Out The Other Side with Tyne-James Organ

Emerging singer-songwriter Tyne-James Organ has come a long way since uploading covers on YouTube. Having just dropped his hotly anticipated sophomore album, The Other Side, Organ chatted with The Note about the making of the album, mental health struggles and his friendship with rapper Allday.

Interview Tobias Handke // Image Jack Shepherd

Getting his start uploading covers to YouTube, Tyne-James Organ built a loyal online following before releasing his 2016 debut single, '‘In My Arms’. Within the space of a year, Organ had signed with Dew Process and released the follow-up track, ‘Watch You Go’, an emotional tribute to his deceased father.

Since then, Organ has released the EP Persevere and his debut record, Necessary Evil. The album peaked at #51 on the ARIA Album Chart and was widely praised by critics. He’s spent the past couple of years working on his sophomore record, The Other Side, which dropped today.

12 tracks of emotion-fueled indie pop addressing relationships, mental health, grief, and much more, The Other Side is a stellar release positioning Organ as part of the new breed of artists making waves in the Aussie music scene.

In the lead-up to the release of The Other Side, The Note got the chance to speak with Organ about his new album, mental health issues and his relationship with good friend Allday.

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Let’s go back to the very beginning. Did you always know at a young age that music was something you wanted to pursue?

Yeah, pretty much from the get-go. All I wanted to do was music. My first memories are of watching my dad perform on stage, and then by age two, he had me up there with him. It’s in my blood, and it’s all I know. Pursuing it was always going to be a gamble, but I’m so glad I took the leap. I’ve given it everything of myself and will do so til the end.

You gained an audience with your covers on YouTube and through social media clips. As an artist who has harnessed the power of social media, how important is it for young artists to use these platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc) to get their music out there and help build an authentic fan base?

It’s changed so much since I was doing YouTube, especially when it comes to people’s attention spans. When I was on YouTube, I’d talk for a solid five minutes before even starting my covers and the audience was drawn to that. These days, attention spans have shortened extensively and even a minute can be too long.

I know TikTok is super important and by far the biggest social media outlet there is, but the sad reality is, nine times out of ten, you’ll see artists making more ‘content’ or comedy-based content instead of their actual art to get views. Occasionally, you’ll get a few pop-ups that are just doing their usual self and killing it, but the algorithm has completely cooked it.

I probably sound like I’m whinging, but my two cents is give it a crack but always put the art before views. On the flip side, social media can also be quite toxic, especially as a creative putting yourself out there. How do you balance the positive and negative elements of social media? I don’t post much personal life on social media. It’s hard having your stage name also be your own name, so I keep it mostly business and let my personal life and self enjoy the real world.

Going back to your early covers, many featured your good mate Allday. Can you expand on your relationship with him and the impact he’s had on you as an artist?

I was so grateful the day he messaged me asking to make a video together. I’d had a little bit of traction online, but doing the ‘Talk Is Cheap’ cover with him opened up so many doors. I’ll never forget that. We have the same team now, which is pretty wild. In the times that we’ve spent together, he’s always offered me very wise words about the industry and what we do. He’s just moved back to Aus too, so I’m excited to find more time to hang together.

I read an article from a few years back where Allday interviewed you, and the discussion turned to how weed helped with the creative process while recording your debut album, Necessary Evil. Is this something you still do to get in the zone, or has your songwriting process changed over the past four years?

When I was making this record, it was definitely a massive outlet for me. Never in the studio, that would just be me falling asleep (laughs). I would always smoke at night to help me sleep. I had the medical stuff too, so it would knock you for six. But it would also open up my mind a bit more at times and help me see my songs in a different light – almost taking down that wall of worry and freeing me up to just do me. I don’t smoke anymore, but I always had a great relationship with weed, especially creatively and for a big snooze.

Speaking of albums, congratulations on the release of The Other Side. It’s a wonderful collection of emotionally honest songs. While there are similarities to your debut, there’s no doubt you’ve taken your songwriting to another level. What do you think is the biggest difference between Necessary Evil and The Other Side?

Thank you! I think just growth, to be honest. Whether it’s age or just getting wiser… I dunno, but I feel like I have grown a lot since my debut. My music is so personal, so it’s still me sharing my stories, but I guess in the time between those stories exists in different ways. Even since finishing this record in 2023, I’ve changed so much, so I’m very keen to see where album three takes me.

