Today I’m talking with 24 year-old, openly gay, pop singer/songwriter Dylan Michael who currently lives in Atlanta, GA. He’s originally from Manchester, GA. which I’ve actually passed through a few times.
B: Tell me your musical past.
Dylan: I’ve always been drawn to music and performing, even as a child. A few years ago, I remember putting on all black clothing, pinning a tail to my ass, drawing whiskers on my face and making my entire family watch me as I performed a number from the musical Cats. I did marching band for 6 years and theater for five. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized acting wasn’t my thing, and I decided to leave school to pursue music full time.
B: What has your experience been like in the music industry thus far?
Dylan: I’ve hit a few speed bumps on the way, but that hasn’t deterred me at all. I continue on in my hopes of becoming successful. My goal, and only goal, in life is to be Madonna status. I want to be a household name that everyone knows. I want a career that spans decades. And that’s the only plan I have. No backup plan, just full steam ahead until I reach my goals.
B: What are you doing to make that happen?
Dylan: I am currently working on my first full album entitled Vandalized. It’ll be out summer of 2013, just in time for summer vacation! But I do have a 5 song EP available for FREE download on my website. I feel like it’s a very good representation of what I will bring the audience with Vandalized. I continue to grow and evolve with my music so what you hear on my AfterLove EP will be similar to what you’ll hear on my album, but definitely not the same.
B: What was After Love about? Most artists start off with concepts that resonate from their own experiences, was that the same for you?
Dylan: Yes, AfterLove was about one guy in college who broke my heart and it’s what kick started me into music. The song Angel of Grace I wrote in 15 minutes, and it’s one of my favorites. Actually, all five songs are my favorites; I don’t want to put out music that I wouldn’t listen to, if that makes sense.
B: Do you think being openly gay will hinder you? The reason I ask is because I see such a huge difference between our generations with sexual preference as a defining characteristic of the whole person.
Dylan: As I said, I’m openly gay, but gay doesn’t define me. I feel that, with “gay” becoming more mainstream lately, with RuPaul’s Drag Race and Ellen and Adam Lambert, I think it’s time for an openly gay pop star to come out; someone who sings about liking boys and being true to themselves, but without being creepy. As I said, I’m never gonna stop trying to get where I want to go. I’m gonna keep on pursuing my dreams and being as fabulous as I can be
B: That’s all any of us can do. Thanks for stopping by.
You can connect with Dylan and listen to his music on his website, or on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter.
If you are a LGBTQ author, musician, or filmmaker and would like to chat, please feel free to contact me.