Maine-based teen heartthrob Skyler has been doing this gig for a while; he’s almost at the point where he’s got a bit of a routine. At a time when most of us were vroom-vrooming our trucks in the sandbox, Skyler was wooing ladies with dulcet vocals by the swingsets. seventh grade, when we were lamenting our braces, sobbing softly by the mirror, Skyler was laying down tracks in his own bedroom recording studio.

Now a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, dude has been crazy prolific, with four original albums before his own high school graduation, and now a proud EP called “Long Gone” to launch into new markets. (Find out more at www.skylertunes.com.)

Additional Photos

Skyler is a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston. With four original albums before his high school graduation, he's launching a new EP called "Long Gone." Courtesy photo

As Skyler embarks on a busy month, which includes a Dec. 19 show at Empire Dine and Dance with Sparks the Rescue and several shows in New Hampshire and Vermont, GO caught up with the young man to see how he composes himself with all the activity. Better watch your back, Taylor Swift, Skyler’s creepin’ up.

OK, so Skyler, no surname, are you taking after Madonna and Sting in that respect?

Sure. Why not?

In your young life, how long have you been passionate about performing music?

My entire life.

York, Maine. What does the place mean to you?

Home.

How did your EP, “Long Gone,” turn out, in your opinion? Are you happy with the sound?

Yes. I think it sounds great.

What Maine musicians do you admire and why?

Rick Charette had a profound impact on my childhood.

How do you see your songs evolving? What will Skyler be in five years?

They evolve as I evolve. In five years, I will be five years older.

What’s your favorite memory from the stage in 2010?

Watching the crowd sing the chorus of “It’s Just the Night” for the first time.

Mike Olcott is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Boston.

Related Stories