At the tender age of 14, Dylan Schneider stepped onto the stage with a fearless spirit and a talent that belied his years. His journey began as a young songwriter and performer, crafting melodies and lyrics that resonated deeply with audiences. With songs like ‘Two Black X’s’ (2016), ‘How Does It Sound’ (2017), and ‘How to Country’ (2019), Schneider quickly made his mark on the country music scene, earning a devoted fan base and a strong online following.
Now, at just 23 years old, Schneider’s achievements are nothing short of remarkable. With over 1 million social media followers and a staggering 240 million on-demand streams, he has become a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Sharing the stage with luminaries such as Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen, and Chris Lane, Schneider has proven himself to be a formidable presence in the world of country music.
Signing with BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records, the Indiana native is poised for a fresh start and a new chapter. With a renewed perspective and an unwavering determination, he is ready to make his mark on the world in a whole new way. This has been reflected in his new songs like, ‘Daddy Drinks Whiskey’ and the bombastic ‘Bad Decisions.’ Despite his youth, Schneider’s resume speaks volumes. From co-writing Dustin Lynch’s Top 5 hit ‘Momma’s House’ to earning two RIAA-certified Gold records, he has proven himself to be a formidable talent with a bright future ahead. We were thrilled to sit down with him at the C2C festival in London earlier in March to talk all about it.
Thanks for giving us your time today Dylan, it’s lovely to talk to you. You’ve been over in Europe about a week now?
Yeah, of course! Yes, it’s been about a week. We were in Berlin and we did Rotterdam as well before coming to London. We’ve been here in London for four days now so I’m starting to feel like I live here!
Has the emphasis of the trip so far been sightseeing or bars?
There’s been a whole lot of both, to be honest! (laughing) The last time I was here was about 6 years ago and was the first time that I could get into a bar anywhere, so I really wore that out last time! (laughing) A lot of my band weren’t with me then so this is their first time over here and we’ve done plenty of sightseeing and drinking.
Have you found a favourite beer over here? A lot of Americans struggle to drink our beers rather than the cold lagers they are used to.
I have found myself enjoying a Guinness – it’s like a coffee type thing meal in a glass! I’ve heard it’s even better in Dublin – it’s more legit there, right?
The last two songs you’ve released have been at the two different ends of the spectrum – ‘Daddy Drinks Whiskey’ and ‘Bad Decisions’. That to me shows an artist who is really evolving and developing their sound. Tell me about the inspirations behind ‘Daddy Drinks Whiskey.’
It was something in my life that I hadn’t been able to talk about or put out there for people to see. I’d got to the point where I was ready to share some of my personal life with people so I wrote the song a couple of years before we even released it. It’s for anybody who has been or is going through a similar situation – a loved one struggling with drinking and alcohol addiction.
I wanted to let people know that they are not alone but some folks are struggling through it by themselves or keeping it quiet and so I wanted the song to resonate with them and give them some hope. It sheds light on a problematic issue and sheds some weight from my shoulders at the same time.
What did your friends and family think about the song when they first heard it?
I played it for my entire family. My brother, my two little sisters, my mom. I played it to them individually and asked them how they felt about the song being released. The first time each one of them heard it, they cried – it was emotional but then thats when you know it’s genuine. Everyone was supportive and felt like it was time to talk about it.
“Bad Decisions,’ meanwhile is a ballsy, uptempo, bombastic song. Is that an intentional move into a slightly heavier sound?
Definitely. Those songs are sometimes the hardest kind of songs to write, oddly. The ones that are just right-down-the-middle, fun. You’d think they’d be the easiest ones to write but, with me, the more in-depth and sensitive songs are sometimes the ones that are easier to write because I feel like I have something to say.
‘Bad Decisions’ was a song that came out in less than an hour. We hit the nail on the head. It’s a topic that everyone can relate to – you know – we’ve all been in those toxic relationships where somebody is calling you at 2am in the morning. That on-and-off again kind of relationship.
It’s been a great song to play live and the band love playing it. It’s one that gets the crowds going and the atmosphere high.
Is ‘Bad Decisions’ going to be part of a bigger project coming down the line?
Yep! I think there will be an EP out in the next couple of months. Right now, I’m in the process of listening to the mixes of some songs we’ve cut and I’m really excited for people to hear what we’ve come up with.
You’ve been around the industry since the age of 16. When did you first know you wanted to do this for a living and how have you grown as a writer in that time?
So, I’ve always loved Rock music and then I got into Hip Hop in my middle school years. I started playing guitar when I was 8 years old but didn’t really have the patience for it and baseball was a much bigger pull to me back then. When I got into Country music around the age of 13 I fell in love with Florida Georgia Line, that first album of theirs changed everything for me. Brett Eldredge became a huge influence on me too, he’s kinda from the same place where I grew up in Indiana – he’s from just across the border in Illinois.
So, I started teaching myself guitar again via Youtube. I started to write my own songs after learning some covers and ever since then we’ve just grown and grown. I feel like I’ve got better song by song as my experience of life has widened. It’s a craft. It’s about the practice.
If you could sit down with any writer in Nashville to write the next song on your upcoming EP, who would you choose and why?
That’s a great question. I’d probably say HARDY. I know him, he’s a great dude and we have a lot of mutual friends but I haven’t managed to write with him yet. We have a lot of friends dating back to when he first was known as Michael Hardy. I love his style and I think it would compliment what I am trying to do as well.
Are you aiming to write with ‘mockingbird’ HARDY or ‘CROW’ HARDY?
I think the ‘CROW’ side of him would be a good place to start! I love me some Rock ‘n’ Roll!
You’ve been out on tour and played shows with various artists. Has there been a particular artist that you’ve looked at and been impressed with the way they connect with their fans and the way they treat their backstage crew as well?
Nate Smith, for sure. His crew are the best crew that I’ve ever worked with. There was a good vibe and good energy and they went out of their way to get along with our guys too. Nate takes care of everybody – he gave me such a lovely end of tour present that I wasn’t expecting and even let me ride on the bus a couple of times when I had to do some early morning radio stuff too.
Nate was, like, ‘I’ve been where you are, I’ve been that guy too, man.’ He was very gracious and kind. He’s somebody who everyone should model their careers on.
I hope we can get you back over in the UK for some of your own shows soon.
Definitely, man. I’m hoping to be back sooner rather than later so y’all better be ready for us!
Check out Dylan Schneider’s music in all the usual places right now.
