We were lucky to catch up with Delaney Young recently and have shared our conversation below.

Delaney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

It’s hard to think of the single most kind thing anyone has ever done for me, but I’d say one of the most generous and extravagant moments of kindness in my life happened in high school, when a family friend gifted me a Breedlove Passport acoustic guitar (which I still use) for free. It was before I even knew how to play the instrument! I only played classical piano at that point in my life and was extremely shy and secretive about my musicianship, but Ron saw potential in me that I didn’t even see! Throughout high school, he continued to generously invest in me and help me build confidence and skill in songwriting. Ron helped me record and mix a few songs in his studio, bought me lots of gear, introduced me to many of his local musician friends, and consistently encouraged and affirmed my gifts and passion for music. When I think about the “village” it took to raise the musician in me, he is a core part of that crowd. Ron was one of the first people to take me seriously as a musician and writer, before I even took myself seriously. And that’s a gift that, in my opinion, is worth even more than a guitar.

As I tell this story, I think of so many other teachers, friends, and mentors who have shaped and impacted my musical career — Tom Madison, Andy Garcia, Sarah Thompson, and many others, too many to properly recognize and thank! But I think any musician will tell you that community is an essential part of the journey. People help you hone your craft, build confidence, define your style/sound, and find new inspiration. And most importantly, they give life to your music! Music is inherently communal and meant to be shared, so when you have people in your corner who are eager to hear your music and give you feedback and help you get better, that’s such a priceless gift.

Delaney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a musician and writer currently living in the D.C. area. It’s an interesting place to be a creative — I sometimes feel like I’m swimming upstream in this area’s rat race career culture. But the creative community I’ve found is beautiful, and there are a lot of kindred artists and writers here. I play live gigs once or twice a month, and it’s invigorating to play to a room full of both strangers and friends. I also play weddings and do commissioned songwriting. My favorite gigs recently have been living room shows. There’s something particularly magical about playing to a lamplit room full of friends on couches with their wine in mason jars.

My musical aesthetic straddles the line between singer-songwriter/indie folk and r&b. I love pairing funky, unconventional chords with raw lyrics and unpredictable melody lines. I try to tell the truth in my songs and connect with the people listening; the hope is that I’m able to put words to those felt experiences with love, grief, faith, growing up, and moving on that many of us have had. I write for myself and to tell my own story, of course, but I also write for my listeners and to help them tell their stories. It’s always been cathartic for me to hear someone else articulate and sing my deep, complicated, inexplicable feelings. Good music sees and knows us, reminding us that, though we are complex, we are ultimately connected by our common humanity.

I’m working on a project with Surrendered Records currently, which should release in the spring. It’s my first true recording experience, and it’s been such an exhilarating challenge to write and arrange the parts for guitar, piano, and cello. I’m loving it and learning so much! Stay tuned for those songs.

Last thing I want to share: I feel really passionate about creative collaboration. Music is communal and meant to be shared in and with community! I am starting up a virtual workshop for creatives of all kinds. People from all over the country can participate, and It’s simply an outlet for sharing and a means of accountability for us to create on a regular basis. DM or email me if you want to join! All are welcome.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I touched on this a bit earlier, but the idea that my songs can make someone else feel seen, known, and understood is SO WILD and amazing to me! I write from my own experiences of love and hurt and everything in between, so it’s always a risk of vulnerability to sing my songs and just hope that they resonate. But almost every time I play a song for a group of people, someone will tell me how much they related to it. That is an aspect of writing and sharing music that I will never get over. It’s incredibly rewarding and is one of the things that keeps me going in this career.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A really valuable lesson I’ve learned is that rewriting is okay!! Revisions and drafts are a sign of a great writer, not a bad one. For a long time, the perfectionist in me had me convinced that, if my song didn’t come out with flawless lyrics and chords the first time, it wouldn’t ever be a good song. It’s hard work to revise and incorporate other musicians’ advice, but it’s so worth it. You have to recognize your own blind spots and let other people help you make the song the best it can be.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that discipline is important in the process AND there are such things as Muse-like inspiration strikes. I don’t think the process is one or the other. I’ve spent a lot of time waiting for a great lyric or the perfect melody to just fall in my lap when I probably should have been sitting with an instrument, putting in the time and effort to conjure up something myself. But I also know musicians who are so dedicated and disciplined that they don’t trust their first-takes or instinctual decisions at all; I think that’s a pity, because creativity has a lot to do with openness and attunement to one’s own hunches, instincts, and preferences. So, try to cultivate both in your musicianship!

Contact Info:

• Website: delaneylyoung.com
• Instagram: @delaneylyoung_music

Image Credits
Image credits to Ryan Groves, Jess Wheeler, and Jordan Allen.