In a music world that often feels weighed down by noise and negativity, Tyketto frontman Danny Vaughn is doubling down on what the band has always done best: delivering soaring, melodic hard rock that lifts spirits and reminds listeners why they fell in love with the genre in the first place.
The band’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, Closer To The Sun, arrived on March 20, 2026, via Silver Lining Music—marking their first full-length studio release in a decade. With the current lineup of Danny Vaughn (vocals), Harry Scott Elliott, Ged Rylands, Chris Childs, and Johnny Dee, the record taps back into the classic arena-rock roots that made their 1991 debut Don’t Come Easy a cult favorite. Official videos have already dropped for the title track “Closer To The Sun,” “We Rise,” and the anthemic “Higher Than High.”
In a candid and wide-ranging conversation from his home in southern Spain, Vaughn opened up about the album’s creation, its deeper messages, the state of the industry, and why Tyketto is still flying high after 35 years.
Distilling the Magic
When it came time to follow up a decade after their last studio effort, the band faced the inevitable pressure of living up to that beloved debut. Rather than trying to copy it, they chose to study what made it special.
“We sat and listened to it and said, ‘What is it about this record? This funny little record that it’s 35 years later and people still listen to it,’” Vaughn recalled. “The idea was not to copy it, but to try and maybe distill some of the vibe that was in it and bring that to a new record. That was kind of our mission statement.”
The result is Closer To The Sun—an optimistic, high-energy collection that Vaughn describes as offering “48 minutes of distraction” in turbulent times. While it includes a couple of deeper tracks, the emphasis is on feel-good, sing-along rock ‘n’ roll.
“I think we kind of captured it in one,” he said with a laugh. “We wanted to offer people… just not too much music with deep messages. One or two. Maybe I’ll sneak it in. But you don’t have to necessarily catch it if you don’t want to.”
The Power of “The Brave”
One song that clearly does carry a deeper message is the album closer “The Brave,” which Vaughn wrote first and feels most strongly about.
During the second year of the pandemic, Vaughn found himself reflecting on who truly mattered in daily life. Not billionaires chasing space dreams, but the essential workers keeping society running.
“The guy who’s risking his life to stock the shelves with food so you got shit to eat—he suddenly became very important,” Vaughn explained. “Are they going to work today? Are the nurses in today? Is my mail going to get delivered?”
He was particularly moved by the weekly tradition in the UK where people stepped outside to bang pots and pans in appreciation for the National Health Service. “The Brave” celebrates those everyday heroes—firefighters, carers, teachers—and carries a hopeful reminder to keep showing that gratitude.
Staying True in a Changing Industry
Vaughn is refreshingly honest about the challenges facing rock bands today. Streaming and the internet have upended the old rules, and no one has a guaranteed roadmap to success.
“Nobody knows what’s going on anymore as far as music is concerned,” he said. “Anybody that tells you, ‘Don’t worry kid, I know how to get you there’—they’re just lying.”
His advice to young musicians is simple but powerful: Stay authentic.
“Choose it by what is true to you. Because if you choose what you’re going to play by what’s fashionable at the moment, you’ll be out of time in no time… Melody is what I thrive on. That’s what I’m going to be writing.”
Tyketto never chased trends through the grunge and nu-metal eras, and that consistency has earned them a loyal underground following alongside peers like Extreme, Mr. Big, and Winger.
The Hail Mary That Paid Off
When asked for his career “Hail Mary” moment, Vaughn pointed to the making of the “Wings” video in 1991. After their label balked at funding it, the band—living together in rock ‘n’ roll boot camp—pooled their remaining publishing money and shot it themselves.
“We basically took all the money we had left… and made the ‘Wings’ video ourselves,” he laughed. “Which is why if you’ve seen the beginning of it, where the record executives [are]laughing… we just immediately stuck our thumbs right in Geffen’s eye.”
The label ultimately loved it. That DIY spirit has defined the band ever since.
Looking Ahead
Tyketto is hitting the European festival circuit this summer and co-headlining with Black Star Riders, rotating new tracks into the setlist while giving fans plenty of classics. A full U.S. return remains a logistical and financial challenge due to high work-permit and travel costs for the largely European-based band, but Vaughn hopes to make it happen.
In the meantime, the band is already eyeing the next record while riding the wave of this one.
As the conversation wrapped, Vaughn’s passion for music—and its power to connect and uplift—shone through.
“Music I think becomes something… It can mean so much to people. And you just never know the stories you’re going to get told… I think if anything’s going to save us, it’s going to be music somehow. I don’t know how, but that’s what I’m betting on.”
Closer To The Sun is out now on all platforms. Catch Tyketto live this summer across Europe, and keep an eye out for U.S. dates. In the meantime, crank it up loud—the rock needs more bands willing to fly this close to the sun.
