Fusing together roots the line the border of Pop, Funk, R&B, and Soul, singing sensation and guitarist Dylan Chambers has journeyed from Arlington, Texas to Los Angeles in 2011 to dive into his talents. The powerhouse vocalist has dug his heels into the industry, coming a long way since the singer-songwriter act of his debut EP, while expanding his oeuvre to meet the crest of a fuller, more soul-rooted, robust sound.
Spinning up a string of new singles with long-time producer, Stefan Litrownik, who has accomplishments under his belts that range from Boyz II Men and Andy Grammer, Dylan Chambers is enthusiastic to garner the charm of timeless classics, having no scruples about citing modern stalwarts such as Vulfpeck, Jacob Collier, Devon Gilfillan and all who are focused with preserving the sanctity of soul. Amongst the chaos offered up in 2020, Dylan Chambers utilized the second half of the year to release three critically acclaimed singles that shared an intrapersonal light on who he is as an artist and individual.
Lively instrumentation filled with a Funk fortified foundation has us grooving to the upbeat jive of, “I Can Do It Myself.” Inspired by the coming of age realization that all the things Dylan Chambers had been waiting for others to help him with, he could in fact start on his own. He placed the fear of making the wrong move to the side and proceeded to skyrocket with his artistic endeavors. Creating a meaningful path for others to follow upon, Dylan Chambers raises the bar as he urges others to take that leap of faith.
“Ya Feelin’ Good?” has us swimming in a pool of nostalgia with the powerful vocal range shed in the mesmerizing feels of the lyrical content Dylan Chambers graces us with.
A conversation with friend and producer Stefan Litrownik influenced the blissful ambiance of Dylan Chambers encouraging us to party like it’s 1991. Reminding us that even though it’s easier to sink under the pressures and uncertainties caused by this year, we always have the power to make the most out of a bad situation no matter how bad it gets.
Made famous by the late Jackie Wilson, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” is a favorite soul-infused classic from the late ’60s for Dylan Chambers. Performing his lush new age rendition, Dylan Chambers places his capabilities into this utopia of grooves that producer, Stefan Litrownik, urged the emerging artist to cut and make his own. Taking him back to an era that he wishes he was able to experience, the duo pays homage to the original while putting their unique flair on the creation.
With Dylan Chambers still residing in Los Angeles, he continues to hustle through his list of accomplishments while cementing his place in the industry. With plenty more to come, Dylan Chambers is just launching a voyage of R&B/Funk that we all want to witness.
Hello Dylan, welcome back to BuzzMusic, it's always a pleasure when we chat with you. Congratulations on your successful journey through 2020. With everything that has gone on this year, how have you managed to stay inspired and creative during 2020?
Thank you! It’s always a pleasure to talk with BuzzMusic as well. I appreciate all the support this year. Even though 2020 felt like hell on Earth, it provided me with a lot of creative inspiration. My lifestyle before COVID was go, go, go for years so to have everything up and stop back in March was a real shock to the system. However, not being able to travel and play in person gigs created an opportunity for me to be still and look inwards. I’ve been writing a lot more than usual because of the time I’ve had alone. I’ve also managed to flood my brain with all the podcasts, books, and music I could handle which has kept my inspiration tank full.
Do you happen to have a favorite piece of your own music that resonates with you more than others? What's your reasoning?
Not necessarily. My favorite song is always the one I’ve most recently finished, but then that fades when I start working on the next one. As a whole, I’m proud of all the music I write. I try not to get choosy with it.
We can only imagine great times all around, but how has it been collaborating with your producer and friend Stefan Litrownik? As a songwriter, do you only write music for yourself or have you embarked on a journey of writing music for others as well?
Working with Stefan has been a wonderful experience. We’ve known each other and been friends for almost 10 years now. During that time, we were on the road playing for another artist which ultimately strengthened our musical bond. Coming together in the way that we have was only natural. As a songwriter, I’ve enjoyed (and still enjoy) writing for other
artists when the opportunity presents itself. I co-wrote Brett Young’s “Kiss by Kiss”, Herb Alpert’s “Skinny Dip”, Tiffany Houghton’s “Love Like That” and more. I’ve also enjoyed playing guitar on other artist’s records. On the track “Slow Down Turbo” off of Rich Brian’s 2019 album The Searcher, the ethereal outro is a chopped up sample of my guitar.
What can we expect from you in terms of new music in 2021? Any collaborations that we should keep our eyes peeled for?
My goal is to put out a new single every other month. The first one, Breakdown, will be coming out on January 28th which features some incredibly funky bass playing by Brandon Brown (Brandon Brown Collective/Musical Director and bassist for The Jacksons). I have one song I did that features an epic sax solo by Dave Koz and was mixed by Josh Gudwin (Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, etc.) I’m not sure of the release date on that one yet though. Hopefully summer. My good friends, Alexander Jean, (Mark Ballas/BC Jean), and I have plans to get in the studio together at the top of the year as well.
Do you have any other dream collaborations that you would like to cross off of your bucket list?
I think it would be really awesome to do something with Daryl Hall and John Oates sometime. I’ve loved them for a while and I feel we could really come up with something cool together. Also, John Mayer and Chromeo would be fun to do something with.
Which artists, songs and playlist have you been listening to during 2020?
Too many to count! James Brown, Eagles, Beatles, Bruno Mars, Grateful Dead, Donna Summer, Marvin Gaye, The Dip, Rolling Stones, BB King, Charles Bradley, The True Loves, ZZ Top, Paul Simon, John Mayer, Theo Katzman, etc. I listened to Paul McCartney’s new album twice on a long drive to Austin, TX a few days ago and loved it. He’s still got it, man.
Of course, he does though, ya know? It’s Paul McCartney. I really enjoyed Ryan Adams new album Wednesdays as well even though it ripped my heart out and threw it on the floor. As far as playlists go, I’ve been enjoying “Retro Drive” and “Nu-Funk”. My song “Ya Feelin’ Good?” got added to “Nu Funk” a month ago so I’ve been listening through to hear the other artists featured on there. Really good stuff. I’m honored to be in such good company.
What words of wisdom would you like to leave for your listeners to cap off 2020?
We don’t know what’s coming but things are about to get turned back around. It’s a natural law that the pendulum swings back to the other side. We’ve been living far too long in a time of chaos, greed, sickness, corruption, power trips, etc that it’s all gonna bloom into something beautiful here soon. It has to. I have faith that once we’re out of this craziness, it’s gonna be the roaring 20’s all over again. Music and art will be thriving. We’re not gonna take each other, our freedom, or our health for granted anymore.
