DYLYN Shares “Find Myself”; Watch Horror-Inspired Video Here
August 7, 2020 BY Nettwerk
DYLYN is Gwendolyn Lewis. With influences that range from Blondie to Black Sabbath, DYLYN has created a unique style that pulls together raw, rock n’ roll energy with infections pop hooks. Gwen worked with Ryan Guldemond (of Mother Mother) on “Find Myself,” the latest single to be released from an upcoming EP (via Nettwerk & HOME; details TBA).
“After working with Ryan, I thought, ‘This is it. This is finally the stuff I’ve been wanting to write. The 18-year-old me has returned.’ I hadn’t felt that excited in a long time.” Adding, “everyone says just be yourself. It’s the hardest thing to do. A lot of artists are natural pleasers. I struggled with that for a long time: making sure everyone in the room was okay and happy at the cost of my art and my truth. This is the first time where it’s more about the art and less about what other people think, going back to what I enjoyed doing about this in the first place. That’s why I couldn’t sleep after those sessions with Ryan.”
As an homage to classic horror films, the official video for “Find Myself” is directed by Saint and produced by Motion 20 Productions & Virul Media Productions (Toronto). Speaking with PopMatters, DYLYN says, “when you dabble in horror, I’m a big believer of subtleties – catching a small movement in the background. I actually made the masks on the creatures and really wanted to make sure they felt like shadows – it was hard to light them without capturing the fabric of the suits they were in.” Adding, “growing up, I was always the first one to pick the scariest movie. There’s a thrill with being on the edge while watching a film…waiting for that scary presence to pass the screen. It all came together quite naturally, I remember listening to the song and feeling this dark creepiness to the record. I really wanted to weave the worlds together. It was a little unsettling building and laying in a coffin.”
To celebrate the release, DYLYN will go live today at 7PM ET to answer questions, play a couple of new and old songs, and just generally interact with the fans. For ticketing information, please visit: https://sidedooraccess.com/shows/jIv7VoeNUt3aN7mELJFP.
About DYLYN:
With a father of British descent, a mother from the Chinese Mainland, and growing up on the outskirts of Toronto on a musical diet of Led Zeppelin and Blondie, DYLYN released her 80’s synth-rock infused debut EP Sauvignon In a Kimono in 2018, featuring the breakout track “Secret.” Since its release, “Secret” has quietly amassed an impressive YouTube profile – over 100 million streams – due in large part to the Gacha Life anime community (10 million active users) adopting the song as its anthem of family betrayal. Gacha Life is a successful online game that you can play on your mobile phone. It allows you to create your own characters in an anime look. To support the new music and reconnect with fans, the official DYLYN avatar was included in the brand new Gacha Club launch this spring. For more details, please visit https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hrv8wnGHh/.
Critic Quotes:
“Shifting gears from aspiring electropop princess to rock ‘n’ rule dream queen, Toronto’s DYLYN is re-examining her life while searching for truth with a new song and a very scary-good music video” – PopMatters
“Breathe, like fully breathe. It’s a thing we often forget to do in times of stress. Music, thankfully, can help and DYLYN’s latest will do just that” – NYLON
“If Lana Del Rey had a darker, edgier-sounding musician sister (assuming it’s possible to sing even edgier and darker love songs about loneliness) then singer/songstress DYLYN is your girl” – Galore
“a pulsating pop thumper embracing Diplo styled production, a punk edge, and DYLYN’s sultry vocals” – Indie Shuffle
“DYLYN deals in big statements: cascading beats, quirky panpipe-y synths, and 100mph choruses all melt together” – Line of Best Fit
“Toronto alt-pop artist DYLYN broke through last year, with each passing release seeming to connect with a global audience” – CLASH
“Gwendolyn Lewis, who releases music under the stage name DYLYN, is a rising rock artist from Toronto who has continued to build herself a fanbase” – Ones To Watch
