Dylan Galvin
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Dylan Galvin

Los Angeles, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | SELF | AFM

Los Angeles, CA | SELF | AFM
Established on Jan, 2009
Solo Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"Singer-Songwriter Dylan Galvin Embarks on Cross-Country Music Tour From Maryland to California"

On May 13, singer-songwriter Dylan Galvin will announce the upcoming release of his new album "Remember to Play" at The Bollywood Taphouse 1637. Joining him will be local bands Squid Inc. and Change Scene. The show kicks off at 8 p.m.; the full album will be available for purchase at the launch party, and will be available from Galvin's website on June 6th at www.dylangalvin.com, as well as iTunes and Spotify. Anyone joining the website's mailing list will get a free download of the new song "History." The launch party and show is just the first date in a nationwide tour that will take Galvin all the way to Los Angeles, where he will put down roots and pursue his original music career full time.

"Music is not just a means of entertainment for me," says Galvin. "It is a way of communicating. It is a way of delivering a message. The world is in desperate need of good stories, meaning, truth and of art, and I want to use the skills I've honed and the opportunities given to me to deliver these things to the people. I want everyone to experience the joy of the same stories that intrigued my young mind into the world of music."

After years of playing in a cover band, Galvin realized people yearned for something new, original, and different — and that he had the skill and desire to fulfill that yearning. The lyrics on "Remember to Play" represent the emergence from a several-year period of sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and exhaustion: "Where had those days all gone, silly games and calling names and lazy afternoons? The good ol' days had left him faster than a loosely gripped balloon." His passion had, unfortunately, become his job. He had forgotten how to "play."

A return to youthful exuberance and optimism is therefore the central theme of "Remember to Play." Galvin penned songs that chronicled some of the more important parts of his life, from his parents' divorce to his quarter-life crisis. He included a song called "The Chesapeake," an anthem about the home of almost every precious memory of his young life, the Chesapeake Bay. While personal, the new album is at the same time universal in its appeal to youth, hope and the power of "play."

Hard work has earned Galvin not only a dedicated following of fans, but also hearty praise from critics and industry insiders. "Galvin....brought the house down," said The Washington Post. Meanwhile, Dee Jay Gude of SOMD online has called Galvin "One of the most exciting and talented performers in the Maryland and DC area."

See Galvin's latest Music Video for "Recipe" on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ablX67DAQYU

About Dylan Galvin

A 2009 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Dylan Galvin is a full-time professional musician. At Berklee, he was one of only six students chosen for a private songwriting masterclass with Paul Simon. Galvin's awards include: Annual Berklee Songwriting Competition winner; nominee for 2016 International Musicians and Entertainers "Best Adult Contemporary Song" and "Best Adult Contemporary Artist"; 2015 Maryland Music Awards nominee for "Breakout Artist," "Best Songwriter" and "Music Icon"; Phoenix Awards "Best Guitarist."

Contact:

Dylan Galvin
410-279-4736
153847@email4pr.com
Instagram: @dylangalvin
Facebook: @DylanGalvinMusic

SOURCE Dylan Galvin Music

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https://www.dylangalvin.com - P Newswire


"Dylan Galvin "When Hearts Approach the Great Divide""

Up and coming singer-songwriter Dylan Galvin releases the track with a long title When The Hearts Approach The Great Divide which comes off his new album out on June 6th.

Dylan doesn’t fall short of accolades. He was chosen by Paul Simon for a private songwriting session during his days at Berklee and grabbed nominations for ‘Best Adult Contemporary Artist‘ and ‘Best Guitarist‘ and won Berklee’s ‘Annual Songwriting Contest‘.

Aside from proving himself as a proficient musician, he’s validating himself as a road dog having booked a cross country tour that will span from Maryland to California, picking up press along the way – “Galvin….brought down the house” – The Washington Post.
dylangalvinmusic@gmail.com - Kings of A & R


"Guitar lovers unite for the 5th Annual Guitar Festival, Callaway, MD"

The headliner for the festival is Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. They’ve earned two GRAMMY® Awards and an additional 11 GRAMMY® nominations. They produced and performed on Tom Paxton’s GRAMMY® nominated UK CD's and tours. Tom says, “Cathy & Marcy are at home in a dozen musical styles. They swing you, jazz you, and old timey you till you just give up and bliss out”.

The featured performances are by local guitar artists Longman Joseph Norris, and Dylan Galvin. The opening acts are Jessica St. Claire, David Flood, Josh Riley and Brandon Aksteter.

The Art Show will display paintings and other art works by local artist.

Come with your guitar at 2 PM to 4 PM for the Guitar Workshop with Cathy & Marcy and stay around for the Concert and Art Show at 7 PM to 11 PM.

