Check Out Tyler Abbott’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Abbott.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Ty Abbott, and I’m the founder of Clique Cabana, an Atlanta based music and culture brand focused on building immersive experiences around house music, art, and community.

My story honestly started long before music. Growing up, baseball was my entire life. I played competitively my whole life, went on to play in college, and was even being looked at professionally at one point. I truly believed that was going to be my future. But after dealing with injuries, I wasn’t able to continue playing, and overnight I kind of lost the identity I had built around the sport. That period forced me to step back and really figure out who I was outside of baseball.

After that, I was taking online classes and trying to figure out what direction I wanted to go in. Around that time, I went down to visit my brother at Florida State University and ended up spending a few months there during the summer. That whole experience honestly changed my life. I worked at bars, met a ton of people, went to music festivals, and that’s where I really got introduced to house music and the culture surrounding it.

Once I experienced it firsthand, it immediately clicked for me. Outside of Georgia, and honestly outside of a lot of traditional nightlife scenes, house music felt different. It felt like community, connection, freedom, energy, and experience all blended together. It wasn’t just people going out to drink. It was people genuinely connecting through music and atmosphere, and I completely fell in love with it.

When I came back to Atlanta, I got a bartending job and started teaching myself how to DJ. DJing eventually turned into promoting and curating events, and over time I realized that while I love music and performing, what I really love is creating experiences for people. I genuinely enjoy bringing people together, creating moments people remember, helping DJs grow, and building environments where people can escape real life for a few hours and feel connected.

At the same time, I felt like Atlanta was missing something. I felt like the city had so much potential culturally, but a lot of nightlife started feeling repetitive and transactional. I wanted to help create experiences that felt immersive, intentional, creative, and culture driven instead of just another night out.

That mindset eventually led to the creation of Clique Cabana.

What started as smaller grassroots events slowly grew into a full scale creative platform centered around music, media, fashion, and community. Over the years, we’ve produced warehouse shows, rooftop events, daytime park takeovers, and large scale experiences with nationally and internationally recognized artists. We’ve expanded into media content, apparel, and music releases because I always wanted the brand to feel bigger than just nightlife alone.

A huge part of our growth came from focusing on culture and experience first. Instead of just booking DJs and throwing parties, we became known for building custom environments, unique production, strong sound systems, immersive staging, and creating a real sense of community around the music. That approach helped us stand out in Atlanta.

The journey definitely wasn’t overnight. There were a lot of risks, mistakes, financial pressure, sleepless nights, and learning experiences behind the scenes. I’ve had to wear pretty much every hat possible over the years including talent buying, marketing, operations, branding, partnerships, staffing, production, and artist relations, all while continuing to grow as both an artist and entrepreneur.

But honestly, none of this happens alone. I wouldn’t be anything without the team behind Clique Cabana. Everybody involved believes in the same vision, everybody plays their role, and everybody works hard to execute together. I’m extremely grateful to be surrounded by people who genuinely care about building something meaningful and pushing the culture forward in Atlanta.

At the end of the day, I’m still just somebody who fell in love with music, community, and experience and turned that passion into something much bigger than myself.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and honestly it’s still not. The music and nightlife industry is extremely competitive, and at times it can be a very toxic environment if you don’t know how to navigate it properly.

One of the hardest parts for me in the beginning was that a lot of people I originally connected with in the scene didn’t really support what I was trying to build. I think because what we were doing felt different from the norm, there was pushback. There were people who doubted it, people who didn’t understand the vision, and honestly some relationships and friendships changed because of that. When you start growing in a different direction or trying to elevate something creatively, not everybody comes with you.

I’ve definitely dealt with a lot of resistance over the years. It can feel like there’s always somebody criticizing, competing, doubting, or trying to bring you down in some way. There are a lot of egos involved in this industry, and nightlife in general can become very unhealthy if you get too absorbed into it.

That’s actually something I’ve become very intentional about. Because of my background in sports, health and discipline have always been important to me. I like staying physically active, lifting weights, and doing yoga consistently. I also make a conscious effort to stay sober for at least part of the year because it helps keep my head clear and keeps me grounded mentally and physically.

I think a lot of people in this industry lose themselves in the atmosphere around them. It’s easy to get caught up in the partying, the nightlife, the attention, or the negativity that can come with it. For me, staying disciplined outside of the scene has been one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to continue growing and stay focused on the bigger picture.

At the end of the day, though, all of those struggles taught me a lot. They taught me resilience, how to navigate people better, how to protect my energy, and how important it is to stay authentic to your vision even when not everybody understands it at first.

I’ve learned that if you’re trying to build something meaningful, especially something culture driven and different, you have to be willing to go through uncomfortable periods and stay committed through the criticism and growing pains.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What I do today really sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, music, culture, and live experience. I’m the founder and owner of Clique Cabana, but more than anything, I see myself as somebody focused on building experiences, platforms, and opportunities that bring people together through music and creativity.

Clique Cabana has grown into much more than just an event company. We’ve built it into a full creative platform that includes live events, talent buying, media production, a music label, apparel, long form YouTube content, and artist development. We produce everything from intimate underground experiences to large scale warehouse shows and outdoor events, and a huge focus for us is creating immersive environments that feel unique every single time.

What really separates us is that we don’t just throw parties. We build worlds around the music. We focus heavily on production, staging, lighting, sound design, visuals, atmosphere, and curation. We’re very intentional about the feeling people experience when they walk into one of our events. A lot of our inspiration comes from experiences outside of Atlanta and even outside of the United States where dance music culture feels deeper and more community driven.

