Tyler Ellis shares new single from upcoming album, out May 2, 2025
Award-winning Toronto singer-songwriter Tyler Ellis is one of the unsung heroes of folk-roots music on the scene, but his distinct knack for concise storytelling, underscored by his rugged, down-home voice, shines brilliantly on the new single “100 Proof.” The song is from Ellis’ eighth album to date, Down by the Don, coming out in June. “100 Proof” is out on May 2nd and available on all major platforms.
“100 Proof” has already been busy making waves: A cover of Ellis’ song by Julian Taylor (included on his JUNO-nominated Beyond the Reservoir LP) was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Single of the Year in 2023, and has received more than one million streams.
“Tyler Ellis wrote it, and I just loved it,” says Taylor. “I believe he’s one of Canada’s strongest songwriters, in the folk realm.”
A gentle, finger-picked acoustic charmer, “100 Proof” tells the life story of a man who finds his way – and helps others find theirs – with a homespun recipe for human beings to be able to thrive together: “If kindness were a spirit / Be 100 proof.”
“The song is a roadmap of sorts to help navigate a world gone mad, and encourage resilience and caring,” says Ellis. “It’s also a bit of a pushback against the ‘suck it up, buttercup’ model of masculinity that was prevalent in my youth, and sadly, still is in many circles.”