Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Castellano
Hi Dylan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up in upstate New York and northern New Jersey definitely had a huge effect on where I’m at today. I lived in two small towns, one in each state. Because of that, I didn’t really have a large friend group at all. It was hard to find a clique that really fit who I was which definitely affected me growing up. I felt super lonely at times. When I was about fifteen I started writing and attempting to record songs, but it was never a serious passion and the songs never came out that great. My dad played a lot of sad rock music in the car growing up, such as Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy. Those bands influenced my initial songs, experimenting with pop punk and emo rock. Those songs never reached any streaming services because I still didn’t really know what I was doing at the time. It was just a hobby to pass the time when I got home from school.
In my junior year of high school I met this one girl who I thought would be the one to change everything. She gave me a sense of love I never felt before. It finally felt like I had someone there for me. However, things changed very quickly and I was all alone again. I had no idea if it was my fault or hers, and my emotions were left all over the place. To discuss those feelings, I turned to recording songs as a form of therapy for myself. I dropped a song about her called “feel the same” in 2022 which caught the eyes of a promoter. From that point on I continued to work with them and grow my audience. This journey eventually influenced my decision to go to a university in San Diego. They had a good program for my major and the music scene is so local here that it would be a hinderance to my career to not go.
Getting to San Diego felt amazing. It was a fresh start for me to express who I truly was and feel like I belonged somewhere. I immediately made some amazing friends who I still talk to every day. In my freshman year of university, I continued to work with the same promoter that found me when I was still back in high school. We proceeded to post both my debut EP “stopthinking” and my first ever album “theywantmetofall” which included songs that have hundreds of thousands of streams.
Just like in high school, I wound up meeting another girl in my first year of university. This was my first long-term girlfriend and I really experienced what it really felt like to be in a relationship. It was definitely a learning experience. The hardships and complicated emotions I felt were even worse than the last girl, but this time I knew how to deal with them. Once again, I turned to music. This past summer, I began to post singles every week, each song discussing a different emotion or situation I struggled to deal with. This past fall, the relationship ended. I channeled every bit of energy into continuing the weekly music. By doing this, I was able to double my fanbase in the span of three months, going from fifteen thousand to well over thirty thousand monthly listeners.
On my twentieth birthday, I got a random message on Instagram from a guy asking me about working with him. I wasn’t sure what to think so I accepted the message and hopped on a call. I was then offered a record label deal for a one-year contract. I then accepted the deal and continued my weekly releases with them instead. Since that agreement I have continued my weekly drops, and even pushed out my second EP with them called “itneverlasts” this past January. Here I am now as a sophomore in university; I am continuing my journey, and have an album planned for the end of March. It’s been such a fun journey and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I honestly don’t think the music industry is a smooth road for anyone. For me, my family was the first roadblock. When I first showed them my music in high school, they didn’t seem too supportive of it, but accepted that it was a hobby and just blew it off. In university, I mentioned that I was singing at my first ever concert, and they laughed at the idea of it. I doubt they meant much harm, but I always took their words so personally. I let it get to me, and used that as fuel to prove them wrong. Now, they actually love the fact that I have passion that I work towards pursuing every day. My mom even likes my Instagram stories from time to time.
Even though I didn’t have the most friends, I still had a few close ones that I talk to a lot. However, they were never the biggest fans of my music. I got made fun of a lot in high school, especially behind my back. It made me never want to publicly post my work ever again. It was extremely demotivating, but I eventually realized that their words shouldn’t mean anything. The second I got over that was when I began to grow, and the same people hating me wound up supporting me in the long run.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a rock artist. It’s plain and simple. I record vocals on rock instrumentals I’m either sent or find on the internet, and post a new song every Friday. I’m mainly known for mixing the loud, atmospheric sound of shoegaze with pop and emo rap elements. I am definitely most proud of my song “contact”. It was my first time ever trying the shoegaze sound, and I was definitely rewarded for pushing my boundaries. It is by far my biggest song, sitting at over two hundred thousand streams on Spotify.
One thing that I think sets me far apart from other artists in the industry is that I am super dedicated to my craft despite how much else I got on my plate, and that I treat my music accounts as if they are my personal ones. I don’t like to separate my music identity from who I am. Dylan Lotus is still part of me, and people need to know that. Whether it’s a party I take pictures at, a trip I go on with friends, or a concert I perform at, I am willing to post about it all. My listeners and friends deserve to see the full me, not just a part of me I put up on social media. Deep connections are super important to me, and I will continue to work on developing them.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Being yourself will do nothing but benefit you. Please make sure you be the most authentic version of yourself no matter what life throws at you. I wish the younger me knew that, so do me a favor and put that thought into consideration. Also, if you haven’t heard of me in the past, check out my music! Even if you don’t like it, it doesn’t hurt to give it a listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/dylaanlotus
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylaanlotus
- Twitter: https://x.com/dylaanlotus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dylaanlotus
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dylaanlotus/
