Chicago – Lately more and more teenagers have been breaking into the music industry thanks to the power of social media and music sharing sites like YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Bandcamp. However, there’s definitely more to it than exposure. Social networking and the readily available technology have groomed a generation of kids to be industry savvy, while providing them with an ample amount of determination and confidence. They are fearless, focused, and driven. One perfect example of this is 18-year-old singer-songwriter Dylan Gardner. His lively and infectious pop music caught the attention of teens, music circles, and eventually Warner Bros. Records.
Gardner grew up just outside Chicago, where he was nurtured by a city rich in blues, jazz, and everything in between. He was also exposed to plenty of music at home thanks to his dad, who owned a music shop and played in the ’80s Chicago power-pop band The Kind. At a young age, Gardner realized he wanted to devote himself to making music, so after moving to Arizona, he opted for home-schooling beginning his freshman year in order to work on his debut album from his bedroom turned recording studio. He independently released Adventures in Real Time and racked up 2.7 million Spotify plays with its lead single “Let’s Get Started.” Warner Bros. took notice and in August of 2014, Gardner signed with the label he calls the “greatest American label” because it is attached to some of his favorite artists: The Everly Brothers, Prince, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, The Ramones, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, etc.
Earlier this month, Gardner re-released his inaugural album via Warner Bros. Shortly after his major label debut, Best New Bands caught up with Dylan Gardner for some real talk about Adventures in Real Time, growing up in Chicago, his love for vinyl, and Elvis Costello.
Tell me about your debut album Adventures in Real Time. You wrote most of the songs while in high school, right?
Well, I became home-schooled in high school, beginning my freshman year, to focus on songwriting and performing, and I turned my home into a home-studio. In my room, I got rid of all the dumb, teenage stuff that was in there and turned the closet into a vocal booth. I wouldn’t go to bed until I recorded a song each day. I just recorded, recorded, and recorded. I learned all these production and recording techniques. When I had about 100 demos or so, my manager and I looked through the songs and picked the best of the batch. Those became my first album.
“Let’s Get Started” is so upbeat. It leaves a smile on my face. Is this song about your first love and the bliss that comes with falling in love?
In reality, it’s about me living in this perfect dream world. A lot of the songs on Adventures in Real Time are loosely based around this idea and things I want to do… I was sitting in my room and was writing this song and was like, “You know, wouldn’t it be awesome if I was on top of the world and you were on top of the world? Wouldn’t it be awesome if I could be John Lennon and you could be Yoko Ono?” I think that would be super cool, and I really wanted this song to be the first track on Adventures in Real Time because it’s very representative of me. I wanted that to be my handshake to the world.
One of my favorite tracks on Adventures in Real Time is “Heroes Tonight.” What inspired this song?
I saw a really happy couple at this record store, and I was just flipping through the records and thinking, “You know that’d be so cool if you could just feel that every second”…I was also watching Titanic the afternoon before…when I got home, I just started banging on the piano, and I just found “Heroes Tonight.”
“Invincible” sounds like your love letter to your generation. Was it your intention to create a generational anthem of sorts?
Well, I’m definitely a lover of those generational anthems, but I think it came out that way unintentionally. That one to me was more about that idea of being on top of the world and that dream vision I have…I really think that everyone could be invincible…I think that’s so achievable if you really believe in yourself and follow your dreams.
Your dad was in a band when you were a kid, so you grew up around music, but when did you realize you wanted to make music for a living?
Since I could remember, I always wanted to be a musician, but I never thought it was actually a possible career. People would come to my school and talk about careers during career day, but no one was ever a musician, you know. It’s hard to explain to a kid that it’s really hard [to be a working musician], but I’d say once I started performing in front of people, I realized that was the best feeling that I’d ever got! I said to myself, “I really don’t care how hard it is or how long it takes or how financially rewarding it is or not, it’s the only thing I want to do. There’s no fall back or anything!” I’d say when I was eight or nine, I realized I don’t care, I’m going to be a musician, and I’m going to work as hard as I can so that I can rock!
Well, considering that at your age you’ve already released an album with a major label, I’d say you’re doing great! You grew up just outside of Chicago. Would you say the laid back yet hard working attitude of the Midwest has influenced your music and you as a person?
Thank you! Oh, one hundred percent! I think the Midwest has just taught me so much. The kind of people there – even people I meet in California and Arizona, who are from the Midwest – all have a really great humbleness to them, and there’s always this value of working hard and totally honing your craft… Chicago was such a great place to come up. Everyone was really supportive of me. I cut my teeth in a lot of great places, and played with a lot of great people.
Let’s talk about that recording studio you built in your bedroom! Do you find yourself pulling all-nighters in there when inspiration hits?
I am such a night owl! I stay up until four or five in the morning. Inspiration strikes at any time, but for me, it’s usually at night. (laughs) That’s half the reason why I made my recording booth in the closet. It cancels out the sound when you close the door, so no one can hear me singing at the top of my lungs in the middle of the night!
I read you’re a huge fan of vinyl and have a rather large collection. I’m not going to ask what your favorite album is because that’d probably be impossible to answer, so what are some of your favorite vinyl scores from your most recent shopping excursions?
Well, I just made the conscious decision to be an Elvis Costello enthusiast. (laughs) Shopping for Elvis albums has been so much fun. His records are oddly under-priced, I think, for how good they are! And I really fall easily for UK pressings! That’s just my favorite thing in the world, which is why for the Adventures in Real Time vinyl, when we pressed it, I had it pressed with flipback, like original 60s U.K. records. And apparently – this could turn out to be false – but it was the first new record pressed with flipback.
If you too love vinyl, click HERE to snag your own flipback copy of Adventures in Real Time. The album can also be purchased on iTunes.
Dylan Gardner will be touring this March. Click HERE for tour dates.
Photos of Dylan Gardner by Jeri Heiden
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
Latest posts by Sarah Hess (see all)
- The Wild Feathers Check One Off The Bucket List - July 31, 2017
- RY X Captivates Chicago - October 24, 2016
- Four New Bands at Day Three of Riot Fest - September 20, 2016
Pingback: Dylan Gardner Gears Up for Album No. 2 - Best New Bands