It’s no stretch to say that Dylan Gossett is one of the hottest artists in the independent country scene. With 3.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and 322,000 followers on TikTok, Gossett has been growing at a seemingly exponential rate.
With the viral success of his second single, Coal, which has garnered over 32 million streams on Spotify and millions more on TikTok, it seemed like a no-brainer for Gossett to release a full-length EP.
Gossett announced the records release date along with the release of his third single, Beneath Oak Trees, on October 6.
The six-song EP contains three pre-released tracks, Beneath Oak Trees, To Be Free and the smash hit, Coal. Rounding out the project are Lone Ole Cowboy, No Better Time and Flip a Coin, all of which were teased by Gossett on TikTok over the past week.
The songwriting here on No Better Time was a particular focus for Gossett. Throughout the six tracks on the project, he travels quite a bit of ground thematically. From songs ranging from self-reflective to reverent to vengeful, the 24-year-old Texan singer/songwriter showcases his ability to pen a diverse set of tracks. Storytelling is a particularly important aspect of Gossett’s artistry:
“The storytelling and visualization of a song are important to me. I’m a singer-songwriter at the core. All of these songs I write are completely my own. It feels more special to me because I’m writing about real experiences. I’m essentially playing a movie in my head and creating a story for the listener.”
The Americana influence is hard to ignore on tracks like Lone Old Cowboy. In a very Zach Bryan-esque fashion, Gossett tells a story of a jilted man killing the man he found his ex-lover with. It feels like a unique blend of Bryan’s Birmingham and Eric Church’s Knives of New Orleans. The blend between the two genres was noted by Gossett when he said:
“I have Texas country roots, and I also love red dirt Americana. My sound is indebted to both. 50 percent of my passion is singing and the other 50 percent is writing. That’s where a lot of the enjoyment of making music comes from.”
Arguably no song showcases this blend better than Flip a Coin. The track is a very reserved one accompanied by nothing more than an acoustic guitar. Gossett’s songwriting shines here, painting an extremely tender picture of wanting to get away from everything with his partner.
There’s something to be said about the way he paints a picture of simple images such as driving down a road, a setting sun and walking through trees. Though they have been done a thousand times before in songs, he keeps the imagery incredibly fresh and vivid in lines like “Go for a drive, watch the black roll over yellow/ When the sun’s comin’ up and when it sets low/That burning ball of fire makes the trees glow.” There’s a poetic nature to these lyrics that pairs beautifully with Gossett’s passionate, slightly raspy vocals.
Listen to Coal and Lone Old Cowboy here: