Dylan Dunlap just released the new track Still Here that comes off his upcoming album. You’ll love if you want something dreamy and Coldplay(ish). Dylan spent time at Berklee, busked around his native Burbank, CA and opened for OneRepublic in Provo, UT, that followed packed shows in the U.S. and the UK. He released two EP’s that garnered more 40 million+ combined Spotify streams. We caught up with Dylan below…
How did the song come about?
There’s a common denominator that ties this entire next wave of music together. I didn’t want to write any of it, but in that I recognized how much I needed to. music quite literally saved my life recently once I started letting it actually heal me and i feel a very strong responsibility to document my experiences and help do the same for others. It’s a privilege to begin my debut album phase with “still here” and shed light on a very real & scary panic attack that happened while driving on the 405 last year. I hope it serves as a warm & inviting “thank you” to anybody out there that’s ever shown up for somebody despite having a mental health condition. (also fun fact: in the final verse I sing “you’re beauty, I’m the beast” and i actually was the beast in my middle school theater production!)
The breakout single “If That’s Alright,” has garnered over 40 million streams. Can you retire now?
I’m only just getting started!
Before making tons of noise as an indie artist, you started out as a street performer. What’s the weirdest thing you saw performing in public?
So many stories! I guess the weirdest one that sticks out to me is from Downtown Burbank. It must have been 2015 or 2016 when I was perched up in front of the local gap. not a human being in sight other than a homeless man that walked by, grabbed a lighter out of his pocket, and chucked it as hard as he could into my guitar case/tip jar. it exploded and sounded like a tiny bomb had just gone off, but the show must always go on!
Do you have a new full LP in the works?
Soon I’ll be allowed to speak more on this, but for now.. to be able to carefully craft & finalize these records alongside two of the most gifted individuals (Kirk Adolph & Jordan Sherman) has been an absolute dream come true. I feel like a kid again just trying to make the most satisfying music possible with my friends.
Warm weather is here, and the 5 piece indie act Token Honey is reminding us with the new summer vibe track One Touch Love. Token Honey combines influences in 70s disco, 80s synthpop and modern R&B/soul, creating a unique sound with funky grooves.
Upcoming dates include: Altrincham (Stutter & Twitch) July 15th & London (Folklore, Hoxton – Elephunk In The Room) August 3rd
Where do draw inspiration from?
Our main inspiration has been creating music that brings people some happiness after a tough couple of years for everyone. We love making people dance and providing a room with positive energy, and our music helps us do that.
How do you make it work as a 5 piece with different personalities?
The 5 of us all have fairly similar interests and senses of humour, and we’re generally all quite chilled out (until Rob gets fussy in rehearsal), so we make it work pretty easily. Musically we’re usually always on the same page as well, so if we can’t communicate something with words, we’ll do it with music!
Who is the most talented in the band?
Christophe, our drummer (we are talking about Harry Potter character impressions, right…?)
Singer-songwriter Nya released her new single, “Closer Than Close” the following up of her previous single, “The Real You,” which landed found itself on the Top 20 Adult Contemporary chart.
Raised in Tampa, Florida, Nya says “I accidentally fell into love with singing at 16. Voice lessons had initially been a means to an end to get a part in the school musical but quickly became more than that. When I sing, I swear it’s transcendent; I feel free in those precious moments. The burden of my neuroses, of the past, lifts, leaving me at my best.”
The Florida-born, LA-based singer-songwriter Nya has amassed over 2 million streams. Give it a stream.
Look out for Linebeck and the song Bed. The 4-piece dreamy power-pop band from Hamilton, ON formed right before the crazy pandemic. When the world stopped, they kept going writing songs and recording demos. The band draws inspiration from shoegaze, dream-pop, and post-punk bands. Influenced by Lennon-McCartney and Max Martin, Linebeck’s songwriting is full of intention but not lacking in honesty, once described by a fan as “a dreamy version of Linkin Park”.
You can check them out at Sneaky Dee’s in Toronto on July 28th.
Check out Jon Tyler Wiley and the track Want A Little More. You’ll love if your looking for something southern and anthemic with a blend of Americana. Think and updated Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
Before forming the band in 2019, Jon Tyler Wiley spent the better part of a decade as a guitarist for playing with Melodime, touring with Stephen Kellogg, and Sister Hazel.
Wiley says, “This song came to me while sitting in traffic in Washington DC. At the time, I was working for a music program in Bethesda, Maryland, where it would take me an hour to get there and three hours to get home due to rush hour. I was writing a lot of sad, “What am I doing with my life” songs, sitting on I-495 moving 7 miles per hour. I had these lyrics for months, but I wasn’t happy with the song itself until the guitar riff showed up. Playing all the instruments on the record was a fun challenge, but the recording the keyboards in this song were a joyous experience. It made the song fun, despite the desperate lyrics.”