Today we’d like to introduce you to Blaine Dillinger.
Blaine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My name is Blaine Dillinger. I was born and raised in a little town called Findlay, OH. I eventually moved to Columbus, OH and graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Guitar Performance. While in Columbus, I founded a hiphop/reggae band by the name of “Shrub”. After graduating, I moved from Ohio to the SF Bay area. While in the bay, I joined a reggae band called “Clear Conscience”. While playing with Clear Conscience, I would come to meet many musicians in the Cali Reggae scene. Those connections eventually led to me playing guitar for internationally touring reggae artist “HIRIE” in May of 2014. After joining the band, I moved down to San Diego in 2015. I have been blessed to perform on her last two Billboard charting albums, “Wandering Soul” and “Dreamer” in-between playing 100+ shows a year.
In addition to HIRIE, I write and release my own music under the name “Dillinger’s Hired Guns”. My latest single “Witchduck” (released in April 2020 and available on all platforms) is an instrumental prog/rock tune. It is the first in a line of singles I am releasing in my “Animal Crossing” series. This series is a way to get out all of the fun ideas that are stuck in my head and bring attention to the beauty/wonder of the natural world. A portion of the profits will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund to help conserve that beauty and wonder.
Finally, I have been doing a multitude of collaborations and session work for other artists during any downtime I have. Some current examples are playing guitar for the artist Wisdom and Sound’s latest single “No Negative Vibes” and c0-writing, c0-producing, and recording most of the music for the new Shrub album “Back to Earth” which is set to be released on May 15th.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My main struggles were with myself. I had to learn to be patient and trust the process. I have been working towards being a professional musician since I was in high school but did not find success until I was in my 30s. I had to leave my comfort zone multiple times and move to places that forced me to start my whole life over multiple times with now guarantee that things would work out. I failed or stagnated multiple times and was repeatedly forced to confront the possibility of giving up on my dream and playing it safe with my life and career.
In my younger years, I struggled with drugs and alcohol but was fortunate to win that battle. Many of my friends growing up were not so lucky. Self-Doubt is still my top struggle. Things like our current situation of quarantine have forced me to switch around my entire existence. Touring made up 90% of my income the last couple of years and my whole lifestyle was centered around being on the road for an average of 4-6 months per year. It’s so easy to just give up when things are tough but I’m lucky to have a support system of family, friends, and fans to keep me pushing on and continue my creative processes!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am most well known for being a touring guitar player. Since the quarantine, I have been working to showcase the other aspects of my work such as teaching, writing, recording, and producing music. What sets me apart from others is my attitude, drive, and unique ideas. There are so many guitar players in the world who are amazing! But, only one has my unique set of ideas and the passion to push someone’s project as if it was my own!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
The things I would have done differently in the past are the positive things that I am currently doing in life. I don’t like to think of what I could have done in the past because those mistakes and experiences shaped the person I am today. That being said I am always looking for ways to improve myself for the future. Life is ever-changing and I try to embrace the journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: dillingermusic.com
- Email: dillingermusic@yahoo.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dillingermusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/dillingermusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/dillingermusic
- Other: patreon.com/dillingermusic
Image Credit:
Top Shelf Music, In The Barrel Photo, Jamey Jetton, Chance the Shooter, Jason J
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