Your music is extremely personal, as you mentioned, yet also relatable to anyone who listens. Is it important for you to write this way?

To be honest, I don’t write with any intent other than to get out what I’m feeling. I feel very lucky that people can relate, and sometimes my way of words translates into the wider conversation. For me, music is part of my healing and processing different parts of my journey.

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You worked with ARIA-winning producer Chris Collins on the album. What’s your relationship like, and why does he get the best out of you?

I’ve known Chris for a good nine years now and worked with him throughout that whole time. We first met for a writing session back in 2017 that neither of us wanted to do, but two hours in, we’d become instant friends and had written ‘Graceful’. Since then, we’ve done my EP and two albums together.

Making music is amazing with Chris, and to be able to do that with such a close friend makes it all the more enjoyable. Being in the studio together just feels like I’m hanging out with a mate and making random shit. The dude is a powerhouse.

One of my favourite tracks from the album is ‘Love Me Back’. Can you tell me about the background of the song?

Thank you so much! This one has grown on me significantly and is one of my favs too. The song explores a time quite some years ago now where I was in a relationship with someone and accidentally said the words (I love you), and it pretty much just cooked the whole thing. It took me some time to read between the lines, but I just got lost in the moment and did what I thought was right. It’s a laugh looking back now.

The song also explores some metaphorical moments where I’m confessing my love to the music industry, but not knowing where I stand. So it kind of has two meanings, but I felt that keeping both made the song feel more universally understood. I love the major sevenths throughout, too. They’re my favourite chords, but I rarely use them.

Another highlight is the title track. For a song dealing with mental health, it has quite an uplifting feel, and the addition of Gordi only adds to the impact the track has. What was the motivation behind ‘The Other Side’ and how did Gordi help inform the song?

Again, thank you so much! It’s funny how it has that hopeful sonic energy, but it’s a very personal one for me. The song kind of hit a standstill when I was writing it and I didn’t want to keep going deeper in the direction I was going after the first chorus. After a few beers, Chris and I spoke about the idea of a feature. Given Chris had put a vocoder effect on my vocals in the chorus, the first name that came to mind when discussing features was Gordi. It took quite a while to eventuate, but I was over the moon when I heard she was keen.

Gordi and I didn’t get to work in the studio in the creation of this track as she was in the US at the time, but we sent her what was there and just said, “treat it like a blank canvas.” What she came back with is what you now hear. I just knew from the first listen that it was exactly what the song needed. Her verse and chorus almost portray a different story, but also feel so cohesive with my own. I think overall that is what has made this track so special and I’m so grateful with how it all panned out.

Touching on mental health, you revealed in 2024 that you had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. How has this impacted your life and your music? How important have your family and friends been during this time?

Mental health has been apparent in my life since I can remember, but last year hit a whole new level. It was a very intense journey throughout that period, but I couldn’t have done it without the support I had. My mum, partner and my sister were my rocks and are every day. I was so lucky to have the support from my team I work with, especially with postponing this album a whole year. It was a huge thing to do and I couldn’t have done it without them.

You’re celebrating the release of The Other Side with a headline national tour. How excited are you to perform songs from your new album for fans?

Soooo bloody excited. It’ll be my first headline shows in two years and first shows altogether in over a year, so to be back on stage is going to be an amazing feeling. My home is on the stage. It’s where I feel the most connected. I’m excited to be able to show some of this new record to the fans. It’s daunting playing new stuff and not knowing how it will be received live, but given how great and supportive my fan base has always been, I think it’s going to be such a fun time.

For those who have never seen you perform live, what can they expect?

Always something different. No two gigs are ever the same for me. I just put everything into each show I do and hope that the people there have the best experience they can. It’s chaotic and cathartic to say the least. There will be lots of dancing and some tears along the way.

Finishing up, what does the rest of 2025 have in store for Tyne-James Organ?

I’ll probably have some downtime after the tour and get deeper into working on album three, which is already underway. Later in the year, we should be doing a big regional tour and some festivals! Then crack on into 2026!

Tyne-James Organ’s The Other Side is available now on streaming platforms. Catch Organ performing at Lion Arts Factory on Saturday, June 7. Tickets on sale now via moshtix.com.au.

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