dylxn
dylxn is such a beautiful discovery. I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear something that good when I first heard his debut single. But “Nothing at All” is a great pop record. dylxn has incredible vocals, the melodies are efficient and catchy, and the production is great. “Nothing at All” has been on repeat for a few days and it’s probably one of my favorite discoveries of 2021.
dylxn is such a promising talent and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Go support dylxn and his first single “Nothing at All” , now available worldwide :)
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! I'm Dylan (dylxn), I'm 23 and from Milwaukee, WI. My life growing up was pretty typical, got decent grades in school, didn't take many risks, went to college and just now learned I need to start living the life that I actually want and start taking risks.
What did you grow up listening to?
I was always listening to mainstream pop when I was younger mixed in with some of my dad's 80's rock n roll. Once I hit my later years in high school and college I started listening to people such as Jon Bellion, Twenty One Pilots, Lauv, Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler, and these artists really were the ones to first inspire me to make music.
When did you know you could sing?
I'm not really sure. I remember being in 3rd grade singing our national anthem in music class but I don't remember actually singing until I got my driver's license. Something about being alone in your car and blasting music while singing at the top of your lungs just feels like nothing else. This is definitely when I started singing more.
When did you start writing songs?
I first started producing maybe midway through high school for a brief time but never sang on these songs. They were mostly remixes of electronic music and just got me started in making music. I put it aside for a few years and came back to it in my sophomore year of college after watching Jon Bellion's "Making of" series on youtube which I still go back and watch to this day because of how inspiring the series is. Again I got busy with college and put music on the back burner for a while but kept making music every once in a while. It wasn't until the summer before my last semester of college (about a year ago) when I really started to write more music and started feeling like I was getting better. I'm happy I've now met people I can make and write music with and will continue doing it as long as I'm enjoying it.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
I originally posted a self-written second verse to a Chelsea Cutler work in progress on twitter not expecting anything but it ended up getting a really positive response. From that tweet, I met my now friend Nick Anthony who is an incredibly talented producer and we wrote "Nothing at All" together a few days after. Shortly after, I became pretty self conscious about sharing my music after comparing myself to so many other people in music who seemed to be better or more equipped than me and delayed releasing music. I now realize that if I can connect with even one person who can relate to the music I put out, that'd be extremely fulfilling to me and I'm ready to start sharing my music with the world. Really any messages that I get from people who've heard the music keep me going and I can't thank them enough.
"Nothing at All" is your debut single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
I had been reflecting on past situations and relationships and this idea of not saying how I truly feel stuck with me. I had written a note down on my phone that said "would you rather me lie or say nothing at all?" and I wrote the song around that Idea and how it made me feel to say it out loud.
Could you describe the songwriting/production for this single? How was it like to collaborate with Nick Anthony?
So after that tweet, Nick messaged me and asked if I wanted to be a part of some of his music he'd recently been working on. It was leaning more towards rock music and I didn't feel like I'd fit on any of it and let him know that I'd be willing to work in the future since it was extremely evident how talented he was. He mentioned he had another set of songs and as soon as I heard the first one I was instantly hooked. I heard the melody for the chorus in my head immediately and started writing. Since we were many states away, I recorded all the vocals and mixed them in as best I could. I added a few brief transition elements to the production but Nick basically did the entire production. We eventually changed a few small things and then finished the track over a facetime call. Nick is easily one of the most talented musicians/producers I've ever met and anyone at any level in their career would be lucky to work with him.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I'm usually a person who holds back their emotions and doesn't really lash out. This song just felt like a weight coming off of my shoulders and it felt good to actually reflect on things that have been in the back of my mind for a long time. I remember just feeling like I had taken a breath of fresh air after finishing writing.
What made you want to release "Nothing at All" as your debut single?
I wrote the song almost a year ago now and I've listened to it probably a thousand times. I have yet to get sick of it and think it reflects who I am as an artist overall. I believe this is a track that a lot of people will be able to feel/relate to and I'd like for as many people to hear it and internalize it as possible.
What's your goal for this first single?
My goal is for at least one person to feel themselves in the song and hopefully bring them the ability to take a step back, reflect and take a little weight off of their shoulders. I'd love to build a community of people who feel something similar and meet as many people as I can.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I enjoy how it's moving more towards independent artists and I enjoy how many talented people are willing to share their stories and voices with the world. It does seem pretty difficult to stand out because of this, but overall I think it's a positive. If I could change one thing, I'd like for the bigger labels to be a little more relaxed on sharing music that is signed to them and allow creators to use that music in their content as I personally believe that would be a win for everyone. More people hearing the music through creators they already respect would be a positive for all in the long run even if they lose out on some money now, in my opinion.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Something I've learned in the past few years is to not take yourself so seriously. Do the things that make you happy and don't restrict yourself because it might not be the "correct" or "safe" thing to do.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If people were just nice as a baseline. Not assuming things about others and giving the benefit of the doubt to people you know nothing about.
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