Via the power of the internet, I caught up with your new favourite pop-star, DYLAN, about touring, her upcoming EP and Harry Styles.
DYLAN supporting Thomas Headon on tour in Oxford (27/11/21)
DYLAN is on course to become your new favourite artist. Having released a couple of EPs, with a new one on the way, smashed support tours, consequently winning over the crowds, and embarking on a mini-tour of the UK last week, she's an artist that you're going to be obsessed with! Via the power of the internet, I got all of the info on DYLAN's upcoming EP, No Romeo, her headline shows and of course, Harry Styles.
Silence & Sound: Hello, DYLAN! First of all, how are you, and where are you currently?
DYLAN: I’m stressed hahah, I’m sat in my kitchen trying to work out how to do a crossword and it’s proving difficult!
S&S: So, you’ve just been on a mini-tour around the UK – how has that been?
D: Absolutely amazing, I had the best time! It was so nice to meet everyone and have a lil boogie together!
S&S: What would you say are your favourite and least favourite aspects of touring and tour life?
D: Favourite would be hearing people singing the lyrics back at you, that feeling is unmatched, also the moment after coming off stage where you can feel all the adrenaline rushing through your body. The least favourite is probably the bad eating habits hahahaha
S&S: How have your headline shows compared to your support slots with the likes of Thomas Headon and YUNGBLUD?
D: I think there’s less pressure when it’s not your own show, so it’s easier to really go for it. But as I said my shows means people know the words which makes it so much more fun.
S&S: If you were to sum up your shows in 3 words, what 3 words would you use?
D: Questionable dance moves
S&S: When writing the setlist for your shows, is the process based on fan favourites and what your fanbase want and expect you to play live, or do you put it down to your own personal preference?
D: A bit of both. I want to play what I know everyone wants to hear, but I’m at a sweet spot right now where I don’t have too many songs out to put in the set, which means I know I can play everyone’s favourites whilst being able to put in unreleased bangers.
S&S: You’ve also just announced another headline tour scheduled for the end of the year – how are you feeling about those shows?
D: Very nervous, I was not expecting for it to sell so quickly. But that is my next headline so I can’t wait to get to November to play in front of my crowd again.
S&S: When did you realise that you wanted to be a musician, and was there anything or anyone in particular who inspired you? If so, how did you come to find them, and what was it about them that you particularly liked or felt influenced by?
D: I think it’s always been the plan for me, I just wasn’t expecting it to actually work. I had a music teacher that was incredibly inspiring, who pushed me to go for it when everyone else told me not to. I owe a lot to that man - I met him when I was in a very weird place, I was a very lost kid. But he saw the potential and helped me work on my writing whenever he could.
S&S: Did lockdown help you creatively and allow you to really polish your new material, or did you find it to be really uninspiring and difficult to write new songs? And in what ways do you think it changed the creative process for you?
D: Yes, I loved lockdown hahahaha. I’d been having a lot of identity crisis’, and was making music I thought other people wanted to hear. Writing so much in such a short space of time forced me back to being my 16 year old self, writing songs in 10 minutes and not overthinking any of it. I wrote Nineteen and that kinda set what music I needed to be writing - the music I like.
S&S: You’ve just announced your new EP, No Romeo - who or what have/has been the main influence for this EP?
D: Loooove baby. I fell head over heels and it changed everything. Despite it having now all ended, it changed the way I write and made me so much more honest in my music. The EP is about empowerment in all aspects of feeling.
S&S: And do you think there are any general themes within this EP? If so, what would you say they are?
D: Heartbreak, independence, self worth and empowerment
S&S: Were the six songs that made the track listing all written specifically for this collection, or something else entirely?
D: I think they all fit together nicely, originally it was an entirely different EP. After we had it ready I wrote No Romeo and Someone else, and so we scrapped the old project and wrote to fit with those. Alone & Nineteen were the only songs to survive the cut!!
S&S: How did you choose which songs were going to feature? Was it an easy process or are there any tracks that didn’t make the cut (if so, will we ever hear these?)
