We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dylan Chambers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dylan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I’m very happy I chose this path, yes. Being an artist certainly comes with its difficulties but so does everything. There isn’t a different path I’ve ever seen myself on.
I held down a few regular jobs in my late teens/early 20s that I really didn’t like. It was during those years that I knew I needed to follow my heart and take the artist journey. Although I’m very happy with my decision, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to be a therapist. I find their line of work fascinating and have always been intrigued by the human experience.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Dylan Chambers and I’m a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer from Arlington, TX. I draw a lot of inspiration from classic pop, soul and funk artists of the past. My heroes are people like James Brown, Elvis, Al Green, Paul McCartney and Prince. One of my biggest goals has been to preserve and educate my generation on that type of music through my own.
I started singing and performing at around the age of four. My mother, who is an actress and vocal coach, was the first person in my life who instilled a love of music in me. Up until I was a teenager, I was mostly just acting in musicals. I wanted to become a professional actor until I picked up a guitar at thirteen and discovered music from the 60s/70s. That’s when everything changed. I lived and breathed the guitar and writing my own songs. I would carry composition notebooks everywhere and write lyrics. My love of composing grew and grew which lead me to playing in a couple different bands in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. After I graduated high school, I moved to Los Angeles at age eighteen with hopes of becoming a professional musician.
Since then, I’m grateful to say that I’ve worn many hats in the music industry and have lived a pretty adventurous life so far. Over the past decade, I’ve toured as a featured singer/guitarist with Dancing with the Stars, have backed different artists such as Sabrina Carpenter and Haley Reinhart, written songs for artists such as Herb Alpert and Rich Brian and have produced music for Alex Lambert and Mindi Abair. As an artist, I’ve released over a dozen singles, collaborated with Cory Wong, LunchMoney Lewis, Dave Koz, had a Top 5 single on the Tokyo Hot 100, etc.
I’m proud that I followed my heart and decided to dedicate my life to making a living as an artist. I get why a lot of people don’t. It’s a life of uncertainty but I enjoy it.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects is watching an idea that exists in your head become an actual piece of music. It feels like magic. The act of going through this process over and over again has lead me to develop a creative trust within myself that is priceless. It’s a different kind of confidence that you can’t get from doing anything else. It feels like a super power and makes me feel a deeper connection with the world around me.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think that a lot of creative people are often taken for granted because the ones that have put in the work end up making it look easy. It’s not easy. It takes years and years of practice to hone your skills. For example, it’s very easy to walk into a bookstore, see thousands of books everywhere, pick one and go. In saying that, how often do you think about how much creativity and skill it took just to write one of those books? Same thing goes for when you walk into a record store or watch a tv show. Most people don’t operate like creatives. Most people don’t dedicate their whole existence to making art. On paper, it’s not a great decision but it can be the most soul-fulfilling. One thing I’ve noticed is that as we get older, it becomes harder to not lose our imagination. A lot of people become hardened by life and lose their sense of play and childlike wonder. I believe that artists are aware of this and work very hard to maintain theirs so that it can still be felt in the world. I don’t know how often people think of things like that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dylanchambersmusic.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dylan_chambers
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/dylanchamberstunes
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jP4GO0BDgY15BqUcUVhG9?si=6Ff7zHBTS_6WX9dnhPgLgw&dl_branch=1
Image Credits
Photos by Alex Lang, Greg Hein