All ages are welcome. The festival is sponsored by the Maryland State Arts Council and the St. Mary’s County Arts Council.

Dylan Galvin is Berklee College of Music grad with a degree in songwriting and performing. He has worked with Paul Simon, John Mayer and Joe Satriani, played from LA to Boston, Key West and has 15 years of experience performing professionally. He can play ambient instrumental background music, belt anthemic pop tunes that get people dancing and singing, whip out a mouth-trumpet solo or play a beatboxing arrangement of Bach.

“Our world is in desperate need of meaning, truth, love and art,” Galvin wrote in his biography that summarizes his core message. “I want people to able to experience the joy of stories like the ones that intrigued my young mind into the world of music.”

The Power Jam Music Alliance was started in St. Mary's County in June of 2003 and is incorporated in Maryland as a not for profit corporation. - Mckenzie News Service


"Baltimore Media Blog Interview"

Q: Where did you grow up and how did you end up in Maryland?

I grew up in Lynn, Massachusetts. When I was about 1 year old, we moved down to Maryland and moved in with my grandparents. We lived there for a few years. Being recently married, having a kid, and living with others wasn’t ideal, so we moved to a little community in Lusby, Maryland. It was a really cool neighborhood growing up. It was all new families with kids. The kids would all get together and play when it snowed. We would sled, etc. The community came together a lot.

Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

My dad played the guitar and when me and my brother were little, he would make up a song for us, and we would run around the house and jump around and act crazy. That’s a great memory I associate with music. I didn’t really get into playing it until high school, when my grandparents bought me a guitar for my birthday. It sat in a corner of my room until a year later when they visited for dinner. They said “Dylan, when are you going to play that guitar we bought you? You’ve never even picked it up.” I said “OK..i’ll go mess with it right now.” I started messing it and thought “wow, this is kind of cool!” I loved the way it made sounds. My dad had some books on playing guitar. I started out playing Blink 182 and Green Day..more simple stuff.


Q: Do you have any musical influences?

Oh yeah. I have a lot. One of the biggest would have to be John Mayer. When I was in high school, he was just becoming a star. I have so many wonderful memories listening to his music. Those are like the wonder years of life when you’re meeting all your best friends, having your first love, having all your adventures. That music was the soundtrack for that period in my life.

I really like Imogen Heap. She’s a digital artist..she does a lot of electronica. A lot of really deep music. She’s the modern Mozart of digital media and music. I love Thomas Newman, who wrote the film score for “American Beauty” and “Shawshank Redemption.” He’s an anti-composer..he chooses all these off the wall instruments.

Q: What was it like being able to study at Berklee?

Humbling. I quickly realized I was the shittiest person there, even though I wasn’t. You come in from your little hometown where, because you can play a Papa Roach song, you’re the best kid in school. And then you get to Berklee, and there were kids there that were doing that at two years old. They’ve been playing for 15 years; they’re on a full ride; and touring with famous musicians. I beat myself up a lot, and I become humbled. It reset my whole perspective on what’s actually good. I’ve yet to see a place where the musicianship is higher and more condensed than at Berklee and around Boston.

It was an off the wall college experience because Berklee parties aren’t always fun. It’s like four people watching a Maroon 5 DVD and critiquing Adam Levine’s stage performance. Pretty sad. Haha! We played a lot of HALO. A LOT OF HALO. Oh my gosh. We went to other colleges for parties like MIT or Harvard, and those kids are INSANE. Those kids party like they party in movies. You show up at 10:30 and there’s people throwing up, passed out in a tree. Making out..fog everywhere. Although at a Berklee party we would bust out instruments and have an all night funk jam. That was pretty awesome!

Q; I read that you were able to work with Paul Simon. How did that come about?

My fifth semester I wanted to be a great jazz guitar player. I realized finally that I wasn’t going to be a great jazz guitar player. So, I took a chance and took a few songwriting classes, and I loved them. I got a lot of encouragement from my teachers on my songwriting. I had been playing music about 7-8 by that point and mediocre students were crapping all over me. Songwriting was something I had done in High School. My teachers would build me up and say “Look, we’re really not supposed to say this, but you have it. You have the ability to do this with your life. Most of these students do not.” I said “Really? I thought that song I wrote kinda sucked!”

One of my teachers, Henry Gaffney, took me outside in the hallway and he’s like “Some people are songwriters, and some people are not. YOU are a songwriter. So do not ever stop what you’re doing. I want you to take this as far as you can.” So those teachers who had been kind of observing were in cahoots with each other, and talking about having Paul Simon visit. He wanted to work with some of the students, so they sent me an email stating that I was chosen for the Final 50 students. I knew who Paul Simon was, but I was ignorant to how good he was. So I bought a few of his albums and thought “Yup. He’s good.” They whittled it down to 25, then to 12..I was still in the running. He was going to visit, and then pick the final 6. I ended up being picked as one of the final group of students.

