We recently connected with Ty Snyder and have shared our conversation below.

Ty, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

MINUS as a whole has created a unique opportunity for all of us to create music that is meaningful to us with the hope it would become meaningful to others. It’s been the story of our journey as a band. We all are a part of this, because it means something to us. Being willing to give up a piece of your heart for art, your time for rehearsal, and energy for live shows creates this intimately deep connection for the music we are creating through this project. Taking on a full length album this past year has taught me so much about myself as a front man, as well as an artist and the impact of writing these songs has been therapeutic. Getting to do that with my best friends is one of my greatest joys in life. Our hope in writing the album, or really any song we put out, is that as we navigate our own journeys and find meaning in them we can help others do the same.

Ty, 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?

As a band we have always believed in the connection of live music. The five of us have all personally felt the impact of music, as well as the albums that have been the soundtracks to our lives. Naturally it has become a mission for our band to create the same atmosphere that lead to the coolest moments in our lives. All five of us have been involved in music for a very, very long time in a lot of different capacities, and what I think is cool about MINUS is that we are all owning what this band could mean to people. MINUS itself has been a band since 2017, but after 2020 we were able to take some time… Step back… And really focus in on the exact sound that we wanted, which lead to this five person lineup. Our focus now for the band is to create a live show that people want to come see, and write albums that people can connect with, and we try to be as authentic in our writing, as we possibly can. We believe the only way we can put on the best and most energetic show that we possibly can, is to write music and create experiences that are true to who we are as people. So, when you come to a MINUS show, you’re going to see the five of us, giving the set everything that we possibly can, because that’s all we can honestly think to do when we are on stage. We are now in the final stages of our first full length album, and I have to say it truly feels strange. I’ve heard musicians talk a long time about putting out albums, and the emotions that surround it… But nothing compares to how it actually feels when you’re preparing to do it. With each new mix we getI feel a roller coaster of different emotions… happiness, nervousness, trepidation, joy, absolute dread, and sheer excitement, knowing that we’ve created something that we’re proud of, and something that we hope will impact people the way that it had impacted us creating it. I love that I can hear the influence of every band member in this album and I can’t wait for everyone to get to hear it!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

We want to create something that people can connect with. We want to write authentic songs and albums, as well as, create a memorable live show. We all have experienced so many different moments attending concerts and being apart of live shows, that we know the impact they have. Expressing situations through stories and processing those through music I believe creates an atmosphere that people can remember. If someone can walk away from a show feeling inspired, or maybe even just connecting with lyrics, and saying… “You know what, I’m not alone in that.“, that, is what drives us on this creative journey. We just want to create an atmosphere, where people can be themselves and know that they belong and that we are all doing our best to do the best we can!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

In preparing for this question… I didn’t want to answer on behalf of the band, so I asked the guys to give me their thoughts. Jarrid’s most rewarding aspect is, “there is something about shouting your own words and playing your own songs in front of people and having them respond, that gets me excited to do this. I love being able to tell our stories as loud as we can!” Tim says, ” I love the instant emotional connection you can have with someone you’ve never met just by showing them something you’ve created. It’s almost like an acceptable form of ‘over sharing’ because these songs mean so much to us personally.” For Nate, “When you see or hear how people connect to the songs you wrote. Some of the best and deepest conversations come from learning about how they became connected to the lyrics or even the vibe or feel of the song. The songs you write already mean so much to yourself but once you share them with others and see how they connect it is always amazing.” JT’s thoughts were, “I definitely think the most rewarding part is getting to express all the emotions we feel through something other people can enjoy and relate to. It’s awesome getting to talk to other musicians about their craft and sharing your passions.” As for me… Ty… “Everyone has already said what I’m thinking. The most rewarding thing for me is if I can create a moment for someone. To be heard, to say I know what you’re going through, or to just get you pumped up… whatever that moment is I feel the most reward when I know that I had a positive impact on someone through a recorded song or a live moment.”      

Contact Info:

• Website: www.minusband.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/minusbandohio
• Facebook: facebook.com/minusbandohio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@minusband9703

Image Credits
Band photo – Sweet Cheeks Photography // Live Photos – Aviana Smith Photography