Hawaii-meets-soul-meets-SoCal; allow me to introduce Dylan Keawe, one of the best kept secrets in Southern California reggae. Dylan is a singer, multi-instrumentalist ready to take off! He has been a touring keyboardist for such artists as KBong, Leilani Wolfgramm, Josh Heinrichs, Skillinjah, Cityside, among others and has stepped out on his own. When he started performing solo 4 years ago he noticed a shift. “I felt immediate freedom and control over my career when I decided to start performing under my own name,” he said. “It allowed me to try new sounds and styles that I may have otherwise been too shy to suggest to a band.”
After releasing his self-titled EP “Dylan Keawe” during the thick
of the pandemic in June 2020, he immediately started working on his follow-up.
He reached out to San Diego producer Patrick Hizon to create an amazing
12-track full length LP, “All For Love.” It is a mix of dance beats that make you want to move, soulful lyrics
that make you want to hold your loved one a little closer, and a groove that
makes it easy for both. “We collaborated through zoom meetings and were able
to complete the album even through COVID restrictions. Once we were both
satisfied we sent it off to Dan Coutant at SunRoom Audio Mastering.”
Dylan is Maui-born and San Diego raised.
He taught himself to play guitar and keyboard, but it was in middle school band
playing percussion where he gathered much of his musical knowledge. His family is
rooted in music as well. “I have
family members who play music and all of the exposure really planted the seed
for my lifelong commitment to pursuing music professionally,” he explained.
“After performing for a couple years by myself creating a one-man-band sound
using a keyboard, guitar, and looper pedal; I was fortunate to find the group
of musicians who currently back me in full band situations.”
The live
band Dylan refers to are Emilio Martinez on drums, Brent Ford on Bass, Michael
Chambers on guitar, and Kiki Curiel on keyboards. All profoundly respected veterans
in the San Diego reggae scene and were the live band for the “All For Love”
album release party at The Holding Company in Ocean Beach San Diego. Dylan is
ready to hit the road. “I plan
to do some touring to promote the release of the album. I love to see
bigger bands helping newer artists to have an audience, and the reggae scene is
full of bands doing exactly that!”
The
future is bright for this young dread! He has so much going for him with an outstanding
quality of music, his intentionality to show love and positivity, and the determination
to make the most of every opportunity. There is an infectious, soulful vibe in
his music and he’s just getting started!