He sat down with us, two groups of three, and talked about music for a while. He then wanted us to each perform an original song. He wanted face to face with us as well. I was..a little bit nervous to say the least. I played my song called “History.” He said “he liked it,” and that “it had a good melody.” However, he wanted to see me do something more experimental in the bridge, because it sounded safe. He gave me this idea of this rhythmic overlap, where it was almost like this African chant rhythm that lined up with the chorus after so many cycles. I loved that idea! ..But I had already recorded it, and probably won’t record it again. He said to write a new song with that same idea, and play it for him when he returned a few weeks later. I came up with a song called “Keystone,”, which I play with my band Izem.

Paul Simon is a very somber person..doesn’t laugh a lot. You can tell he’s VERY intelligent. He’s super smart, wise. He even let us listen to a song he was writing at the time, and it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. It was awesome, scary, and fun all at the same time.

Q: What is your song “The Lass” about?

That is about my great-grandmother, Mildred Pendleton. She was a performing artist, and she sang and played guitar in the 30’s and 40’s. She died a few years ago. She used to great-Nana to us, but I found out she did the same thing I was doing, being a touring musician. This was during a time where people didn’t like women were doing independent things. So there was a lot of danger in playing venues. She had to carry a pistol in her purse because sometimes men would say “Who do you think you are?” The pistol was a one shot, haha. The song is about the process of the world discovering a talent, businessmen want to exploit the talent, and she dies but her spirit lives on. No matter what, I don’t think you can quell a true artists voice. or put out their fire, even after they’ve died or been sterilized. Her doing that was sort of an echo of inspiration for me. Her daughter, my grandmother, was a painter; my dad is a musician, I’m a musician. And if I ever have a child, they’ll probably be a musician as well.

Q: Do you have a favorite song you’ve written?

My best writing so far is a song called “Angels In The Snow.” It’s a song about an old man, who was a member of the Russian military. He’s reflecting on a lifetime of military obedience and servitude to a partially corrupt military leader. He’s thinking about a time where he was ordered to shoot a village of civilians, which included children. To him, they looked like they were making snow angels. I really like that metaphor because it juxtaposes innocence with dark. I really deviate from my hero, John Mayer, in that respect. I really really like dark writing, but not inherently dark like Marilyn Manson or Trent Reznor, where it’s all screwed up. It’s more like “Oh this is beautiful”, but then you find out what it really stands for, and you’re like “Oh my gosh!”

There’s another song called “A Prettier Dress”, which addresses the beauty industry and how it’s damaging the self image of young women. Plastic surgery, which I have nothing against personally, but when someone feels like they HAVE TO be loved in order to complete..that’s a problem. So I took the analogy of a plastic surgery in 2015 is like a tailor, whose stitching and making their body a dress of sorts.

Q: You’re in band called Izem. Do you guys have any influences?

Yes! John Mayer, Paramore, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Incubus. All four of us have different styles. Our bass player likes Gigi Allen, Death Metal. Our drummer likes D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. And I’m a singer/song writer type of guy. We’re currently finishing up an album produced by the drummer from Jimmy’s Chicken Shack. He pulled us aside and told us that “You guys have a great new sound, and I think it’s a great. I have no reason to blow smoke up your ass.” He calls it “new rock. It’s not new metal, new metal sucks!”

I think people are sick of music without meaning. Today it’s all “We’re in the club, let’s dance!” It’s all these regurgitated themes that businessmen want because it simply makes them money and it’s safe. As a businessman I understand it, but as an artist I’m appalled. We want to add story lines back to music. James Taylor did it, so did Leonard Cohen. The Eagles did it with “Hotel California”, and those lyrics are fantastic. “Bohemian Rhapsody” = GENIUS.

The one exception to that currently, and he’s on the radio right now, is Hozier. “Take Me To Church” is phenomenal. The fact that he chose to sing about the persecution of homosexuals, threw it in the mainstream and said “this is a problem and we need to look at it!” That is what separates an artist from an entertainer, who just makes noise, everyone dances, and goes “OMG awesome, I completely forgot how shitty the world is!” That’s OKAY, but it has it’s time and place. To me it’s more important to give art to the world, and it says something. It’s sometimes about showing an ugly truth and inspiring people to change. - Nick Frisone


"Southern Maryland Rockers Take the Stage at First Phoenix Awards"

Southern Maryland rock musicians gathered to pay tribute to their own on Feb. 16 at the inaugural Phoenix Awards at the Port Tobacco Players Theater in La Plata.

