Dillon Ryan & The Dream Romantics are back with “Addressed To You”
Miramichi/Moncton, New Brunswick-based band Dillion Ryan & The Dream Romantic have unveiled their single, “Addressed To You.”
The new single was written by Dillon and recorded by Pat Martin at Aurum Waves Studio in Moncton and James McClafferty at Mobain Productions in Miramichi. When it comes to mixing, in came John Mullane from Future Dad Music in Halifax, NS, and the single was mastered by Kristian Montana at Montano Mastering in Toronto, ON! So it’s safe to say there’s a whole lot of talent in this track!
Dillon shares on the single,
“I wrote “Addressed To You” during somewhat of a forlorn time in my life. I was going through a lot of anxiety and changes in my personal life. I was worrying about a lot of people around me. I would have to say that was a huge catalyst for the inspiration of the song.”
As for the influences involved,
“Musically, I was really into a lot of the darker Echo & The Bunnymen stuff as well as John Cale and Nick Cave. I came up with a lot of the song on the piano first before transposing it to more of a guitar song.”
Review
As the track begins, we’re treated to a mellow beat, soon joined by Dillon’s deep, somewhat gruff vocals.
As the song progresses, Dillon’s unique vocals keep you enthralled. I personally love distinctive voices, as they add something extra that not everyone can pull off.
To me, the lyrics, “If I could express what’s in my heart, I’d write it in a note Addressed To You, I’d write in a note Addressed To You, I’d sing it in a song from me to you,” encompasses the need to divulge to others, as well as one’s self any secrets or past discrepancies we’ve had.
From beginning to end, this song had me completely captivated, and before long, I was singing along, although my vocals do not even begin to compare to those of Dillon Ryan.
Listen to “Addressed To You” below and learn more about Dillon Ryan & The Dream Romantic via our mini-interview.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Of course! I’ve been playing in different bands for over 15 years now. My current band (Dillon Ryan & The Dream Romantic) has existed in different incarnations since 2013. Originally forming the band in my hometown of Miramichi. I relocated the band to Moncton in 2017 and have been based there since. Besides playing in my own group. I perform/record with a lot of other local New Brunswick artists. As well as having a job Mentoring young Musicians/Artists in the public school system.
You have unveiled your single, “Addressed To You.” What can you tell us about the writing process behind the track?
“Addressed To You,” I would say, marks a change of process in my songwriting. I wrote the bulk of the song on Piano and Acoustic Guitar. Generally speaking, most of the time, songs that I came up with for the full band. I would have had more of a fleshed-out idea for the electric guitars from the beginning but presently, I’ve been really enjoying writing more skeletal compositions and then building the instrument hooks after the fact. Giving the melody and words the proper forefront attention they require.
As a song, it is A Love/Loss Ballad from the perspective of someone learning to overcome obstacles in their own mental health and how that affects one’s connection with another person. Discussing The idea of losing someone before you finally are able to make the steps to further yourself as a person.
You released your album, Dreaming Of Love (One More Time), back in June. What song on the release would you recommend to a new listener?
Dreaming Of Love (One More Time) was unique in the sense that is my first fully solo acoustic album.
In recent years a lot of the work I’ve gotten has been doing a lot of acoustic shows. Which at first was a bit of a learning curve but has become a very passionate and enjoyable method for me in which to present my music. It’s probably more of a personal record than I ever thought I would make. A lot of it was written during and slightly after a particularly difficult time in my life. I had just lost my brother and was dealing with a lot of personal problems, so focusing on making this record was very cathartic. “The Winter Of You” for me is a standout track from that album. A song I wrote while quarantining in a Days Inn Hotel in Miramichi. It deals with the struggles of seasonal depression and the desire to overcome that. The opening track on the album “Up In Lights” is probably tied with “The Winter of you” as my favorite song on the record. It was the first time my father and I wrote a song together.
What is your favourite thing about the music scene in New Brunswick?
I feel that New Brunswick’s music scene is and always has been quite unique. Most of the provinces generally have one defining city that most of the industry builds from (with some exceptions, of course). While New Brunswick might be small in size, it has three very colorful Music cities in Moncton, Fredericton & Saint John that are all unique in their own way. Alongside that, there are tons of great venues, radio stations, festivals, and other resources popping up all over the province that benefit. “Miramichi” the city that I grew up in, has seen significant growth in our Music/Arts scene in recent years. The city annually hosts the “Downtown Arts & Music Festival.” Showcasing a ton of great NB/Atlantic Canadian Artists/Musicians.
What can we expect from you for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023?
Dillon Ryan &The Dream Romantic will be working on finishing writing and recording a new full-length album this winter, which we hope to have released mid-spring. Besides that, I’ll continue playing many solo shows and some band shows.
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