Dylan Ward

Dylan Ward

Dylan Ward is a singer-songwriter from Duluth, United States, working across blues, blues rock, classic rock, contemporary folk, country and country rock. He grows out of a musical background shaped by southwest Virginia, where Appalachian bluegrass, country and classic rock radio influence his writing and sound.

Early songwriting and influences

He first picks up his father’s nylon-string guitar in high school and starts writing his own songs because he is too impatient to learn many of the rock songs he wants to play. That decision begins a long period of focus on songwriting. His early direct influences include Buffalo Tom, the Gin Blossoms and the Wallflowers, while Neil Young and the Rolling Stones help shape a more classic rock and country-blues side of his style. Later influences include Wilco, Son Volt and Josh Ritter.

Career

Ward performs as a solo act and in local bands while studying geology at the University of Colorado. He then spends two years as a founding member of the Boulder, Colorado alt-country group the Whiskey Bottles before taking work as a research scientist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He continues to play solo in Albuquerque and occasionally returns to Boulder to sit in with the Whiskey Bottles.

He also builds a band in Albuquerque that combines the alt-country roots associated with the Whiskey Bottles with indie-rock guitar lines and rhythms, alongside acoustic singer-songwriter elements. His lyrics draw on images from years of travel around the American West, and his songs are described as being driven by sincerity and energy.

Recordings and labels

Ward’s second solo album is The Chasing Of The Storm, which appears in 2011. He is associated with Dwarf Music, Big Sky Music, Egyptian Records, Ram’s Horn Music, Special Rider Music and CBS Records Inc.

Associated acts

He is a member of the Traveling Wilburys and Golden Chords.