Dylan Brady on the "Math" Behind a Hit Song, Betting on Himself & Redefining Success | Ep. 18

Our guest this week is singer-songwriter, artist, and killer soccer teammate of William's, Dylan Brady. He's spent the better part of a decade building a career in Nashville that has run through a record deal, a publishing deal, and now the freedom and uncertainty that comes with being independent.In this conversation, Dylan gets honest about what it actually takes to write hit songs for a living while riding the financial rollercoaster that comes with it, navigating tough financial spots at 27 vs. 17 when he first signed his deals, and being more creatively fulfilled than ever. He breaks down the "math" behind great commercial songwriting, the vulnerability of writing his most personal record to date, and a piece of wisdom from his therapist about finding your own version of a swing set in the middle of nowhere when everything else falls away. Plus, stay tuned to the end where Willie & Dylan bonded over each of their funny and creative uncle names given by their own nieces and nephews.We're so thankful we got to have an honest, funny, and deeply human conversation about staying creative and staying yourself while you wait for the seeds you have planted to grow.Check out Dylan's new album, Gradual, available everywhere you stream and purchase music!00:00 – Welcome & Intro: Dylan Brady01:25 – Catching Up on Soccer, the World Cup & Feeling Like "Old Men"04:15 – Recording Episode 18 & Realizing They Don't Know Each Other's Origin Story04:44 – Growing Up on Long Island With Zero Long Island Accent06:59 – Bonding Over Bad Fishing & Why It's a Form of Meditation10:33 – William's Senior Project That Led Him to Nashville12:18 – Did Dylan Even Know About the Music Industry Growing Up?13:05 – A Moment of Gratitude for Each Other's Kindness14:05 – The Soccer Team as an Escape From Industry Stress14:58 – Scoring Six Goals the Night of a Breakup & His Therapist's "Swing" Theory17:23 – Falling in Love With Music, the Brady Brothers & a Twin Brother's Path20:01 – Ten Years in Nashville & Staying Excited Through the Ups and Downs21:13 – Why "Being in the Room" Is the Best Part of the Job23:06 – Evolving From Doing Everything Yourself to Building a Team24:34 – Creating Something From Nothing & Songwriting as Therapy26:05 – The "Math" Behind Great Songwriting: Phrasing, Rhyme & Emphasis31:13 – Writing His Most Personal Record Alone After Nine Years33:26 – Behind "Lose My Mind" & "Forgot About You"36:14 – Why "Still Looking For You Everywhere" Means So Much to Him41:19 – Pre-Release Anxiety & Struggling to Root for Yourself42:11 – Life Between Deals: Writing, Pitching & Scheduling It All Himself45:35 – "The Seed You Plant Isn't the Fruit You Eat"46:13 – The Financial Rollercoaster of Being an Artist at 27 vs. 1748:38 – Abbey's Song "The Lottery" & Betting on Each Other52:05 – The Harrison Ford Story: Why You Just Have to Stick Around56:23 – The New "In the Room" Series Hill & William Are Building58:23 – Uncle DD, Nieces & Nephews & a Children's Book in the Works1:01:04 – Writing "Say Cheese" for a Kids' Music Compilation1:04:46 – Shotgun Questions: Dream Collabs, Go-To Plugins & More1:07:09 – Closing Thoughts & ThanksFollow Dylan Brady: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookFollow The Bilby + Ella Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Our Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hill:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Willie:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram