Interview by Ananya Swaroop | Photographer: Cole Ferguson

Adrian Lyles was three years old when he was first introduced to the music world. Hailing from Dallas, TX, Lyles’ journey started with piano lessons, eventually leading him to star as Jet on Seasons 3 and 4 of Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. With over a decade of experience playing live and songwriting, Lyles is entering a new chapter as he prepares a series of releases this year. Lyles talked to NYOTA about his craft, working on his single “Concrete Boy,” and touring with almost monday.

Let’s start by talking about “Concrete Boy” — what was your songwriting process, and what made you choose that electrifying sound?

I wanted to create a sound and song that felt like letting go. I was looking for a way to mix a really serious topic with a feeling of release right after. We built these wordy verses about growing up, becoming a different person than you were before, and grappling with the change that comes with that. Then we decided to follow it up by not saying anything at all and just kind of singing the feeling out. It’s like the verses are everything inside of you building up and the chorus is everything boiling over and spilling out. 

Your single “Formalize Me” and its follow-up “Somewhere to Go” both explore deep emotional themes. Do you consciously decide what parts of your life to reveal through your music?

I think my writing is a lot more subconscious. Making songs feels like my honesty hour. It’s such a free space where I can say and release anything I want in a way that helps me understand how I’m feeling when I can’t put my finger on it. So with that, I reveal pretty much everything in my life through my music. 

When you say that your biggest inspiration is the human experience, what part of that experience are you most drawn to when you are working on a new song?

A lot of it stems from what I’m dealing with in that specific moment of my life. I love writing across the entire spectrum of emotion! I love being angry in my songs because that means I get to yell and scream those feelings out. I love being happy in my songs because I get to live in that moment. I love being sad in my songs because that gives me the ability to understand what I’m feeling a little more. I love feeling it all. That’s what makes us human. 

If you could sum up the tour that just wrapped up with almost monday in a few words, what would they be?

The tour was so insanely incredible!! One of the greatest times of my life and I can’t wait to do it again. Almost monday are some of the nicest dudes ever!

How do you prepare yourself for performing live? Any pre-show rituals?

My band and I do a little four hands in the middle hand wrap thing. It’s hard to explain. When we get ready to go on, we all lean on how much we trust each other and all of the musical choices each of us make on stage. There is no place we would rather be and no one I’d rather be playing with! 

From Ray Charles to Kate Bush to Dominic Fike and Tyler The Creator — you have an eclectic mix when it comes to people who inspire you. How do you channel that into something that’s uniquely yours?

The artists that I’ve grown to love breathe so much life and feeling into the music they create. That pushes me to do the same with mine. I like to put myself and my intuition in the center and then combine that with certain aspects of the artists that I love. Me and my choices are at the center and then I’ll add my favorite things about my favorite artists on top of it. So it’s always me but at the same time, I’m always growing and learning. 

How did being part of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series influence your career? What do you enjoy more, acting or singing?

HSMTMTS changed my life. I’ve been doing music since before I can remember. I had never acted before, but I felt at home on a show centered around music! I met my manager through the show, worked with some of the most insanely talented people I’ve ever met, and now I get to do what I’ve always dreamed about doing the way I’ve dreamed about doing it. Singing will always be my first love but I can’t wait to act again and do more on the film and TV side! 

Your debut EP is set to release in 2025. What can fans expect?

It’s the start of LOTS of music coming out this year! The first one, to me, tackles the topic of love from a couple different perspectives. It draws heavily from the spectrum of emotion I was talking about, with a mix of hopeless romance to the feeling of separation. It’s only the first taste of what we’re preparing for, and I’m so excited for people to finally have more music from me. I can’t wait for everything to finally be in the hands of the people!

This story first ran in NYOTA’s Art is Life Issue. Read more from the issue here and purchase a print copy here