Dylan’s “Girl Of Your Dreams” is a thrashing guitar-led track of volcanic proportions

The unfettered and defiantly optimistic energy of the 22-year old – born Tash Woods – both demands and commands the spotlight. The unique combination of her stadium-sized pop sound with a compelling alt-rock edge could be mistaken for the prowess of a singer with decades of experience. Moreover, her exuberant personality interacting with an ever-growing contingent of followers across TikTok and Instagram could well be used as an exemplar for how all artists should be utilising their platforms in the modern day. Undeniably, she presents a new-age British musical legend in the making.

It may then come as a shock that Dylan hasn’t always been so confident in her sound. Simmering into the industry with a handful of synth-pop and electronically influenced tracks, she released her first EP ‘Purple’ at the age of nineteen.

Reminiscing on this time, and describing the most important lesson she has picked up along her musical journey since then, she tells me, “I wish I hadn't cared so much about other people’s opinions. I had a problem with this until I was around twenty… numerous identity crises trying to be anyone but myself. Ultimately people see right through it. As soon as I stopped caring, I became myself again, which meant it was so much easier to gain peoples loyalty and relatability, and write my best music thus far.”

For Dylan, this meant shedding the expectations and observations of onlookers, and truly embracing her own “wannabe rock star in a pop star’s body” brand. Returning to her cherished musical influences, her childhood was one saturated with the heavy riffs of classic 80s and 90s rock bands. “My dad was very into his rock and roll, which was a huge part of my upbringing,” she recalls, “but at school the majority of my friends listened to pop. I think that's why my sound is the way it is. I am a pop writer, but I am desperate to be a rock god. Watching shows like Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Queen really impacted who I wanted to be as an artist, but in a pop space.”

Indeed, flash forward three years, and her current discography is a sonic far cry from her earlier offerings. In particular, the string of powerful singles from her recent EP, ‘No Romeo,’ including cult favourites “Nineteen,” ‘Someone Else,” and ‘You’re Not Harry Styles,” perfectly exemplify her newly anthemic sound, now effervescently bubbling away.

Dylan also explains how the experience of dropping music has altered since the youthful excitement of releasing her very first tracks, “the effect never wears off! But it’s much more nerves than it is excitement. Putting out music means opening yourself judgement which is very scary, and I am always so proud of my work that anyone that doesn't like it is wrong in my eyes. However compared to when I first started releasing I am much more relaxed in the way that it is a marathon rather than a sprint. I used to expect instant results which was never good for me mentally. With this new era I am incredibly excited though, I feel this next set of music is a really great representation of who I am.”

True to trend, “Girl Of Your Dreams” represents Dylan at her fully-realised prime. Whilst its narrative thrust may be about wanting someone who doesn’t want you back, Dylan has carefully constructed it as an assured “want me” anthem rather than a “screw you” takedown. “I had just been on an absolute flop of a date, mainly because I had my eyes set on someone that had zero interest in me,” she laughs, “so the story behind the song is why are we wasting so much time on other people if you are my dream, and I can be yours.”

She has fond memories of the day she wrote the song: "It was actually one of the most hilarious sessions I have ever had. I remember having a serious amount of energy that day and just in need to release it all. My song on repeat at that time was 'Acting Like That' by YUNGBLUD, and I had never written anything at that tempo before, so we started off with just matching a rough tempo to that song. I had the verse before I walked in and was desperate to use it, and as we started tracking the guitars the lyrics just flew out.”

This experience has transposed directly onto the track itself, with its rhythm resolutely driven by a punchy and unforgiving lead guitar. Overlayed with a belting pop hook, “Girl of Your Dreams” was clearly crafted to be heard live. It is no wonder too, with the recent experience of supporting Ed Sheeran on his stadium tour under her belt. ”All of it was surreal, especially Wembley. That has been my dream from day dot. It still feels like it didn't actually happen. Ed is an absolute GOD, he is the most real, and talented human I have ever met.”

Asked about any surreal or stand-out backstage memories she has of the tour, Dylan shares, “one phenomenal moment we had at one of the Wembley shows was watching Ed and Sam Smith (who he had as a special guest) soundcheck together. Being sat in an empty 90,000 cap venue listening to them practice 'Stay' before the show was completely ethereal. Another little funny moment was when he invited us all to his dressing room post show. I was holding a very warm Stella can, while he was holding a very nice glass of wine, we clinked drinks and all I could say, as we held our drinks, was wow it's like looking at the stages of our careers in drinks".

Whilst Dylan may have compared herself to a warm Stella, the experience has only reinforced her decidedly champagne-level ambitious childhood aspirations to “play my own songs at my own show there someday!”. Indeed, on the release of “Girl Of Your Dreams,” clearly she is writing the exact material that it takes to reach these stadium leagues, and building her own bounty of tracks that would sound disarmingly refreshing reverberating around the bleachers.