TYLER ELLIS Releases New Album, DOWN BY THE DON w/ *Focus Track* “LOVE LETTERS”
Award-winning singer-songwriter and master storyteller Tyler Ellis once again shares his unique, inviting style to bring his stories to life on his eighth album to date, Down by the Don.
The 14-song album was released to all major platforms on June 12th.
On the heels of his widely acclaimed live album Greater-Than, Tyler Ellis shares more of his wry, thoughtful songs about love and life in his new album Down By the Don. His hearty, warm, and rugged voice lends itself well to the stories crafted for this album, and his longtime friend and musician Mark Thackway provides strong support with acoustic guitar and backing vocals throughout.
“Give and Remember” is Ellis’s lyrical extension of the universal idea that we ought to “forgive and forget,” as we try to find the gold in a primary romantic relationship, in between “the rough patches and the bumps in the road.” Sometimes this is best accomplished by saying, as he does here, “Let’s make tonight a humdinger.”
The album’s title song, “Down By The Don,” is a modest celebration of a good, supportive friendship. “I live close to the Don River in Toronto,” says Ellis, “and quite often a buddy and I would walk the ‘beaten path’ that follows the river to Lake Ontario and ‘shoot the breeze.'”
“Three Things” softens Ellis’s unusually saucy approach to the physical aspects of true love by having the great Arlene Bishop sing the entire song in unison with Ellis, giving the tune a John Prine and Iris DeMent “In Spite of Ourselves” vibe.
“Sunpatch” is Ellis’s fond remembrance of a final visit with his brother Rob in the interior of British Columbia, just months before he passed away of Parkinson’s disease in February of 2025. The song was inspired by a poem that Rob wrote. “We hadn’t spent that much time together over the years (this country is huge),” says Ellis, “so, a small silver lining of his illness was the weeks I stayed in the mountains with him.”
“Picture on the Fridge,” written during COVID lockdowns, was inspired by a photo of Ellis’s daughter when she was quite young. It prompted a flood of memories, from Harry Potter nightmares to Harry Styles thrills to a “lights out” performance down at the local rink.
“Love Letters” is essentially a song about people pouring their hearts out through the ages. Ellis co-wrote the song with his musical friend and frequent collaborator Julian Taylor, who also sings along on this recording. Taylor cut his own version of “Love Letters,” which was included on his JUNO-nominated album Pathways, and which garnered a nomination for the International Folk Music Awards Song of the Year in 2024.
A simple song about being present in the moment, open to current possibilities, and not worrying about the future, “Tonight” is – as the song says – “just right.”
It happens all the time, but “Love at First Sight Saturday Night” deftly captures the experience and features Toronto-based singer-songwriters Stephen York and Katey Morley on backing vocals.
“‘Folks’ is a song I wrote during the ‘quiet time’ of the pandemic,” says Ellis. “The Riverboat Monday weekly open stage, that I still run in Toronto, was held on Zoom for 100 Mondays. It played a very important part in maintaining my sense of well-being during those trying times. This is a tip of the hat to all performers who attended, and a general comment about the importance of having positive people in your life.”
For Ellis, the goal of “Swan Song” was to conjure up the bittersweet feelings and fond memories that come up just after the end of a long-lasting love affair. He succeeded.
“Your Smile” might be the most John Prine-like song that Ellis has ever created, and is in the same league as anything that the masterful singer-songwriter ever recorded. It takes a hard-earned, balanced view of the ups and downs of a romance. As Ellis sings, “Half full or half empty / Depends on how I’m looking at the cup.”
In a rare, jazzy moment from Ellis, the gentle love song “Swept Away” features an unlikely accompaniment from acclaimed Canadian flautist Bill McBirnie, dancing delicately throughout.