Tyler Shaw

> There are so many moments I'm proud of in the 8+ years I've been active in the music industry. I would say I'm most proud that I broke through and stuck with my passion, because this isn't an easy business and you have to tough your way through a lot of obstacles. [...] When I think back on where I've been, I can picture some incredible moments on tours when I see faces in the audiences crying and screaming my lyrics at the top of their lungs, reaching their arms out for my hand. That is such a powerful feeling and I cannot wait to get back out on the road and share my new music. It's both an adrenaline rush and emotional experience.
>
> Tyler Shaw to *Atwood Magazine*

**Tyler Shaw** (born April 8, 1993) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and actor from Coquitlam, British Columbia. He was the winner of the 2012 MuchMusic Coca-Cola covers contest and released his debut studio album, *Yesterday*, on September 4, 2015, through Sony Music Canada.

Growing up, he took piano lessons, and in sixth grade joined the school band as a drummer. Eventually he taught himself the guitar at age 13 and participated in talent shows and open mic nights as a hobby, rather than a career. He applied to the music program at the University of Prince Edward Island, but was rejected. As an alternative, he worked towards an athletic profession, receiving a soccer scholarship at the same university and played as their goalkeeper for a year. Upon winning the "MuchMusic Coca-Cola Covers Contest 2012," he chose to pursue a musical career. He recalled in an interview, "Not a lot of people know this but a few months before that I actually auditioned for *Canada's got Talent*, but I didn't get chosen so I kinda like got down on myself or whatever so my roommate found this contest and showed it to me so I entered it thinking I probably won't even make it. But they called me a few weeks later "you made top ten" and so on and I ended up winning the whole thing. And I was like holy cow that was a turn of events."

He married his longtime girlfriend, Alex Karolczyk, on August 18, 2018.

## Early life

Shaw was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and raised in Coquitlam, British Columbia. He is of Chinese, Polish, and Ukrainian descent. He has an older brother named Matthew Shaw, who is a professional actor. He shared about his childhood in an interview, "Growing up in Coquitlam, B.C as a half Asian kid was confusing. To put it simply, I was not "white enough" for the Caucasians kids, nor was I "Chinese enough" for the Chinese kids. I was stuck in an identity crisis with no one who entirely resembled me or who I could relate to. I had leaned into the White culture because of how I saw my Chinese peers being treated; bullied. At a young age it seemed easier to try to fit in that it did to stand out in any way." He continued that it was not until his early 20s that he visited Hong Kong with his father and reconnected with his Chinese heritage and culture. This became the main inspiration for the cover art of his *Intuition* album.

## Discography

Main article: Discography
* *Yesterday* (2015)
* *Intuition* (2018)
* *Tyler Shaw* (2021)
* *A Tyler Shaw Christmas* (2021)

## Tours

### Headlining

* The Intuition Tour (with Ryland James and Sara Diamond) (2018)
* The Wanted Tour (with Neon Dreams and Craig Stickland) (2019)
* North Star Tour (with Claudia Bouvette) (2022)

### Opening act

* Selena Gomez – Revival World Tour (2015)
* Magic! – West Coast Canadian Tour (2018)
* Josh Ramsay – The Josh Ramsay Tour (with DJ George Thoms) (2022)

## References

1. ↑ Mosk, Mitch (May 27, 2021). "Interview: With "Be Like You," Tyler Shaw Takes on Love from a Fresh, Raw Perspective". *Atwood Magazine*.
2. ↑ Gerrard, Steve (January 19, 2016). "Interview – Tyler Shaw". *Montreal Rocks*.
3. ↑ Young, Heather (June 23, 2015). "Interview – Tyler Shaw". *Canadian Beats*.
4. ↑ Longmire, Becca (August 21, 2018). "Tyler Shaw Opens Up About Wedding To 'Best Friend' Alex Karolczyk, Shares Stunning Pics". *ET Canada*.
5. ↑ "Happy APAHM 2022 / Tyler Shaw Interview". *AAPI Musicians*. May 15, 2022.
6. ↑ Lau, Melody (March 29, 2019). "'It's a piece of me that was missing': how Tyler Shaw discovered his Chinese heritage". *CBC*.