When Frisco native Grace Tyler steps onto the stage at AT&T Stadium this weekend, it will mark a homecoming years in the making — and a major milestone in her rising country music career.
The singer-songwriter, known for her heartfelt lyrics and powerful voice, is part of the stacked lineup for the inaugural Lone Star Smokeout, a three-day outdoor festival bringing Nashville-level star power and world-class BBQ to Arlington from May 2–4.
A Frisco Girl Finds Her Voice
For Wakeland High School alumna Tyler, who now lives in Nashville, the upcoming Lone Star Smokeout is more than just another gig. It’s a chance to play for the hometown crowd that shaped her love of country music from the start.
“Growing up around live music is a huge part of the reason I wanted to have a career in music,” Tyler tells Local Profile. “I fell in love with watching local bands play as well as hearing Texas country artists on the radio as a kid.”
Raised on legends like Dolly Parton, George Strait and Miranda Lambert, Tyler developed an early appreciation for songs that felt genuine. “Each one has something that makes you want to hear more,” Tyler says. “Their songs all feel true to them and therefore believable as the listener. That’s something that’s so important to me as an artist with my own music.”
Tyler Heads To Nashville
After cutting her teeth in Texas’s Red Dirt music scene as a teenager and performing at local spots such as Love & War, Tyler moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University — a move she describes as life-changing.
“I feel like Nashville is the lost city of Texas,” she says, pointing out the strong community of fellow Texans she found there. Belmont provided an immediate network of collaborators and mentors, including country star Lee Brice, who later invited her to open her first arena show in Loveland, Colorado.
“Stepping on stage to an entire arena of people will never get old and is a feeling I chase every day,” she says.
From TikTok to the Tour Bus
Tyler’s 2022 breakout single “My Mistake” struck a chord on TikTok, introducing her to a broader audience and landing her on playlists like Spotify’s Texas Country Now and Fresh Finds Country. Since then, she’s racked up a string of high-profile moments, including performances at CMA Fest, Spotify’s Coastal Cowgirls showcase in Venice Beach and opening slots for Shane Smith & the Saints.
But what she loves most about country music is its power to bring people together. No matter where someone is from, there’s a shared desire to feel connected through music.
“Country music is raw and real,” Tyler says. “A girl from Texas and someone from Venice Beach can live two completely different lives — yet still be touched by a song. It really is incredible seeing the way my music impacts people from all walks of life.”
For her, the music remains personal. Her forthcoming EP, Everything I Didn’t Say, is a reflection on heartbreak, written in the aftermath of a breakup.
“It’s a collection of my thoughts after things ended and I stopped speaking to the person I thought I was going to marry,” Tyler says. “The ‘ah-ha’ moments that I couldn’t say out loud — the reflection on all the times I should have said something. It was a project that honestly healed me from one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
The centerpiece of the project is “I Hope You Have a Daughter,” a piano ballad she wrote alone one night, bottle of wine in hand. “I questioned if it was good enough to release or if I should just keep it to myself,” she admits.
Back Where It All Began
Returning to North Texas for the Lone Star Smokeout, Tyler says she hopes the crowd sees more than just a polished performer.
“I hope they are proud of the girl from Frisco who set her mind to living her dreams and is doing everything she can to achieve them,” Tyler says. “I hope that my music impacts people and leaves them wanting more!”
And like any good Texan returning home, she has one priority off stage: food. “By far my favorite thing to do is to get good Tex Mex and barbecue,” Tyler says. “I know Texas will always be home because when I'm not there, I miss that taste.”
Tyler performs Saturday, May 3, alongside a high-energy lineup of country’s biggest names — such as Jon Pardi, Cody Jinks, Midland, Kaitlin Butts and more. Get your tickets here.
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