Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanner Duffy
Hi Tanner , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started the solo project Glue Shoe sometime around 2018. I wanted to start playing my own songs since I had been playing rhythm guitar in bands for sometime and wanted to expand my creative outlets. I used a nick name I got touring because I was broke and would buy shoes at the second hand stores that would end up falling apart, requiring me to glue the soles in as they steadily deteriorated and GLUE SHOE was born. Since then Ive been slowly and steadily going legs as an independent artist, booking my own shows and tours, creating and designing my own merchandise and flyers and continuing to try and create an environment in which my music can, not only continue to grow but, encourage and allow others to express and grow them selves. Around the end of 2022 I started building my own live band to preform and things couldn’t have been more fun! I have the absolute greatest mates to play with and they care so much about my songs, I’m really able to trust them with what they do and it allows is to create a truly unique experience every time we play, often improvising and experimenting live, each song is different from night to night and truly allows the music to breath and fill the space that it exists in no matter the situation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road! Just before the pandemic I had quite a big falling out with my then roommates and band mates. Drug abuse had become a very normal thing for the majority of the lock down and it only got worse as time crept along. Eventually I had moved out of the place we had all lived and basically had told myself I was done making music. The circumstances and fallouts with people left me feeling very broken and disillusioned and my paranoia and drug use left me feeling like I had no one to trust or anyone to help me. I was destroying my life and it was pretty nasty for those around me to watch. Once I left LA I stopped abusing and started to clean myself up a bit. I went to school for HVAC and briefly worked in the trade field feeling like I had no options left for being a creative I turned tail and did what I thought would be the responsible thing. A few years into toughing it out and grinding 60 hour weeks doing hard labor I became depressed and started drinking to drown out my issues. It wasn’t until I met my now drummer Telly and showed him some old demos of songs I had been writing that the spark began again. almost immediately we started playing together and that quickly turned into a recording session with Tellys brother Kosta in which we took a couple shroom gummy’s, sat down, and recorded Bossa which is the first single coming out for my upcoming EP.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Singer Song Rocker first and foremost but I also draw and design, I screen print and do slight sculpture and installation work. I have two other music projects SoftJaw which is my power pop band I write and play guitar in, and a one man performance art piece band called Jim Lockers. I think I specialize in a performance environment, playing live shows or public speaking is something that I feel comes natural to me and I believe I have a strong ability to help motivate and encourage growth and movement. I currently Manage a coffee shop in Long Beach called Rose Park Roasters and strive to facilitate a place of acceptance and community within the shop and provide a common ground for people to meet and share ideas
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was probably the night after I played my first show at maybe 15 or 16. I walked out to an empty dirt lot that I often would go too to sit and play guitar and practice singing, away from the sensitive ears of my mother and the judgmental ears of my sister. on this particular night I saw the first shooting star I had ever seen in my life, I innocently wished that I could make music the rest of my life. And I don’t want to jinx anything and I know you aren’t supposed to tell wishes but it felt like my wish came true at that very moment cause I’ve been rocking ever since.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: glue_shoe
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/aqpNh3sUjB0
- Other: https://glueshoe.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
personal photo Shot by Wolfgang Brardt
Additional photos shot by James Duran
