Most musicians release a record with the help of an investment, a producer and a lot of money. Singer/songwriter Dylan Sneed is taking a different approach.
A grassroots effort, his new album “Texodus” is now in the hands of the fans. “Fans are releasing the record,” Sneed said, elaborating on how his fans play such an important role in the album. Through donation, friends and fans funded “Texodus,” and Sneed is now looking to them for help releasing the album.
This Thursday, Dylan Sneed will be playing at Acoustic Night at the Bama Theatre with Tuscaloosa natives, Sparrow and the Ghost. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with a $5 cover charge.
Through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, the fans have had a large role in the success of “Texodus” so far. Using Facebook events and wall posts, word of Sneed’s music is beginning to spread.
When asked to describe his music, Sneed struggled for a term.
“I’d like to be known as a songwriter,” he said.
The simplicity of good lyrics and acoustic guitar is the combination that Sneed uses for his music.
“I go on tour 99 percent of the time alone, and when there’s not a band backing you up, your songs have to be good,” Sneed said.
Sneed had his first guitar lesson at the age of 14, and it was “the first time something clicked” for him. Writing lyrics went hand in hand with learning the guitar. Sneed admits that at first he thought that writing lyrics was “just something you did when you played the guitar.”
Later realizing the talent he had with songwriting, Sneed began to pursue music as a career. Doing shows like “Battle of the Bands” and small concerts, Sneed’s music career began to take off. Since then, Sneed has moved from Texas and taken to the road.
His appreciation for his fans is apparent.
“The real success of a show hinges on the relationship between me and the audience,” Sneed said. “Looking for an environment where I can be vulnerable and the people listening can open themselves up allows us to connect.”
Dylan Sneed and Sparrow and the Ghost have never played together before, but the two make a likely pair, both crediting traditional songwriters and musicians as an influence.
Stuart Bond and Rachael Roberts make up the male/female duo of Sparrow and the Ghost. Both appreciative of classic music, they inflect their own spin on blues, country and folk.
Sparrow and the Ghost are “regulars” at the Bama, according to David Allgood, manager of the Bama Theatre.
This Thursday “is just another really good show we’re going to have,” he said.
Allgood credits Acoustic Night at the Bama with providing the Tuscaloosa community with “the only listening room in Tuscaloosa.”
Acoustic night at the Bama is open to all ages and provides an opportunity for the Tuscaloosa community to come together in appreciation for the arts. Allgood said that music free from the bar scene is hard to find, and Acoustic Night at the Bama offers music without that in the background.
“It’s not a bar, but we have one,” Allgood said. “And it’s not a pickup joint, but you can do that too.”
If You Go:
What: Acoustic Night featuring Dylan Sneed and Sparrow and the Ghost
Where: Bama Theatre
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $5
