In the world of music, evolution is inevitable, and for artists like DYLAN, each of her creations represents a new chapter in her artistic journey. With her latest single, “The Alibi” DYLAN dives deep into the complexities of love and loss, offering listeners a glimpse into his soul-stirring narrative. DYLAN shares how this track stands as a testament to his growth as a songwriter and performer. As we delve into the inspiration behind her work, and explore its departure from his previous works, DYLAN unveils the raw emotions and personal reflections that shape her music. Join us as we unravel the layers of DYLAN’s musical odyssey and uncover the heart behind the melodies.

–

Can you tell me about the inspiration behind your latest single, “The Alibi” and how it differs from your previous work?

Dylan: There was a lot that went into that song. That’s one of the songs that’s taken me the longest to finish writing. The initial idea came from a girls night at 3 a.m. with a very large bottle of wine and a phone which is always a deadly combination, with someone texting me telling me this occurred about me and me being awful at words of affection I came out with and probably also the wine that came out with the line of, well, if you were ever involved in any criminal activity, I would be your alibi.

Nights like those are a recipe for disaster, but I came out of it with a song title. It’s like grieving the living, the sort of love that stays behind and you don’t know what to do with it. I guess that was my way of saying that I’d still do anything for that person.

I’m going to assume just going out on a limb here that you’re a One Direction fan?

Dylan: I was quite late to the party with One Direction. I was late to a lot of parties. The Justin Bieber party. I was late to the Taylor Swift Party, just because growing up I was brought up on such heavy rock and roll. I was just the worst musically educated kid ever. Well, it depends on who you ask really. In my opinion, I missed out on the thriving pop scene in my early teens. I was too busy being too dark and mysterious for my own good, obviously trying to be different and stubborn with my music taste. So I just listened to everything that was on my dad’s iPod. I discovered Taylor Swift when I was 15 and that opened up a whole world to pop music. Eventually, I got up to speed with everybody else.

So when Louis Tomlinson, part of the band, shouted out your song, “The Alibi” on his Instagram story. How did that recognition make you feel?

Dylan: Oh, it’s amazing. Like we’ve had a bit of communication and he’s a nice, genuine guy. So for him to do that was really nice, especially since I’m a very small artist still very much grinding the graft, doing the thing. It’s cool, especially when bigger artists give appreciation to your songs, it’s really nice. It makes everything worth it for sure.

That must have been such a confidence boost as well.

Dylan: Yeah, now we’re doing the Away from Home festival with him. Me and the band have been wanting to go to Mexico for ages. It seems like he’s got a really cool fan base, so I’m excited to see what they think.

After this tour, what’s next for you? Are there any new projects or collaborations on the horizon?

Dylan: I have an album coming this year, which I need to go back and finish. I think Lewis Capaldi said something really interesting in his documentary that is so true for all of us, “You have your whole life to write your first album and then six months to write your second album.” Obviously, I don’t have to worry about that right now. I’m just worrying about the fact that I have my whole life to write this first one and I feel like I have no time because we have been on tour nonstop for three years ever since COVID. It’s just been amazing, which is the way that I want it to be. I love touring. So it’s just like drawing the line under something is something that I haven’t had to do before, and I’m a bit terrified about that. That is what I’ll be doing when I’m back from tour and then presumably will then be going back out again at the end of the year.

You’ve initially focused on songwriting and becoming a performing artist? How do you think it’s changed your approach to creating music?

Dylan: I think that there’s pros and cons to doing it. There’s always that mindset now when I am writing,which is how am I going to feel performing this live on stage, which never used to be a question I had when I was younger; how are other people going to feel about this? How do I put myself into a song so that everybody gets such a clear image of who I am, which has been really interesting. In the last year, I’ve had a really nice moment of not trying to be anything that I’m not because I’m very easily strayed. If somebody said in the studio, “oh, let’s write a rap song.”  I’d be like, yeah, let’s give it a go. Why not? In the last year, I’ve found a place in which I feel like people are gonna really love what I’m doing and something that feels really, truly me. I’ve had to do a lot of brain rewiring to make sure that I’m still writing for fun. Otherwise, constantly trying to chase a single that will make people happy when it just needs to be for me and if I love it, I’m sure other people will. [Making songs] has been the one constant in my life for as long as I can remember. So it’s just a constant reminder to myself to enjoy that process.

Could you share any memorable moments or highlights from your touring with Ed Sheeran?

Dylan: There are so many. He’s so cool and his team are absolutely to die for. The crew that he has around him are the best people on the planet. Those two tours will always be favorites for me just because of how much fun we had. His crowds are amazing and what he’s done is just out of this world because it’s not just one demographic, everybody’s there. Everybody and their grandma, and their grandkids, and their sisters, and their brothers, everybody is there and it’s amazing to watch him. He’s so talented and I think a memorable moment was playing Wembley Stadium which was my childhood dream. It was actually the least afraid I’ve ever been for a gig. I played it so many times in my head. I felt so mentally prepared for that gig just because I’d been thinking about it forever. That was huge for me.

You’ve also collaborated with artists like Bastille on “Liar Liar”. Are there any other artists that you are eager to collaborate with in the future?

Dylan: So many. The teenage one that I was obsessed with was Flume and I’m starting to let that go now because I’d message him once every six months saying “I wrote this up with you in mind.” and I’ve been sending that message since I was 18. I’m slowly losing hope now. I would absolutely love to work with The Black Keys just because I am obsessed with their music. It’s a taste of my childhood. I think in my next life, I’d like to be a rock star for the whole of it. I would like to be like a dude in a rock band. In my head, I’m in the black keys.

As you continue to grow your fan base,  as you call your ‘little messed up family’. How do you maintain a connection with them? Moving forward, how will you?

Dylan: I think just remaining honest. I’m very close with them all and they’re all the most incredible people with incredible stories. I always find it funny that they connect to my music because it’s something that I’ve written about in my bedroom and then loads of people want to listen to it. So I think if I just stay completely honest to myself, I think that then nothing can go wrong. They’re an incredible group of people, I’m very lucky to have them in my life because they’ve given me a place to exist.

What advice would you give to an aspiring musician who may be navigating through similar paths that you did in artistic growth?

Dylan: Believe in the process. Even now, I’m still reminding myself that things don’t happen overnight. As much as sometimes they may appear to, there’s years and years of work that goes into what people call overnight sensations. I think it’s just if you keep doing exactly what you feel like is the right thing for you and not watch what other people are doing because that is when you can put a stall on yourself. As soon as you start worrying about what other people are doing, you slow down doing what you’re doing. There’s only one of you so don’t try and be anybody else because there’s already one of them. That’s something that I’ve had to really learn the hard way, especially early on in my career, I spent a lot of time trying to be something that I wasn’t and trying to fit a mold that I thought people wanted. It takes so much time to learn patience and that everything that happens, whether it be a knockdown, that will be because it’s opening up another door. Sometimes setbacks are the best thing to happen. In this industry, the people saying no, are actually sometimes doing you a favor.

Like what you saw? Here’s more:

Tyla Is Her Own Muse
I Can’t Stop Talking About Noah Kahan’s ‘We’ll All Be Here Forever’ Tour
Zara Larsson: Modern-Age Aphrodite