Erik Dylan has a story to tell. It’s one of the qualities that drew Kip Moore, who discovered Dylan at an open mic night in 2011 to bring him to his publisher Brett James, and attracted artists including Kip himself, Eric Paslay, Justin Moore, Eli Young Band, Thompson Square, Chad Brownlee, Brent Cobb and even Hinder to record his songs. He writes on Music Row with many of Nashville’s hitmakers, but Erik will gladly tell anyone that his happiest moments in songwriting occur at his hero Guy Clark’s workshop over black coffee.
We caught up with Erik last year to talk about him staying true to his roots and what’s important to him regarding his songwriting. In that interview, he told us, “I think we need to focus on writing songs that don’t alienate the people we’re writing about. We do have fun, we drink beer, we drive dirt roads, all of that stuff is real and I remember doing it. But I also remember the struggle, and people being laid off, factories getting shut down, droughts, and babies, and getting married, and all these sections of your life that kind get forgotten.”
Dylan’s second album Heart Of A Flatland Boy is due out later this year, a composite of many of life’s realities. The first single released from the new album is “Pink Flamingos” and is available now on iTunes. It’s a gritty tale of a sexual abuser who meets his end and is now buried in the front yard under what else… pink flamingos. Co-written with Adam James, the song is dark and moody with a rock n’ roll vibe.
We’ve all heard revenge songs; however, “Pink Flamingos” is anything but ordinary. Dylan digs deep in this one touching on a subject not often sung about. His raspy vocals compliment the lyrics perfectly.
“Becky was at work when he crossed that line / next door neighbor heard her baby crying /
Ain’t no doubt about what he done / so, she took a smoke break and bought her a gun /
Oooh, if anybody asks we’re pleading the fifth / Oooh, nobody’s gonna find that son of a bitch /
she said he left town / but everybody knows / he’s buried in the front yard pushing up pink flamingos”
For a refreshingly different sound, do yourself a favor and pick this one up (iTunes).
To keep up to date with Erik follow him on Twitter, Instagram and his website.