Welcome back King Dylan! What was the filming process like for your new song “Take Me Alive”? What inspired the video and where was it filmed?
Thanks for having me back! I really appreciate it. The filming process for Take Me Alive was very DIY which suited the theme of staying true to oneself before the crushing pressures of society take you dead or alive. Alex (of Mindseed) and I wanted to adventure out into the wilderness and capture the realistic essence of escaping the city and reconnecting with the flow of nature. So we filmed the majority of it on a GoPro camera to capture the movement and "Travel" aspect that goes hand in hand with that style of visuals. The river, the forest and the mountains were all very symbolic of things that are more "real" than what we as humans get caught up in and stress about every day. The perfect place for us to film this was in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, just west of our hometown of Calgary.
Was this your first time collaborating with Mindseed? What was the writing process like together?
Yes, it was the first time we collaborated on a song, although I had hired Alex to come play guitar with me at one of my shows and after checking out his music and writing style, I really wanted to see what we could come up with in the studio. When we got together to write it was really organic and we both kinda fell in love with the new ideas every time we came up with something. In the end it was a true melting pot of musical and lyrical inspiration that helped us mould this song together. I couldn't be happier with how the song turned out and I think Mindseed feels the same way.
What’s the overall theme of your album “In The Darkness, We Shine”?
I feel like the main point of my album title is that even with all the crap we deal with and go through, how depressed we may get, how dark our minds wander, that there is always something that can be perceived as a light... either to ourselves or to other people. The little lights you may have taken for granted can guide the way, cuz they will always be there - they are you at your core and everything that no one else can take from you.
If someone could only listen to one song from your collection to get an idea of your sound, what song would you suggest and why?
This is the hardest question of all time. I think "Untouchable" is an epitomizing song, as it captures the fun and yet the serious undertones what I usually write about. The video also garnered a lot of recognition for me too... but I won't let it define me, I'm always trying new sounds and styles.
What can we expect from the new music video you're dropping this fall?
The song "Get out of this Town" deals with mental health, the perception of depression and understanding that some people just need an escape - In some ways it is very much the dark side of the coin to "Take Me Alive". The video attempts to show the internal struggles and different voices people with mental health issues might face. I can't give away too much!
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