Today we’d like to introduce you to George Tyler Heffley
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is George Tyler Heffley, my friends call me HEFF, and I’m a guitarist, composer, producer, and songwriter. I grew up in Burbank, California and went to John Burroughs High School. There, I played football (where I got my nickname “HEFF”) and sang in the choir called “Powerhouse”.
I was pretty involved musically growing up, singing in choir in middle and high school, playing in bands, writing songs, being a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ for film scoring sessions, and just staying immersed in music. With my choir, I was able to sing backup on The Voice, at the Hollywood Bowl, at multiple events at the Beverly Hilton, and countless other shows and events. But it wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I took guitar playing and songwriting more seriously. On T.V., I watched all of John Mayer’s Where the Light Is: Los Angeles ‘08, where it had three acts: him playing solo acoustic, a blues trio, then a full band. All of these songs were impactful and inspired me to pursue being a competent guitarist and dive more into songwriting.
After I graduated high school, I went to Musicians Institute to study guitar and audio engineering. I was only there for a year and a half and it truly helped me grow my musicianship, skill on the guitar, understanding of audio recording and mixing, and further build my network.
After graduating there, I went to Glendale Community College. I knew that I wasn’t done going to school and I wanted to transfer out of there to a four-year to continue to study music. While I was there taking general education courses, I was also taking music classes and getting heavily involved with what they had to offer there. While there, I had a friend from UCLA hit me up to play in his band called TAXI for a show that they do there called Spring Sing. We headlined that show, where it was sold out in Pauley Pavilion and everyone was dancing hard and going crazy. That performance was legendary, taking weeks to even try to come down from that performance high, and I had memorable experiences and made friendships that feel infinite.
My musical career continued for me as I transferred from GCC to USC, double-majoring in Music Industry and Jazz Studies, Guitar. My whole time there consisted of performing shows in and around Los Angeles, working with renowned professors, being surrounded by an inspirational group of peers, going to recording sessions, scoring music for film, putting on and going to live shows, internships, and tailgating and going to football games (of course). The cool thing about the people that go to USC Thornton School of Music is that everyone that is there going in is a 10 out of 10 with what they do and we all collectively grow together to be 12 out of 10. And the people that we meet in our classes are going to be the same people that we will see throughout our careers in the music business. Highlights from my time there was when I was able to go to London. Both in the summers of ‘22 and ‘23, I went out there with other students to play shows around London, performing and writing with other music students from ICMP, working with photographers and fashion students from UAL on photoshoots, and recording our original music at Abbey Road Studios. Those experiences were extraordinary and I’m still in touch with the friends that I made out there.
This past spring, I graduated from USC. Where I’m still writing, recording, and producing music; playing shows in and around Los Angeles; and working on my music and with other artists. I value all of the experiences that I have been fortunate to have had and I look forward to where I’m going to go with my career.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Trying to make it in the music industry is definitely anything but a “smooth road.” Not only does this include trying to make it as an artist or songwriter, but other industry roles, like: being a film composer, music supervisor, studio musician, touring musician, working at a label or publishing group, producing a live show or festival, etc. All of these positions take a lot of time and energy.
Not really struggles, but there are factors that I’ve had to, and continue to, deal with. Some of these include finding ways to promote and market yourself, creating a brand that you can push and get in front of people. My brand for “HEFF” really consists of the idea of “love songs and guitar solos;” cultivating music and a style that fits the aesthetic of me growing up in Los Angeles playing music, surfing, riding horses, and having a good time all of the time. The hard part now is as an independent artist, finding a way to effectively use social media to push this brand while also playing and producing live shows, writing and recording music, and going out and networking. With all of this, we need to continue to stay in sight and in mind and grow our network.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m mainly a guitarist, songwriter, and producer with the music that I work on and release under “HEFF”. I write the melody and lyrics for my songs on guitar and then expand that vision in the arrangement when I am in the studio. When producing songs, I definitely try to think in a broader sense of what sounds and instruments can come in and out throughout a song to create a special experience for people when they are listening. One of my good friends John Oreshnick has helped me in the production process of a few of my songs, notably when he records a large number of vocal tracks that I call the “John Choir”. Also with my music, I try to record instruments and vocals that I can. I’m not an analog purist, but I’m aware of all of the genuine and unique sounds that you get from recording a guitar through a good amp, then through good mics, and then through quality outboard gear to get a high-caliber tone. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to make good music that people will want to listen to.
What I believe sets me apart from other songwriters and artists is my collection of musical influences and how they’ve intertwined themselves with one another to help me create an exceptionally personal sound. I use all of my jazz and blues experiences with my playing and songwriting that makes my pop tunes have the fluidity of jazz without sounding like you’re listening to a standard. Also, I like to pull from my influences from the music of The Beatles, John Mayer, Frank Ocean, and other artists with how I approach writing the music, lyrics, and melodies of my tunes.
Also, I like to have the shows that I play be just as memorable and impactful of an experience as I do with what I create in the studio. I’ve been playing in live shows my whole life, ranging from small, intimate venues, to sold out arenas; performing my music and with other artists. My inspirations from jazz and blues artists come out in my live shows with how my band and I strive to still follow the forms of the songs, but still leaving room for improvisation and spontaneity; creating a genuine sonic experience for everyone in the audience and on stage. You never know who is in the audience, so no matter where you are, you need to play each show as if you are performing at the Hollywood Bowl or Madison Square Garden.
I’m most proud of all of the work that I have done and get to keep doing with all of my friends. The experiences that we get to make in the studio, on stages, and all of the little moments in between are truly special and I would trade them for anything else. The great thing about my career is that so many great things are happening to me and there is still so much room to go up and move forward with. All of the success that I’ve had and the open doors that lay in front of me come from surrounding myself with good people and staying focused on where I want to take my career.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I definitely feel like people are pretty aware of who I am and what I do because I’m an extrovert and an open book, most of the time. From my experiences, and modestly speaking, I have seen people be surprised by my guitar playing and the songs that I write. Seeing people’s honest reactions to my performance and songwriting is always uplifting and motivating. There is always room for myself to improve on my craft and I am thankfully aware of that, but it is great to see people appreciate what I do and create. Also, I’m thankful for all of my friends that I’m able to do music with, who listen to my music, and who come out to our shows. You really are the people you surround yourself with and I’m glad to have a good atmosphere of people around me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heffthedope/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@heffthedope
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0bkPboebEXLMfUqVS4968k?si=RNFjObZfTY-vB00GXmLllQ
