Inspired #199 - Dylan Fraser
Hailing from the small Scottish town of Bathgate, alt-pop artist Dylan Fraser treats us to another dreamy single ‘Gucci Sweater’ - taken from his debut EP ‘The Storm’. Having gained early fans from the likes of Jack Saunders on Radio 1 and Zane Low, Dylan takes influence from the likes of Sharon Van Etten to Phoebe Bridgers to Radiohead. He took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind his music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations?
Thom Yorke, Lorde & Kanye. I grew up listening to their music and I just love the way that they push genre boundaries; you never know what to expect from them and that keeps them exciting.
Is there a certain film that inspires you?
My favourite film is The Shining. I love the way it’s shot and it keeps you gripped from start to end.
What city do you find the most inspiring?
London. There’s something otherworldly about London. Coming from a small town in Scotland, I’d never experienced big cities and when I visit, it just feels different; you can sense the opportunities. There’s people from all walks of life with different styles, views and ambitions, all living alongside one another. I love that. I love people watching around the city and taking inspirations from daily life.
Who is the most inspiring person to you?
I take inspiration from so many different people and sources that it’s hard to pin down.
What were your inspirations when writing your new single?
My new single is about society and how materialistic we are nowadays. It’s about how we buy things to make us appear more relevant or worthy of people’s acceptance but in reality, it won’t make us any happier. I think we tend to find happiness in expensive or luxury items rather than finding it within ourselves. I’ve been that guy, and still am that guy, where buying something nice feels good, right? Of course it does but it’s temporary happiness and it doesn’t make you any better or worse than anyone else. Sonically, it’s different to anything I’ve previously released. It’s just me and an acoustic guitar. I’d been listening to a lot of Bon Iver while I was writing and I was inspired by his ability to piece together folk with electronic.
How would you like to inspire people?
I wanna inspire people through my music, lyrics, visuals…I just my fans to be able to connect with the music and feel understood. My favourite artists are the ones who I can deeply relate to through their music and I hope to be that artist to someone.
Dylan Fraser’s new track, ‘Gucci Sweater’, is out now, which features on his debut EP, The Storm.