King Dylan on new album release and eco-friendly campaign
By Jenni Gorrie, November 2 2021—
With the release of local musician King Dylan’s album, To the Ones Who Let Go, the artist has found a way to be resourceful during the pandemic by using his talent towards helping the planet.
According to King Dylan’s interview with Global News Morning, he held a campaign to fundraise for his new album by partnering with the non-profit One Tree Planted. The prime focus of the organization is to protect affected areas that require assistance in reforestation, and for every dollar donated a tree is planted somewhere around the world.
In honour of those who contributed towards King Dylan’s campaign, his website announced that in September about 300 trees were planted on his behalf.
“I was introduced to the idea from my best friends in the D.C. Show, who own all the BrightLeaf Cannabis stores up in the Edmonton area,” he said. “They plant trees through the same company, for every Google review they get.”
About 21 years ago, King Dylan moved to the city to attend the University of Calgary and also train in speed skating at the Olympic Oval. During his first year of university, he began sharing MP3s and mixed CDs and decided on the name King Dylan as it stuck with his peers.
He grew up with an interest in music, as at a young age he was taught the piano and later attended band class where he learned the clarinet and a bit of drum. His ability to write song lyrics was inspired by other musicians and hip-hop emcees, along with developing the skill through creative poetry.
King Dylan has worked with a local hip-hop group throughout the years, focusing on his music projects that have allowed him to perform across the country. During the start of the pandemic, the cancellation of live shows allowed him to find time to focus on writing and producing To the Ones Who Let Go.
He is known to use his creativity when it comes to working on his projects, as some music videos have included props such as Lego pieces that were filmed in stop-motion.
“I think sometimes all I’ve got is my creativity, as my humanity can be questioned and devalued at times,” he said. “What I mean by that, is when I feel like a shell of a person, I can always resort to doing something creative — to either express how I’m feeling or just distract myself from it. I love shooting my videos and coming up with new ideas that I’ve never seen before and pushing the boundaries.”
When asked what listeners can expect from his new album, he said, that it reflects a wide variety of genres and compared it to the soundtrack of a movie.
“Thematically, it’s all a reflection of humanity and my place in it,” he said.
Even though the musician’s campaign is over, he is still finding ways to donate money to help plant more trees.
Follow him on social media @therealkingdyl to find out ways you can help, or visit his website to purchase To the Ones Who Let Go.