s definitely in that genre of red earth stuff and singer-songwriters,” Lee said. said.
Although music had always been his hobby and he never thought it would become a career, Lee found himself enjoying the writing process and being able to perform for a small audience. I continue to write and sing because it helps me express and release my emotions.
He mainly works as a solo artist, but he also works as a duo with Brown. This is because Lee can only perform a few times a month and prefers to perform in smaller, less atmospheric venues.
“Small, intimate atmospheres are a lot more fun for me. The type of music I play is usually a little slower,” Lee said. “There aren’t a lot of rock songs or songs where you actually get up and dance. It’s more of a sit-down type of music, so it’s perfect for a solo or lead player.”
He began recording another album in 2019, but was put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. increase.
check it out
Kyron Lee will be performing at The Branch on February 17th at 7pm.