Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kyle Lyman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kyle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I always thought i started late in art and music. I used to draw some stuff like dragons from fantasy novel covers when i was young and in the 6th grade i played trombone. In high school i was listening to all kinds of bands but i didn’t really pursue music until my twenties.

I took some guitar lessons at 19 and studied music in college when i was 21. I had a couple of great guitar teachers, Hal Stead and Lisle Crowley. I definitely wasn’t a natural and the gap of where i was and where i wanted to be felt hard to deal with for awhile. I took an art class and film photography. I played in a band called PANGEA for a couple of years. Putting on a few good shows and making an EP at a recording studio kind of got me hooked.

After that I started posting some acoustic covers on YouTube and worked on writing and producing my own music. During that time i was also experimenting with incorporating spraypaint in my artwork.

In retrospect the biggest challenge can just be willing to suck for awhile and power through that, haha. Being consistent is key because I think you can build momentum. I think when it comes to improving it’s helpful to record yourself playing or take photos of your art, and then take breaks and look at things objectively to make adjustments and get feedback.

Kyle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m in a band called, “the zurks”. We just released our second EP! It’s self produced, recorded and mixed. I also make the artwork and design merch. Outside of the band i offer commissions and do live art events.

“the zurks” put out a music video by my friend (director/filmmaker) Ian Tripp recently and we are doing another one in July. You can best support by following our socials and buying merch, we have tshirts and enamel pins!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Having an idea, developing it and then bringing it into reality. It’s rewarding when it comes together and potentially connects or inspires other people.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve done work as a commercial/residential painter, busser, waiter, barista, cashier, delivery driver, etc. Moving from Utah to San Diego was a big change for me and I’ve been here for about 7 years now. I’ve been super lucky to have met awesome friends and collaborators.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kylelyman_ @thezurks
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@kylelyman_
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0tKcWFDgXJx6z9nxPXU6AE?si=xdgbTRxsQGe7OJPaXWuupA

Image Credits

Jake Columna