By: Kat Harlton
At 22-years old, country music singer/songwriter Dustin Bird is already pushing the boundaries of modern country music. Having performed at major festivals such as Boots and Hearts & Havelock Jamboree. His upcoming single “Wake Up” was written entirely by Bird and mixed & mastered by Nashville’s Grammy award winning engineers F. Reid Shippen (Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban) and Pete Lyman (Chris Stapleton, Zach Brown).
We had the opportunity to connect with the rising country artist to talk songwriting, collaborations and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your new single “Wake Up”?
Dustin: When I wrote Wake Up, I was inspired by the reality of how it feels to go through a breakup. In my experience, it’s never as emotionally black & white as you think it’s going to be. I wanted to communicate that moment of questioning and longing for what can no longer be.
Kat: Can you talk about your songwriting process?
Dustin: I’m always on the clock, so to speak, when it comes to writing. A concept for a song can hit you at any time, so I stockpile those ideas in the form of hook lines and melodies so that when it comes time to sit down and write, I have the foundation of something really organic to start with. From there, it’s all about telling the story in a way that best communicates the initial idea and hopefully, creates that ‘wow’ moment.
Kat: Do you have any musical artists, role models or sounds that either inspire your music, or you personally? If so, who?
Dustin: I could probably list a thousand different artists here who have influenced my sound in some way, and that list is growing every day. We’re in such an incredible time for new music, and as a writer & producer, it’s so easy to hit shuffle on New Music Friday and find immediate inspiration. What I love about Country music is the indescribable feeling that a good Country song gives you, and for me, it’s very important to deliver that cherished feeling to the listener in a brand new way with brand new sounds in every song.
Kat: Who would you like to do a collaboration with?
Dustin: We’ve got an extremely healthy abundance of amazing music here in Canada, and I would love to collaborate with all of the artists, writers, and producers making that happen! But if I had to choose one person to collaborate with today, it would be Emily Reid. She released a new song the other day called ‘Good Time Being A Woman’ and I’ve spun that jam countless times since. It’s a vibe and I’m digging it.
Kat: What’s on your playlist?
Dustin: I’ve been playing a lot of Thomas Rhett lately, his new song ‘Look What God Gave Her’ is a hit and a half. ‘Miss Me More’ by Kelsea Ballerini, ‘Girl’ by Maren Morris, and ‘Closer To You’ by Carly Pearce are three of my top bops this week as well!
Kat: What’s next?
Dustin: We’re gearing up for a busy Spring/Summer 2019 with the promotion of ‘Wake Up’ including radio touring and live performances, and the recording and release of more new music and more shows! I am truly excited to be able to keep creating and sharing, and I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on!
For more on Dustin Bird, please see: https://dustinbirdmusic.com