Interview: Dylan Owen
Dylan Owen has been taking names on the streets of New York since middle school. After releasing his first album Senioritis last year, he aims to take 2011 by storm with his Keep Your Friends Close EP. I had the pleasure of being able to interview him a few weeks ago.
Arjun: When did you decide you wanted to be a rapper?
Dylan: I honestly didn’t know that I wanted to do this for a living until probably my junior year of high school, even though I had been writing and performing for a while at that point. I always had a mix of dreams and goals which incorporated writing — but that wasn’t fully materialize until, I suppose, one day, it hit me.
Arjun: The way I see it, you could have taken your rap anywhere. What made you choose to make your lyrics more personal and introspective? Who can you list as your inspirations?
Dylan: This was really the only route that interested me (and still is). I don’t see the point in making music that’s not genuine or inspired; that shit would be no fun at all. Inspirations, definitely Sage, Eyedea, Witness, guys like that who opened my eyes to rhyming about real things. And Uncle Kracker.
Arjun: Glad Uncle Kracker made the list. Which artists are you listening to right now?
Dylan: Let me check my recently added to iTunes… I’ve got Kin Ship (very talented local band from Ithaca NY whose drummer is a dope hip-hop producer named Kid Vision), Solo’s new mixtape Dear Future (met him at a recent Gramercy Theater show, gotta support), and some Willie Nelson. I’m eclectic. I’ll bump The Wonder Years one day and Jenny Lewis the next. And I love the new J. Cole, especially the second half of the album.
Arjun: Definitely agree about the second half of Cole World. Do have any big collaborations on the horizon?
Dylan: Well, my boy Kinetics is going to be featured on Keep Your Friends Close. Y’all ready for this? I may possibly have tracks in the works with Reef of Fortune Family, PJ Simas, Ashworth, Chance Fisher, Skizzy Mars…some peeps.
Arjun: Damn. All of those artists are awesome. You recently tweeted that you made a beat. I’m really curious to hear it. Want to give Sunset readers a sample of your production skills?
Dylan: I would be so down, but the shit’s straight up whack. People read my twitter? Do not follow @DylanOwenMusic.
Arjun: Where do you record your tracks? Also, where do you find time to record tracks around your busy (college) schedule?
Dylan: Funny question, because I don’t really have a definite answer at the moment. Back in Goshen, I record at my producer Nico Marchese’s in-house studio. Sometimes, I record with my own equipment. Sometimes, I go to DJ Mikey Good’s apartment near the West Village. We make time!
Arjun: I’m just starting the application process. Should I apply to Cornell?
Dylan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Arjun: Tracklist? Release date? Tour? Want to drop a single right here?
There are 9 tracks on the upcoming free EP. I also think I’m going to put a few of the songs on iTunes in advance so people can grab copies if they’d like to check it out before the drop. As for shows, I just got done with a whole string of ‘em, played in NH, CT, and Washington, D.C. for the first time and got to share some stages with Yelawolf, Logic, Skizzy Mars, and tons of other awesome talent. So keep your friends close and check http://dylanowenmusic.com/ for updates. Let’s just say I’ll be hitting you with a Christmas present this year. Peace, Sunset!
WAIT! Before you go, check out the promo video for Keep Your Friends Close and try not to be hyped about the project. The video offers a glimpse into Dylan’s life in New York City and features a snippet of a song called “Bookmarks” from the EP. Swag on swag on swag.
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