FML Music Spotlight: Damin Tyler

Beneath a sherbet-hued desert sunset in Joshua Tree, surrounded by the park’s otherworldly rock formations and the spiky silhouettes of its iconic pre-historic trees, Damin Tyler meets FML Magazine for a conversation that was nothing short of magic. There is something grounding about it too. Between takes, Damin is relaxed and thoughtful, taking in the stillness before returning to a life usually defined by late nights and loud rooms.

At 25, the New York based indie pop artist has carved out a distinct presence within the city’s downtown creative scene. Known for pairing raw vulnerability with a striking, unmistakable vocal, he moves fluidly between the stage and the spaces that shape it. The parties he curates have become a staple of New York nightlife, where music, fashion, and art collide in rooms that feel charged and unfiltered. That same energy runs through his songwriting.

Drawing subtle inspiration from the hazy melancholy of Mazzy Star and the shadowed restraint of Portishead, Damin’s debut single, “Real Man,” arriving this Spring, leans into desire and identity with clarity rather than excess. The production is dreamy yet grounded, intimate but steady beneath his voice. With a faint nod to the dark Americana tones associated with Ethel Cain, the track unfolds as a queer love song about surrender and the vulnerability of being fully seen. It captures that rare tension of feeling powerful and fragile at once.

Offstage, his New York feels worlds away from the desert, yet equally cinematic. Late dinners at Lucien drift into early coffee runs at Caffe Vita before studio sessions. He gravitates toward spaces that feel alive and a little unpredictable, the same qualities that define his music.

Newly signed to Vel Songs + Kobalt Music, Damin is stepping into a broader spotlight. “Real Man” marks the beginning, with an EP slated for the fall. Against the sculptural rocks and quiet beauty of Joshua Tree, the next chapter feels both grounded and wide open.

As the sun dips lower behind the granite formations and the Joshua trees cast long, spindled shadows across the sand, our conversation shifts from scenery to substance. What follows is Damin Tyler in his own words.

FML: How would you describe your sound?

DT: l’ve always loved pop music, l. love melody and emotion in songs. But being immersed in New York’s underground indie scene and working with producer Richie Quake on the east coast and Brandon Shoop on the West, reshaped my sound. It became something hybrid: dreamy and melodic, but textured and raw.

Indie-pop with a little grit.

FML: Has vulnerability always felt natural in your writing?

DT: Not at all. It took me almost a year after a major heartbreak to even get into a studio. But once I did, I realized honesty was the only way through it. If I went through something that intense, someone else probably is too.

FML: How do music, fashion, and art intersect in your parties?

DT: I started hosting at places like Soho Grand and PUBLIC, where fashion, music, and art naturally collide. Those rooms are cultural crossroads. Being in them made me want to create energy, not just attend it, and that energy absolutely feeds into my music.

FML: What inspired “Real Man”?

DT: It came from feeling strong and soft at the same time in a relationship. I could lean into my masculinity but also feel safe enough to be vulnerable. It was freeing. “Real Man” is really about that balance, being fully seen and still desired.

FML: How have Mazzy Star and Portishead influenced your sound?

DT: I’m drawn to restraint: soft vocals that carry emotional weight. There’s something powerful about subtle delivery with heavy feeling underneath. That dreamy, slightly dark atmosphere definitely shaped this project.

FML: What does surrender mean to you in the context of queer love?

DT: Surrender means letting go of expectations, especially the ones society puts on you. It’s allowing yourself to feel desire without questioning or shrinking it.

FML: What environments make you feel most creatively alive?

DT: Anywhere Orson or Jackson Walker Lewis from Fcukers are playing.

FML: What are you excited to reveal on your upcoming EP?

DT: Most people know me socially, but not personally. I’ve never really shared my relationships or inner life publicly. This EP is the first time I’m letting people see that side of me and hear what I sound like as an artist.

FML: Do nightlife and songwriting clash or fuel each other?

DT: They fuel each other. Nightlife taught me about energy and magnetism. Songwriting taught me stillness and reflection. Finding balance between the two changed everything.

FML: What do you hope your music clarifies about you?

DT: That I’m more than the party kid people might see. I’m sensitive, romantic, and serious about what I’m building. The music is the real introduction.

As the last of the light slips behind the rocks and dusk emerges, there is a sense that Damin Tyler is standing at a similar threshold. The nightlife impresario and the introspective songwriter no longer feel like separate personas but parts of the same unfolding story. With “Real Man” and an EP on the horizon, he is offering something more lasting than a fleeting downtown moment. Amid the Joshua trees and flickering constellations, it’s impossible not to feel that a star has been born ; one that carries Damin’s name.

Damin’s #FMLFaves

Favorite Song: Crush by Ethel Cain

Favorite Movie: The Fifth Element

Favorite Dish: Anything Korean BBQ (Reinhardt has taken me to the best spots)

What’s in your bag?: My bedazzled vaseline lip balm and probably a Photo Booth strip with my friends from the night before.