Tyler Ballgame | Artist to Watch – February 2026

Hometown: Los Angeles by way of Rhode Island 

Why They’re WXPN Artist To Watch: Tyler Ballgame has a big, round, theatrical tenor voice that’s able to convey absolute tenderness and genuine humor and joy, sometimes at the very same time. Lots of singers who possess this can sometimes fall into camp, but what Tyler Ballgame is doing isn’t that, it’s something even riskier — full-on sincerity. 

“For The First Time, Again,” the title track of his debut album, conjures the magic and feel of Dylan’s other voice on “Lay Lady Lay,” and that’s nowhere near the first reference to an iconic vocalist you’ll hear as you cruise through this truly impressive and engaging debut. Roy Orbison, Harry Nilsson, and other references will abound, but what comes through over and over again is real originality on display here. For The First Time, Again is a healer of an album — this is deep, soulful stuff, the genuine article.

You Might Know Them From: Open mics and tiny bar gigs around L.A. over the past few years, and… the Newport Folk Festival? The Ballgame story is kind of an old school music biz story — raised in Rhode Island, Ballgame moved to L.A. pretty much on a whim and immediately began to play locally. Producer Jonathan Rado (Miley Cyrus, The Killers) caught wind of him, they began recording, and the result was an old-school bidding war that saw Ballgame signed to legendary UK indie label Rough Trade.

Fun Fact: Ballgame is a bit of a theatre kid! He studied songwriting at Berklee College of Music. 

Essential Tracks:  “I Believe In Love,” “For The First Time, Again”

Catch Them Live: With the release of For The First Time, Again just last week, Tyler Ballgame hits the road this month and will likely be on tour for the first half of the year at least. No Philly date announced just yet, but keep your eyes peeled!