By January 10, 2020
In 2008, artist Dylan Gilbert was deemed “the hardest-working musician in North Carolina” by the Salisbury Post and, over a decade later, it’s hard to argue with that sentiment. Since his teens, Gilbert has become a founding member of the genre-bending punk band Hectorina, releasing five albums with the band, two EPs, and self-releasing nine solo albums since 2005. He has performed over 800 shows across the country with appearances at several noteworthy festivals (Hopscotch Music Festival, CMJ Music Marathon, Indie Grits Film Festival, and more). Outside of his musical prowess– which is ever-evolving and happily experimental– Gilbert masterminded an entire theatrical production of Hectorina’s rock opera album, Collywobble. He’s created the interactive sound installation, The Forest, while being an artist in residence at Goodyear Arts, and collaborated with Charlotte’s XOXO Performance Ensemble to produce All the Dogs and Horses, which is described as “a zen acid western” play.
Today, Gilbert premieres his first single, the wandering, psychedelic “Good News” off his upcoming solo album, I’ll Be the Lakebed. The track envisions a world where one wakes up and, to such delight, the president is apologizing, the ice caps are refreezing, and the patriarchy has crumbled overnight. Gilbert has hypothesized his daydream like a butterfly flirting in the sunlight– what it would be like to hear some good news. The song is a hopeful reminder that maybe one day we’ll all wake up and hear these great messages, that people will remember to lead with love and rise above the fear and hate.
Gilbert’s boundless creativity makes him a lasting and beloved gem in the local arts scene and this year Gilbert will release his tenth solo album, I’ll Be the Lakebed, co-produced with DJ, producer, rapper Justin Aswell. The album, which Gilbert refers to as a “ten-song cycle,” is an exploration between spirituality and technology in our modern day using the avant-garde, ambient soundscapes, and DIY performance art.
Listen to “Good News” by Dylan Gilbert from the forthcoming album I’ll Be the Lakebed.
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