Dillon Spurlin has an honest and unique voice. His newest album, Hard Way, was self-produced. Sounds like the trials and tribulations in the songs were mimicked in the process but the product is meaningful and melodious.
Please tell us about how you found music.
“Music has been with me for as long as I can remember, I’m grateful that I really grew up with it. I started playing in a church band with my family—it was a gift to be able to learn and jam with them. With that weekly experience I got to try my hand at everything from drums, piano, acoustic guitar, bass, and even electric. Each instrument taught me something new, and I feel lucky to have been able to experience music in that way. My love for singing came in middle school, when I took a chance and auditioned for an honor choir, and only deepened when I auditioned for my schools musical theatre production. The arts programs in school became my safe space, where I felt a sense of belonging and connection that I hadn’t found anywhere else. Looking back, I see that music has always been more than a passion; it’s been a way to understand and connect with the world.”
Your latest album, Hard Way, is entirely self-produced. Can you tell us about the process? You have created such a clean and crisp sound.
“Producing Hard Way lives up to its name due to the fact that I did it by myself with no formal training nor education beyond a “degree” from the prestigious school of YouTube. My previous album, self-titled “Spurlin” was also created entirely by myself, apart from the finale mastering. But the big difference between the two is, the first album was very soft singer-songwriter type songs. For “Hard Way” I wanted a bigger more polished sound. With 4 years between the first and second album, I was able to apply a lot more of the hours spent working on achieving that bigger more polished sound. I wanted this album to feel as raw and real as possible, which meant a lot of trial and error, learning, and trusting my own instincts. I recorded every part myself and spent countless hours on mixing, trying to capture the essence of each song without losing its emotional core. Getting my start in GarageBand, I used Logic Pro X (it was a logical next step… ba-dum-tss) and I’m grateful for the flexibility it gave me to experiment with different sounds and effects until everything felt just right.
Achieving that clean, crisp sound was all about finding the right balance—making sure the vocals felt intimate and up close while giving the instruments room to breathe. I aimed for a clarity that still felt organic, letting each instrument hold its own space in the mix. The self-production journey was both challenging and incredibly rewarding; there’s something about doing it yourself that makes the final product feel like an authentic reflection of who you are and what you’re trying to say. Plus doing it yourself allows a freedom but also it requires you to have your thoughts be fleshed out, and beyond the surface idea. It has to service the whole.”
Hard Way has songs that sound like relationship songs with the empowering feeling of taking the Hard Way or the vulnerability of Desperate Times. Is this a compilation of stories, a specific journey, or a lot of observations?
“Hard Way is a bit of everything—a patchwork of personal moments, observations, and the kind of stories we collect just by being alive. I haven’t yet felt the urge to create a concept album quite yet – just working on cutting my teeth on getting songs released and solidifying myself as a recording artist. So for ‘Hard Way” each song is a window into a different experience, whether it’s wrestling with loss, navigating the complexities of love, or finding the strength to keep moving forward, even with no one to to move forward with. Some tracks feel close to home, like they’re straight from my own life, while others are reflections on people or situations I’ve come across.
The album title really says it all. It’s about choosing to face things head-on, even when it’s difficult, and accepting the hard lessons that come with that path. There’s a vulnerability in songs like Desperate Times, where I wanted to capture that raw, unfiltered honesty. In that song specifically, I was looking at the loss of innocence through time just being alive. How dangerous moments can lead you to give up that naivety for some worldly wisdom. But I wanted to encourage that innocence is not fully lost, the grip is just loosened. You can reawaken those innocent eyes by simply being a loving person. “When I grow up I will be young” is something I repeat in the bridge, to fight against the idea that time ages you. Obviously in the literal sense it does, but it doesn’t have to kill your wonder and curiosity for life and all things that love. At the same time, there’s a sense of empowerment in realizing that taking the hard way, while painful, can lead to growth and resilience. In the end, Hard Way is a journey—mine, but also one I hope resonates with anyone who’s taken the difficult road in search for a stronger sense of self. One of my favorite quotes is that of Bob Dylan’s: “All I can do is be me, whoever that is.” I try to live by that sense of no expectations self-discovery.”
You have recently been on tour. How was it? How are audiences outside of Minnesota taking to the music?
“Touring has been an incredible experience. I just finished up an east coast tour with a couple of great friends of mine, who recently renovated a short school bus into a little home, and were free-spirited enough to hit the open road for a month and spread the news about the album and see some amazing cities and national parks along the way. We started in MN, went to IL, NY, MA, ME, NJ, VA. Every location had it’s own hidden gems whether it were the people, the sites, or fantastic food. Despite trying to move to New York 2 weeks before Covid (You can guess how that went…) I’ve spent most of my time in the midwest, southwest and the west coast! So it was a whole new world for me. There’s something special about bringing these songs to life in front of new audiences and seeing how people connect with them in real time. Outside of Minnesota, I was honestly a little nervous at first, wondering if the songs would resonate as strongly. But it’s been humbling to see how much people relate to the themes in Hard Way, even when they don’t know me personally. I’ve had conversations after shows where people tell me how certain lyrics remind them of their own lives or struggles—it’s moments like those that make all the long drives and late nights worth it. Now don’t get me wrong – we definitely played a few empty shows. But even after those we would talk to the local band or the establishment managers/owners and we’d connect over music and most if not all welcomed us back again next tie we were swinging through. Music is such a beautiful glue that brings all walks of life together.
There’s a unique energy in each city, and while the crowd reactions might differ, the common thread has been this genuine connection. I think the rawness and honesty of Hard Way seem to cut through, no matter where we are. It’s been inspiring and makes me even more excited to keep going on this journey.”
Where can we see you play, especially around Minnesota?
“I’m excited to keep playing around Minnesota and sharing Hard Way with local audiences! I’m on a bit of a break right now after the album release and the tour, but I frequent Minneapolis, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead and Fargo, ND. I always keep my tour dates updated on my website (SpurlinMusic.com) and social media (@SpurlinTheMusic), so that’s the best way to stay in the loop and catch the next live performance. I’m really looking forward to connecting with more people and bringing this music home, I feel like I’ve grown a lot throughout the tour. New York and Boston especially toughened me up haha. I am very grateful to be in such a beautiful music scene such as the one here in Minnesota.”
Mostly Minnesota 