Dylan Gossett Lets The Songs Lead On Self-Made Debut Album ‘Westward’ [Interview]

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Dylan Gossett. Photo: Tanner Johnson

Dylan Gossett’s debut album, Westward, doesn’t chase a moment. It reflects two years of life in motion.

Gossett debuted in 2023 with his breakthrough single “Coal,” which has now passed half a billion streams. Over the last two years, he has toured the globe while building a fierce fanbase, notably selling upwards of 72,000 headline tickets in 2024 alone. Somewhere between the days spent in greenrooms and nights on buses, Gossett built a record shaped by motion and rooted in the real-life in-between moments.

“The album wraps up exactly what these last two years have been, and what’s important in my life,” Gossett tells MusicRow.

Across the 17 self-written and produced tracks, he explores themes of love, faith, family and chasing dreams, but each one was built from stories he has lived.

“For my debut record, I wanted it to be [solo-written]. When an artist means the songs they sing and it is their own words, I think that is part of the artistry.”

That connection to his stories is especially clear on “Smell Of Rain,” an acoustic tune inspired by he and his wife’s first anniversary.

“We had our first headline show in Dublin [that week] and we went to a town outside of the city and stayed the whole night. We were up on a hill seeing the ocean and got to go into an old cobblestone tavern. We were singing songs all night with the locals—it’s just a night I’ll never forget.”

One song came easier than the rest for Gossett. “There’s a song called ‘Snake Eyes’ on the record that is one of my favorites writing wise. It’s a big metaphor for a relationship and gambling. I woke up one morning, grabbed my guitar and wrote that song from start to finish in 20 minutes, which does not always happen,” he says with a laugh.

“Back 40,” on the other hand, took multiple tries in the studio before it felt right. “I’ve tried multiple producers and tried producing it by myself—I just couldn’t get it to work. Then we started playing it live and found its sound.”

Among the tracks, “Tired of Running” stands out as one of his favorites. “It’s just different from anything I’ve ever made. It’s like two songs in one and was a big idea that we made come to light.”

The Austin native undeniably leaned into his Texas roots as he wrote the record. “I don’t think you can understand what being a Texan is unless you are one,” he says. “I never want to leave. Texas runs deep in my blood and it’s a deeply connected part of me and my family.”

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The production, like the writing, was entirely built by Gossett. Although he has been making tracks on GarageBand since elementary school, the decision to produce his own record wasn’t necessarily intentional. “I tried out other very talented producers, but it never felt like a perfect fit for the album … It was a snap decision for me to produce it. I made ‘Tree Birds’ and it felt great,” he says. “I truly believe that, love it or hate it, it is exactly how I wanted it to sound. That’s a good feeling and I’m very proud.”

With Westward finally in the fans’ hands, Gossett is excited to see how this new chapter lands in a live setting.

“Both the [previously released] singles have felt really good on the road, but ‘Back 40’ is one we always used to play. People have been asking for it for a while, so hopefully we delivered on the studio recording.”

Looking forward, his plans are clear: touring the new album and getting more music out soon. “We’re doing all new production [this fall]—more lights, bigger stages and louder music,” he quips. “I’m working on a lot of cool music for the end of the year, so we’ll have some new stuff rolling out before too long.”

As for what he hopes people take from this chapter, he just wants the album to land the way it was meant to. “I hope it just feels like a breath of fresh air, not like anything they’ve heard before.”

Lauryn Sink
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