D: I think these are my favourites from that era, so yes it was easy, but as we’ve been finishing this EP I’ve been writing for another project, and something tells me it’s going to be a lot harder to choose for this one. There’s a lot of songs I am in love with. I don’t think it’s worth thinking about the others that didn’t make this EP because my writing has changed and the songs are just getting better.
S&S: So, one of the first singles that we heard from the No Romeo EP was You’re Not Harry Styles. How did this track come about, and what was the writing process for it like?
D: Very very fast. My two main, and favourite, collaborators Ed & Anya wrote it with me. I had the pre idea on the way to the session, and once I played it to them both, Anya decided to speed the track up by about 20bpm and it very quickly wrote itself. Fun fact: I said the ‘you’re not quite Harry’ line as a joke, we all laughed and then Anya insisted we used it which I was against at first - thank god she convinced me!
S&S: What is your favourite Harry Styles era (I think mine would have to be 2013 Harry!)
D: Fine Line Harry
S&S: Your latest single, No Romeo, is a massive, empowering pop track. Can you tell us about what this track is about and how it came about?
D: I wrote it for my best friend cause she was having man trouble, all the while I was in a very happy relationship. It was written about a year ago, and now her and said man are very happy together whilst I’ve had my heartbroken. So, as it turns out, I needed the song a lot more than she did!!!
S&S: Your previous two EPs are “Purple” and “Red” - first of all, what made you decide to name your projects after colours?
D: I’m going to be completely honest with you, I thought I was being clever. It wasn’t clever, it was actually very limiting which is why I’ve decided to not continue with it.
S&S: What does the title “No Romeo” mean to you as the title for this whole body of work?
D: I think No Romeo works because all of the songs are about falling, or getting back up. Love at a young age is tricky, and ultimately all I want to do with my music is empower people through it.
S&S: Your EP track listing consists of two tracks that are currently unreleased: ‘Live Without It” and “Alone”. Would you say that these tracks follow a similar musical direction to your most recent singles, or do they differ in any way?
D: Live Without It fits with Nineteen. I wrote it at a similar time and I wanted another happy song in there. Alone is just a fun one glamorising one night stands, falling in love just for the night. They are still both in the same lane as the rest of the EP, me thinks.
S&S: In your YouTube video on your inspirations, you mentioned that you like how honest bands such as Catfish and The Bottlemen are in their lyrics, and that you try to have that honesty in your lyrics, too. So, what does honesty within lyricism mean to you?
D: I don’t know if it’s because I’m not as talented as Taylor [Swift], but I just don’t really use metaphors. I’m very straight to the point as a person, and therefore, it makes sense for me to reflect that lyrically. I’m not afraid to say how I feel at all so why hide behind smoke and mirrors in my songs? I’m not good at it hahahah.
S&S: What’s your favourite lyric that you’ve ever written?
D: Your heart's a little undressed, cause this is way more than sex, you’ve got it all to lose
S&S: What’s your favourite lyric written by someone else?
D: I’m so impatient when you’re not mine (Hourglass - Catfish [and the Bottlemen])
S&S: Who was at the top of your Spotify wrapped last year?
D: Doja Cat
S&S: What’s the best gig you’ve ever played?
D: My last headline.
S&S: What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
D: AC/DC
S&S: If you were to form a supergroup (whom you theoretically manage), who would be in the band?
D: Harry styles, Doja Cat, Angus Young and Labrinth.
S&S: If you weren’t a musician, what would your job be?
D: God knows. Wanted to be a helicopter pilot at one point!
S&S: What’s something that you’d like to achieve in the future, in terms of your music?
D: WEMBLEEEEYY
S&S: And finally, what can we expect next from DYLAN?
D: A lot of music !
S&S: Thank you so much, DYLAN, for your time! I cannot wait to hear your new EP, No Romeo, out 8th April!
No Romeo Cover Artwork
DYLAN's EP, No Romeo, is set for release on 8th April 2022, and you can pre-order physical copies on cassette here, alongside march bundles!
You also can catch DYLAN on tour at the end of the year (tickets here).
DYLAN's social medias:
Instagram: @dyl.an
Twitter: @dyl_an
TikTok: @dyl.an
Facebook: @iamdylanofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/iamdylanofficial/featured