Hard Workin’ Man

I happen to have been scrolling through Instagram looking for artists to reach out to and was lucky enough to find Dillon.. Amazingly talented singer and songwriter… yay me!

Q: You live in Nashville….it has such a rich culture in music history….was that a place you have always aspired to immerse yourself in?

A: There was a long stretch of time when I couldn’t imagine much more than immersing myself in whatever green room I was in, but when things slowed down, Nashville was on my mind. It’s kind of like a goldfish at the County Fair. They keep them in those little bags, and some kid popped 5 balloons or made it through the ring of death without puking will bring it home and keep it in a cup on the mantle or something. The goldfish spends two weeks staying cup sized and then it dies. What people don’t know about responsible goldfish care is that if you put it in a proper good sized tank, it’ll grow bigger and more gold. I think Nashville lets you grow as big as you want. At the very least, I had to give it a shot. I didn’t want to be found floating cup sized and belly up.

Q: Do you consider yourself a songwriter first & then a singer or does that go hand in hand? Because you really are a great storyteller with your lyrics.

A: I think they’re hand in hand. Anytime I start thinking I’m more of a writer that just means I’m taking it too seriously. I wrote the songs to sing them. In the end, it’s entertainment and I want to be entertaining. Usually how I know if I like something or not is if it makes me laugh. That doesn’t always mean it’s supposed to be funny. But if I’m laughing, I’m doing my job right, whatever the hell my job is.

Q: You have a new song out, Now That It’s All Over, on Bandcamp that will be on an upcoming album releasing on March 26….and Margo Price , who is phenomenal, sings with you on vocals. Did you write the 2nd vocal track with her in mind? Tell me more about the story behind this song.

A: I didn’t necessarily write it with her in mind, but her whole band backs me up on the record and her and I kept talking about having her in and singing on a song. I was wondering what song would be best and I think Drew Carroll (the engineer of all my stuff and most trusted musical confidant) suggested she sing on the song. A lightbulb went off in my head and it was just the perfect choice. Margo has lived a thousand lives and she knew exactly what to do with that song. Now I don’t even like playing it without her singing on it.

Q: You also play guitar in Courtney Marie Andrews’ band. I saw her a couple of years ago at The Newport Folk Festival & Deer Tick & Friends After Show…so I’m thinking I probably saw you as well? Are there any festivals, once this pandemic settles down, that you’d love to play as a solo artist?

A: I was there one of those years, but I had just tagged along. If you saw me, I was probably double fisting tequila while security checked my badge for the thousandth time wondering how the hell I got in. I think at this point I’m just excited to play anywhere, you don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s gone.

Q: And speaking of Deer Tick, I believe I told you, your voice really reminds me of John McCauley a lot…. Who are some singer/songwriters that you look up to & would love to perform with?

A: There are certainly more singers and writers who have influenced me than I could count but I know Margo and Courtney are there right at the top. Jeremy Ivey is up there as well. If I had to make a Mt Rushmore, it would probably have Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, Randy Newman and Warren Zevon. How many faces are on Mt Rushmore? I’d probably have to find a bigger mountain. If I could perform with anybody, I’d probably want to play piano for Paul Robeson as he sang any song he wanted to sing.

Q: What is your favorite go to, kick back and relax beverage after a night of playing a great show?

A: Tequila, the great betrayer.

Q: Who were your Top 5 Artists on Spotify for 2020? Songs?

A: My Spotify is all out of wack. Probably, “Wat Da Hook Gon Be” by Murphy Lee & “Low Rider” by War. All the names I mentioned above. I’ll listen to the same song 30 times in a row. People around me can’t stand it when I’m in charge of the music.

Q: Where can fans find your music and buy your merch?

A: Right now just at my Bandcamp. I’ve been laying the tracks as the train runs. I didn’t expect people to respond to it so now I’m scrambling. I couldn’t think of a better problem.

You can also find Dillon on Instagram at dillonwarnek. And don’t forget March 26th, his new album drops on Bandcamp.

Stay tuned for more interviews coming your way.. If you would like to promote new music or would like an interview, please contact me at my IG at music_stylist or email mewzickkismylife@gmail.com.

Until then, I’m Your Music Stylist.