On the talent buying side, I’ve been fortunate enough to help bring some incredible artists to Atlanta and work alongside artists I grew up listening to. We’ve hosted and worked with names like Lee Foss, Justin Martin, Dennis Ferrer, OMNOM, Ranger Trucco, Cristoph, Francis Mercier, AC Slater, Mele, Tres Mortimer, Art Department, TEED, DJ Minx, along with many others and with even more on the way. Being able to help create a platform where Atlanta can experience world class dance music and culture is something I’m extremely proud of.

Another major part of what we do is media. We have a full media team that documents and captures our experiences through recap videos, photography, and long form live recordings. Our YouTube platform has become a major focus because we want to preserve these moments and continue building something that lives beyond a single night. We’re investing heavily into high quality live sets and visual storytelling because we believe music culture deserves to be documented at a high level.

On the music side, I’m also a DJ and producer myself. I create and release house music that’s heavily inspired by underground culture, groove, percussion, rolling basslines, and deeper emotional energy. DJing was really the first creative outlet that pulled me into this world, and it’s still something I’m deeply passionate about. I’ve had the opportunity to perform alongside artists I’ve looked up to for years, and being able to evolve from fan to curator to artist has been a surreal experience.

As an entrepreneur, I think what I’m most proud of is building something from the ground up that genuinely impacts people and culture. None of this was handed to me. Everything has been built through vision, persistence, relationships, creativity, and a willingness to take risks.

I also think what sets me apart is that I genuinely care about the experience and the people involved. Whether it’s the artists, the attendees, the staff, or the creative team, I want everybody to feel something real through what we build. I’m not chasing nightlife for the sake of nightlife. I’m trying to build something lasting that contributes to culture, community, and creative expression in a meaningful way.

I’m also very proud that Clique Cabana has been a part of two Miami Music Weeks, which is debatably one of the biggest and most respected weeks in the entire house music industry worldwide. Over the past few years, we’ve produced a total of five events during Miami Music Week across multiple venues, which was a huge milestone for us as a brand. Being able to bring the Clique Cabana vision outside of Atlanta and into one of the biggest global stages in dance music was something really special and showed us how much the brand was continuing to grow.

Alongside Clique Cabana, I’ve also been building two additional brands called Velvet Room and COCO & CHAOS, both created with the intention of bringing something fresh and meaningful to the local community. Velvet Room is focused on creating intimate, music driven experiences centered around local talent, strong energy, and quality house music in smaller curated environments. COCO & CHAOS is more experimental and culture driven, built around the idea of disconnecting from the constant distractions of modern nightlife and reconnecting with people, atmosphere, and real experiences. No phones. No genre, just vibes. Both brands were created because I genuinely felt like the community was craving something deeper, more intentional, and more creatively inspiring than the traditional nightlife formula. My goal with all of these projects is to continue giving local artists the opportunity to perform on stages they deserve to perform on while pushing culture forward in Atlanta and creating spaces where people can truly connect through music, creativity, and shared experience.

For our 2 year anniversary with Clique Cabana we brought OMNOM and we wanted the event to represent something bigger than just music. Alongside the celebration, Clique Cabana partnered with Toys for Tots to give back directly to the local community and turn the night into both a cultural experience and a charitable initiative. Through toy donations, community support, and contributions from attendees, we were able to raise over 200 toys along with additional monetary donations for families and children in need during the holiday season. It was a powerful reminder that the community we are building is about more than nightlife. It is about creating real impact, bringing people together, and using our platform to give back while doing what we love.

At the end of the day, I see Clique Cabana and our sister brands more than a brands. I see it as a movement built around music, creativity, and human connection, and I’m grateful to be part of helping push that forward in Atlanta.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout this journey is the importance of staying true to yourself and trusting your vision, even when other people don’t understand it yet.

A lot of the time when you’re trying to build something different, people will question it before they support it. Some people project their own fears, limitations, or insecurities onto what you’re doing. Especially in creative industries, it’s very easy to get discouraged by criticism, comparison, competition, or outside opinions. Early on, I probably cared too much about what certain people thought, and over time I learned that if you constantly seek validation from others, you’ll never fully build what you’re actually capable of building.

I’ve learned that if you truly believe in something, you have to be willing to execute on it relentlessly, even during the periods where nobody else fully sees the vision yet. Most meaningful things are built through consistency, persistence, and belief long before they’re ever recognized publicly.

I’ve also learned the importance of protecting your energy and your mindset. This industry can be amazing, but it can also be very distracting and emotionally draining if you let it consume you. Staying disciplined physically and mentally through things like fitness, yoga, sobriety at times, and keeping strong routines has helped me stay grounded throughout all of it.

Another huge lesson has been understanding that you cannot build something meaningful alone. Team, relationships, and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely believe in the mission is everything. I wouldn’t be where I am without the people around me who believed in the vision and helped bring it to life.

And honestly, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that success is not really about chasing status or attention. It’s about creating something real that impacts people. The moments I’m most proud of are seeing people genuinely connect through the experiences we create, seeing artists have breakthrough moments, or hearing people say an event inspired them or changed their perspective in some way.

At the end of the day, if you have a vision, execute it. Stay authentic to who you are, stay disciplined, keep learning, and don’t let outside noise talk you out of something you truly believe in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Cliquecabana.com
• Instagram: @cliquecabanaofficial @abbott.atl