For Wyatt Zylawy, a homegrown musician from Superior, music is a lot of things – it’s part art, it's storytelling, it can be cathartic or even therapeutic. And as he recently released his very first solo album called “Bitter Roots”, he confessed, “I think it’s all of those things.”

“For me, songwriting is probably closest to storytelling,” Zylawy conveyed. “I’m interested in real people, real places, family history, memories, and things that actually happened. I like songs that feel like they came from somewhere.”

Joe Perry of Aerosmith said once, “Let the music do the talking.” Zylawy can relate to this notion as well. 

“There is definitely a cathartic side to it too. Sometimes you don’t completely understand what you’re feeling until you try to write it down. A song can give you a way to say something that you wouldn’t necessarily know how to say in a conversation,” he acknowledged. 

When he’s not putting pen to paper to jot down lyrics or playing his guitar, Zylway spends his day crunching numbers in his work as a corporate accountant. To the folks of Mineral County, however, Wyatt is one face of the trio that makes up the Zylawy Brothers band, which has produced previous albums and has graced the local stages at talent shows and fair events. 

Zylawy confessed, “Music is something I’ve always wanted to take seriously, though, and I’ve reached a point where I really wanted to stop just talking about making records and actually make one.”

Playing music since he was 10 years old, he didn’t imagine growing up to be a musician. It was something that gradually became more important to him. 

He said, “I think a lot of it came from being around my brothers who are so musically talented.” 

“What really drew me in, though, was the songwriting."

The songwriting aspect slowly became the side he loved the most. 

Zylawy noted, “I liked the idea of taking something that happened to you, or something you were thinking about, and turning it into a song. It became a way of putting those things somewhere outside of your own head.”

In his musically gifted family, Wyatt plays acoustic guitar and resonator guitar. He only played acoustic on this album. His brother Kenley played the violin for three songs, and his brother Roman played Mandolin on about eight songs. Both of them generated backup vocals on a few songs as well.

His solo album was released on Aug. 28. 

“The album’s name 'Bitter Roots' is about where you come from — your history, your family, the places that shaped you, growing up, and realizing that neither you nor home are quite the same as they once were," Zylawy. "It’s about the tension between who we were and who we’re trying to become.”

“The word “roots” obviously has a connection to family and where you’re from, but I also liked the idea that roots aren’t always pretty - sometimes they turn bitter. There are good things in our histories, and there are difficult things. There are things you’re proud of and things that hurt.”

Although this album was his first solo album, he and his brothers have been making music together for many years. The Zylawy Brothers have two albums out called “Hiawatha” and “Where We Belong”.

“This record was different in that it started as my own songwriting project," he said. "Then, my brothers heard and loved the songs and wanted to join in on them.”

Much of the instrumentation is simple and stripped down; Zylawy didn’t want it to be overproduced or filled with effects. 

He stated, “I wanted the songs themselves to be the focus. I wanted what we played in the recording studio to be exactly what you hear on the album.”

Fourteen songs make up the album, and they were pieced together over the period of about 15 years. 

“Some of them had been sitting with me for quite a while, while others came together much more quickly," Zylawy reckoned.

It’s difficult for Zylawy to keep track of how long the songwriting process takes. 

He recalled, “Some songs took years to become what they’re supposed to be, and some came to me in an afternoon. Bitter Roots is really a collection of those different moments.”

Even though “Bitter Roots” began as a solo project due to scheduling conflicts with his brothers, Zylawy was grateful that they were able to join in and contribute to some of the songs. 

“I didn’t want this project to be isolated from the people I’ve always made music with," he said. "They brought their own style and musical influences into the songs and made the songs sound better than I could have done on my own.”

It’s difficult for Zylawy to choose a favorite song out of the 14. 

“Obviously, “Bitter Roots” is one of the most important songs on the record because it really represents the idea behind the album as a whole,” he shared. “I also have a few songs that feel especially personal to me. Some of them are more about family and where I came from, while others are just stories or moments that I wanted to capture.”

The ones that get stuck in your head the most can change with time as well. 

Zylawy noted, “Sometimes the song you didn’t expect people to connect with becomes the one they remember.” 

“Currently, I’d say “Louder Than the Guns” is one of my favorites - a story about a war veteran coming home, but a piece of him never made it back.”

