Dylan John Thomas’ final tour of 2023 affirmed the Scottish singer-songwriter as being on the cusp of something special. Selling almost 9000 tickets in Scotland in a few hours and packing venues across England too, he inspired rapturous receptions: beers in the air, fans singing along on each other’s shoulders and the joyfully carefree bounce of the mosh pit. Every show inspired superlatives: “an incredible experience from start to finish“ (Clash), “a tempest of impeccable brilliance”(When The Horn Blows) and an “emotional rollercoaster” (Bring The Noise).
As Dylan now looks set to accelerate his breakthrough with the release of his debut album next month, he shares a fresh preview of what to expect in the shape of ‘What I Need’. While Dylan’s songs span a vast spectrum – ‘What I Need’ comes from a place we haven’t heard from him before. It’s a song which taps into his love of The Beatles to bring sophisticated, psychedelic-tinged pop into his sound. But its lyrics and delivery – a final plea to stay to the person who “made me feel like life’s worth living” – is full of Dylan’s personality and gift for affecting melancholia. The track has been a staple in Dylan’s live shows to rapturous responses and the release has been eagerly awaited by the fans.
As with the rest of his upcoming album, ‘What I Need’ was produced by Rich Turvey (Blossoms, Courteeners) and Dylan himself. The record is available to pre-order HERE, with his official store offering signed white or black vinyl, a CD and a signed lyric sheet. Assai also offer their own exclusive signed edition, a turquoise vinyl.
What’s remarkable about listening to Dylan’s debut album is just how much life experience resonates throughout the collection. From the uplifting bounce of fan favourite opener ‘Fever’ to the devastatingly autobiographical closer ‘Wake Up Ma’, it captures snapshots of his remarkable life story.
Dylan’s profile has flourished and grown in scale with the release of two acclaimed EPs, sold out headline tours, where he can pack multiple nights at the Glasgow Barrowland; festivals from Reading and Leeds to Glastonbury and TRNSMT; plus high profile live dates with Liam Gallagher and Sam Fender. Further put in the spotlight with support from Radio 1, BBC Introducing, 6 Music and Radio X, Dylan also won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Scottish Music Awards in 2022.
Dylan will celebrate the release of the album by embarking upon a run of intimate album launch shows. Gigs in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool rapidly sold-out but very limited tickets remain available HERE for Aberdeen and Manchester. It may well be the last chance to see him in such venues for a while – the next gig on the calendar is a main stage set at this summer’s TRNSMT. The dates are:
JANUARY
26th – Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree (with Assai)
27th – Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms (with Assai) – SOLD OUT
29th – Glasgow, SWG3 (with Assai) – SOLD OUT
31st – Manchester, Band on the Wall (with HMV)
FEBRUARY
1st – Liverpool, Jacaranda Baltic (with Jacaranda) – SOLD OUT
