For lone wolf troubadour Tim Easton, music has always been a part of his life. Easton grew up the youngest of seven children, many of whom played instruments themselves. All of them built their own music collections and helped shape Easton’s gritty Americana sound.

“They had a lot of vinyl to inspire me,” said Easton.

Easton traveled extensively as a child because of his father’s job with Goodyear Tires. Born in New York near the Canada border, Easton spent much of his childhood in Akron, Ohio, along with a three-year stint in Japan. 

After attending The Ohio State University, Easton ventured to Europe where he busked for seven years, including an encounter performing on the streets of Paris with Beck not long before the artist’s hit single “Loser” took over radio airwaves. 

According to Easton, the people, cultures and ways of speaking that he’s encountered on his adventures have helped him to develop characters within his music while also expanding his world view.

 

“I think that traveling helps broaden your anthropological studies,” said Easton. “It helps you to understand people in different cultures. You become more of a world citizen and less xenophobic, and therefore able to be comfortable around all kinds of people.” 

Spanning over 18 years, Easton has accumulated a library of original music consisting of seven studios albums, the latest of which is 2016’s “American Fork.” For the record Easton brought in a full band to back him on many of the tracks, a stark difference from many of his past works and his touring gigs, which are typically solo affairs. 

Per Easton, while the record features a backing band, it also still has its solitary moments with only an acoustic guitar and drums, adding that the record’s versatility is possible due to being headquartered in Nashville, where he and other musicians have an extensive amount of bells and whistles at their disposal.

Easton will return to Lexington for a show on Tuesday, Feb. 14 with Darrin Bradbury and the Zane Hilton Band at The Burl. 

On one of his past trips through Lexington, a gig on WoodSongs, Easton recalled being given a complimentary joint by a fan after the show, which Easton threw in his backpack, only to forget about it until a few weeks later. Per Easton, he was on his way through the Dallas airport when he was stopped for a random security inspection that uncovered the joint. Rather than throw it away, security placed Easton in custody, leading to a three-hour jail stint. 

“It’s safe to say that I don’t behave the way I used to behave, at least for today,” said Easton.

IF YOU GO

What: Tim Easton, Darrin Bradbury, Zane Hilton Band

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14

Where:The Burl

Tickets: $12, 21+