Zylway’s solo album was recorded at Custer’s Last Studio in Superior, run by Chuck Seward. He described, “It’s actually in his garage, where he built a recording studio. He’s been in the music industry for decades.”

The entire album was recorded in just four days, with each song done in one take. 

“We recorded it on an analog system rather than digitally, which was really important to me. I wanted the record to have that older, more natural sound,” he explained.

“That’s one of the things I really loved about the whole experience. It wasn’t some huge commercial studio where you walk in, and everything feels sterile. It felt like a place where people actually make music.”

Looking back on previous times in the studio, there were moments of frustration while laying down tracks on his Zylawy Brothers records. 

He said, “You’re trying to capture something honestly, and sometimes you know when you didn’t quite get it, and you have to try it again and again.” 

Sometimes musicians and producers can just mix the life out of the song.

But this time around on “Bitter Roots”, he didn’t do that. 

“I didn’t want to edit everything to death and make it perfect at the expense of making it feel real," he said. "I wanted exactly what happened in the room to be what you heard on the record.”

Seward played a big part in producing the songs just like Zylawy imagined.

“He knew how to capture what we were doing without trying to make it into something it wasn’t,” said Zylawy. 

Costs to create an album involve recording, mastering that recording, artwork, manufacturing CDs, distribution, and much more. Zylawy was fortunate enough to be able to fund everything himself.

Doing it independently made it possible for him to record without having to spend an enormous amount of money. 

Zylawy said, “We weren’t working with a giant studio or a huge production team. It was pretty grassroots. I did the artwork myself, worked with a distributor that would manage our streaming delivery and manufactured only 100 CD’s.” 

Investing his time and effort, he admitted, “I wanted to make something physical that I could actually hold in my hands and be proud of.”

“The biggest thing I’d probably want people to know about 'Bitter Roots' is that it wasn’t made to be perfect. It was made to be honest,” said Zylawy. 

He describes his music as “Roots-driven Americana" — a fusion of folk, country, and Americana all blended together.  

Zylawy is inspired by songwriters who are able to tell a story without overcomplicating it. He offered, “I’m drawn to music that feels lived-in and honest rather than overly polished. Artists like Noah Kahan, Jason Isbell and Zach Bryan come to mind.”

His family also has a significant influence on his music. 

Zylawy articulated, “My brothers have been a big part of my musical life. We’ve played together, worked on songs together, and encouraged each other for a long time. Having people around you who understand why you’re doing it makes a big difference.”

His mom, and his wife have also been huge supporters throughout the journey. 

He admitted, “I honestly don’t think this album would exist without them. There were times where I got discouraged, and they were both there to pick me back up and tell me to keep pushing towards this dream.”

In the future, Zylway would like to continue making records. 

“I don’t necessarily have some huge goal of becoming famous," he said. "I’d like to keep writing good songs, make better records every time, play for more people, and build something that lasts.”

“I’d also really like to continue making music with my brothers. There’s something special about being able to make music with your family, and I don’t take that for granted,” he added. 

In fact, the Zylawy Brothers are working on their next album right now. A date hasn’t been set yet, but Zylawy shared, “I’m anticipating that we could have it released this time next year. Kenley and I have written about ten songs that are ready to be polished up and prepped for recording.” 

When he’s not in the studio or in his songwriting bubble, Zylawy loves to ski, hunt, hike and go whitewater rafting. He also enjoys taking his friends and family out sailing on Lake Coeur d’ Alene.

“Honestly, a lot of my free time is spent with my family," he said. "Music is a big part of my life, but it’s definitely not the only part of it.”

Above all, Zylawy thanks Chuck Seward for his kindness and generosity. 

He said, “None of this would have been possible without Chuck. Thank you, Chuck, for believing in me and for believing in my music.”

Only 100 limited edition CDs were made, and they are not available at retail locations. Those will be available for purchase at any live performances or from me directly if you reach out

The album is available digitally through all major streaming platforms, and Zylawy will also have the limited-edition physical CDs available for purchase. He can be reached on Facebook and Instagram. Currently, there are no shows planned where you can hear the tunes from “Bitter Roots”. But he is definitely interested in playing live following the release. 

“I don’t want the record to just come out online and disappear into the internet," he said. "I’d like to get these songs in front of people and eventually build some shows around them.” 

Check back on his social media for updates, and for now enjoy streaming the hometown raw and soulful melodies of this Superior singer-songwriter.