Fashioned after the Grammy Awards, the evening also served as a chance for local artists, who generally don’t receive extensive radio airplay, to showcase their talents.

“I’ve always thought these guys in Southern Maryland are very talented,” said John Hunt, founder and chief executive of the Phoenix, a La Plata-based online radio station that specializes in playing local rock music. “This is their chance to show it.”

Mechanicsville native Justin Myles scored a trifecta at the show, claiming awards for Best Original Band/Artist, Best Original Song for “Rock Bottom” and the People’s Choice Award.

His band, the Piranhas, won for Best Live Performance, and bandmate Dylan Galvin took home the award for Best Guitarist.

Myles and Galvin, who make up two-thirds of the Piranhas, brought down the house with an acoustic rendition of Paul Simon’s classic “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” with Galvin on vocals and guitar and Myles playing body percussion. - The Washington Post


"Dylan Galvin Nominated for International Music Award"

Adult Contemporary Song of the Year

Carry On – Sam Hankins – Written by: Sam Hankins, Catherine Sarah Manna
Comin’ My Way – Ed Roman – Written by: Ed Roman
Cry Over You – Sam Hankins – Written by: Sam Hankins, Catherine Sarah Manna
Down – Nic Nassuet – Written by: Nic Nassuet
Even – Andre Gimaranz – Written by: Andre Gimaranz
Stronger – DeDe Wedekind – Written by: DeDe Wedekind
Will of a Fisherman – Dylan Galvin – Written by: Dylan Galvin

Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year:

Andre Gimaranz
Billy Grima
Dylan Galvin
Ed Roman
Nic Nassuet - International Music and Entertainment Association


"Adrian Legg at The Lime Lounge"

"It was one of the most engaged crowds I've ever seen"... - The County Times


Discography

Second Stories:

Having to leave a romantic interest, the high of a first kiss, sitting on a boat in the middle of the night praying that your love will give you another chance....this album is my first recorded set of stories. I hope they are as enjoyable as they were to create.

"Second Stories" CD Credits:

Produced and Mixed by: Matt Champlin
Mastered by: Angel Angelov

Guitars, Vocals: Dylan Galvin
Backing Vocals/Stand up Bass: Jenny Magana
Piano, Keys: Allison Piccioni
Bass:  Michael Manke
Drums/Percussion:  Andy Harris

Remember to Play:

The friction of childhood and adulthood; nostalgia, the hope that your hometown won't disappear over time, running out of work to play on a playground, seeing divorce from the eyes of a child and thoughts about the Garden of Eden.

"Remember to Play" CD Credits:

Engineered by: Matt Hinshaw
Mixed and Mastered by: Matt Champlin

Guitars, Vocals: Dylan Galvin
Bass: Johnny Kearse III
Drums: Joe Barrick

Photos

Bio

"Galvin...brought down the house" - The Washington Post

In 1984 Mike Galvin was in a rock band. They were gaining steam fast. Extreme opened for them (Yes, the guys that sing “More Than Words”). In 1985, at the height of their success, he shelved his rock-and-roll dream when Dylan, his first son, was born. 15 years later Dylan picked up a guitar and hasn't not stopped since.  

Dylan has since been honored with winning the Berklee College of Music Annual Songwriting Competition, earning a degree from the college and touring extensively from Key West to California to Boston to back home with over 1,500 performances under the belt of his young career, sometimes playing 7 nights a week for months at a time.  He's performed at Raven's Stadium, Redskin's Stadium, Baltimore's Frozen Harbor Music Festival, Maryland Live! Casino, Gettysburg Rocks Music Festival, Lunar Bay Music Festival, Maryland Hall of Performing Arts, and has shared stages with national acts and was even personally invited to work with the legendary Paul Simon.    

Dylan - "Music is not just a means of entertainment for me.  It is a way of communicating.  It is a way of delivering a message.  The world is in desperate need of good story, of meaning of truth and of art.  I want people to be able to experience the joy of the same stories that intrigued my young mind into the world of music.  Lyrics mean everything and the “live for the moment” type of pop-philosophy that has overtaken a large part of the music world is trying to fool us into not caring about storyline and meaning.  They haven’t fooled me.  I don’t think they’ve fooled you either.  I’d love for you to come along for the adventure… " 

“One of the most exciting and talented performers in the Maryland and DC area. His soulful, somewhat bluesy style not only works for his own songs, but puts a fresh spin on classic covers as well."

- Dee Jay Gude, SOMD online - 

Band Members