In an industry governed by record deals and algorithmic playlists, Tyler Burkhart is a truly independent artist. The Landisville native and prolific singer-songwriter has been writing and recording music for a little more than a decade, during which time he's garnered a global following, hundreds of thousands of online listeners and an expansive discography. But Burkhart's music has never been released under a label - and it isn't even his main career.

Burkhart started guitar lessons when he was 10 years old, but he connected with music only as a listener during his younger years. At first, Burkhart exclusively listened to Christian rock bands and CDs that his parents owned, but he discovered other genres as he grew older and shared music with friends. It wasn't until Burkhart received a microphone as a Christmas gift from his brother that he realized he could start recording his own music. Burkhart started recording in GarageBand, learning the basics from his friend and bandmate Mike O'Hara.

After graduating from Hempfield High School in 2007, Burkhart attended Millersville University, where he would eventually earn a master's degree in social work in 2016. But as an undergraduate student who commuted from Landisville, Burkhart began to question his path. Feeling lost and unsure of what he wanted, Burkhart started pouring himself into writing and recording music with the microphone his brother had gifted to him. "I was probably feeling pretty depressed," said Burkhart. "I was going to college, but I wasn't hyped about it. It was something I could do that I felt good about."

Burkhart released a handful of EPs and an album titled Freaking Out before putting out his first official record, "Sweet Spell," in 2015. The 11-track debut is a melancholic but graceful ode to Burkhart's introspective days living in the suburbs, laying the foundation of his dreamy and graceful sound. Burkhart's sophomore album, "Marianne," builds upon his first album's wistful mood with evocative melodies and earnest lyrics that melt between your headphones and ears as you listen.

"I'm a visual person, so I've always imagined reaching for something in music," Burkhart said. "I feel like that's always been what I've felt when I listen to music - this sort of longing and trying to break through."

Since the release of "Sweet Spell," Burkhart has nurtured an impressively long discography, including his latest release, "Every night and all," which dropped in December. Burkhart's more recent material features a few traits that distinguish it from his early releases, but his sound and creative approach has mostly stayed the same. Similar to the records that preceded it, "Every night and all" sounds sharper than "Sweet Spell" or "Marianne," both of which Burkhart recorded entirely in GarageBand with minimal knowledge of recording techniques.

Although Burkhart has become more knowledgeable about music production through the years and often records in a professional studio, he still prefers to track certain instruments and parts of songs in the DIY setting he started in. "In my experience, trying to perfect production usually gets in the way of me actually making things," Burkhart said. "When I listen to the early stuff, I can hear what I didn't know. But I still like it, and people connected with it." Burkhart added that while recording his first few albums, he would often ditch the microphone altogether and place his laptop in front of an instrument to record.

In the same way Burkhart writes and records by his own rules, he has never been represented by a label or a booking agency, which he credits as one of the main reasons his creative direction has remained as uncompromised after a decade. "The more I do it myself, the less I want to do it with anyone else," said Burkhart. "I want to do it in a way that feels true to me; I don't want to compromise."

To listen to Burkhart's music, visit https://tylerburkhart.bandcamp.com.