Dylan Owen is a self-proclaimed nowhere kid from a nowhere town. And yet out of the sleepy small towns of Orange County, NY he has become a beacon of light for tens of thousands of ardent listeners who come from rural towns such as these and beyond; who turn to his songs of introspection and wonder and struggle as a soundtrack to their lives, and a kind of navigation device. Over the course of his early projects Keep Your Friends Close and There’s More To Life, Dylan received widespread acclaim across a bevvy of music blogs, upgraded from DIY shows in coffee shops and at open mics to sharing stages with the likes of Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, Watsky, Skizzy Mars, and Logic, and garnered a diehard fan base through his idiosyncratic style of hip-hop.

His poetic songwriting has generated comparisons in the press to alternative icons like Conor Oberst and Elliott Smith due to his folklike storytelling, symbolic phrasing, and vivid use of imagery influenced by the surrounding nature, wilderness, and open roads of his youth. He also possesses disarming technical prowess as an emcee, has bottomless reservoirs of wit and wordplay, and has, alongside longtime producer Skinny Atlas, formulated production palettes that marry elements ranging from alternative rap to pop to folk—where neither DJ scratches nor a live violin or trumpet are out of place.

But Owen’s accumulation of accolades (from once being labeled Billboard’s “Next Big Sound” to accruing over 17MM Spotify plays organically) and sophistication of sound are only a small part of his story and impact. His music and other fan-facing efforts (his self-published book alongside recent release, Holes In Our Stories, and his weekly Coffee with Dylan series, where he connects with a listener over video chat, to name a few) have fostered a deeply engrossed and active community, both apparent online and at shows.

While his songs often offer encouragement and spout wisdom he’s newly unearthed, he’s also willing to share deeply personal narratives, including grappling with his own mental health (Owen regularly donates proceeds from his merch line to mental health organizations)—and when he shares his growing pains with fans, they share back, to staggering lengths. They do not only sell out his shows (as they have done for every headlining performance since 2016), but tattoo his lyrics, buy merch from every drop, and compose thousands of heartfelt social media messages—both private and public—that profess how songs across his catalog have yielded a significant change of perspective, provided much-needed solace, and, in some cases, saved them from harm. While one listen to a Dylan Owen song provides immediate insight into his universal writing ability and captivating gifts as a musician, what sustains him is more than that... it is his ongoing quest to carve out meaning from his journey for himself and others, and to give it away so that it might in some way alter or empower his listeners, who prove to him time and time again that there is more to life than he ever could have known.
-Jeff Baird, 2021