Headlining the main stage at Wembley is a mean feat no matter your background, but can you imagine busking your way up there?
Such is the inspirational story of The Dualers’ frontman Tyber Cranstoun. He worked his way up from living out of a storage unit in Shooters Hill to travelling the country on a nationwide Road to Wembley Tour.
Ty and The Dualers started gaining traction as viral busking sensations. Performing across Bromley, Canterbury, and Romford, to name a few, the band were a smash hit, with recordings of their street performances being watched over 7 million times.
But while Ty would leave the streets with adorning fans chanting, he would be using their money to pay for the rent on his garage, desperate to keep any roof over his head. By day, he was surrounded by fans. By night, he was surrounded by cold, pink breezeblocks.
Today, with over 39,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Ty and the Dualers are a living testament to the relationship between artists and their fans. Their smash single Kiss on the Lips reached a staggering 21 in the UK charts with no backing or airplay, only support from audiences. Their success story continued with Radio 2 features on their single Only When You’re Around and the single Truly Madly Deeply featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Fools Good and the BBC’s Death in Paradise.
At the heart of the group is family. Tyber and his brother Si Cranstoun formed the Jamaican Rhythm & Blues band before it blossomed into the fantastic nine-piece act it is today. The brothers were destined for success, with music running through their veins. The Cranstoun’s father was the man who brought ska to the UK, and now, The Dualers proudly carries that torch on.
Nowadays, Ty is inspired by his daughter and is grateful for how far they’ve come as The Dualers gets underway on their busiest year yet. Balancing being a single father, recording their hotly anticipated new album Voices From the Sun, and playing a 25-show nationwide tour, may seem impossible, but Ty, it is an everyday reality.
Standing at the absolute top of his game, remembering cold nights in the lock-up armed with only his music, Ty is the ultimate success story and living proof of the awesome power of music.
Road to Wembley tour dates:
Friday 25th February – Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill (sold out)
Saturday 26th February – Lincoln – Engine Shed
Friday 11th March – Belfast – Limelight
Saturday 12th March – Dublin – Academy
Friday 25th March – Edinburgh – Stramash (sold out)
Saturday 26th March – Glasgow – o2 Academy
Saturday 2nd April – Manchester – o2 Apollo
Saturday 23rd April – Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 14th May – London – Wembley Arena
