Tyler Ballgame took his stage name from the Red Sox great Ted Williams, known as Teddy Ballgame. Boston.com reports his given name is Tyler Perry, that he is 34, and that he grew up in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
Background
His mother is a music teacher, and he took voice lessons from about age 8. He attended Berklee College of Music on a scholarship and left early, according to Boston.com, then spent years playing cover and bar gigs in Rhode Island. In 2021 he moved to Venice Beach and started playing open mics. In May 2025 he signed with Rough Trade Records after a bidding war, the label says.
The sound
Rough Trade compares him to Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Harry Nilsson, and called his lead single “Lennon-meets-Orbison.” Consequence heard Big Star and Orbison. The songs are earnest and rooted in 1960s and ’70s pop and rock.
The records
His debut album, For the First Time, Again, came out Jan. 30, 2026, on Rough Trade. It was produced with Jonathan Rado of Foxygen and Ryan Pollie, and led by “I Believe in Love.” His newest single, “Live It Down,” came out July 14, 2026.
Why now
2026 moved him onto national TV, with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Saturday Morning, and onto bigger stages as a support act for Alabama Shakes, The Lumineers and Belle and Sebastian, plus European festivals including Lowlands, Pukkelpop and Green Man. His fall headline tour comes home on Oct. 15 at Lodge Room in Highland Park, presented with KCRW, with Grace Cummings and Jean Luc Eldenwood. The venue lists that show as sold out. The next night, Oct. 16, he plays Soda Bar in San Diego.
Official links
Sources
- Boston.com: Tyler Ballgame, Rhode Island native
- Rough Trade: Tyler Ballgame announces debut album
- Rough Trade: Tyler Ballgame
- Rough Trade: Tyler Ballgame shares Live It Down
- Consequence: Emerging Artists to Watch in 2026
- Lodge Room: Tyler Ballgame
- DICE: Tyler Ballgame at Soda Bar
