Meet Dylan Nichols (Slower Power) | Musical Artist, Songwriter & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dylan Nichols (Slower Power) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dylan Nichols, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Creating is like breathing to me, and it always has been. When I was little, adults asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said “an artist.” I didn’t know what that even meant, but I still knew it was true. I started singing and writing songs at 12 years old and never looked back.

Recently, the pressures of the music industry, social media, and constant self-doubt hit me hard. I had to take a step back and really ask myself why I was doing this, and who it was for. After some serious soul searching, and changing my whole persona and artist name, I came to the conclusion that music is inherently and necessarily a communal experience. It’s really give and take. I create the art because I feel a strong desire – but sharing it is what keeps me going.

As corny as this may sound, music is a universal language. Music can be formative; it can mark the moments of one’s life. The soundtracks to so many eras of my life can instantly transported back in time, and so many amazing live shows are embedded in my memory. Music connects, mends heartbreak, describes the indescribable. There is magic in that, and I want to be a part of it as long as I can.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Thank you! Even though I’ve been writing songs since I was 12 and playing shows since I was 15, my pursuit of music as a career really began to crystallize when I was at school in New York. From 2014 to 2019 I wrote and performed under the moniker “Dyllan.” I learned a lot and made a ton of mistakes. When I moved back to Los Angeles in 2017, I hit the ground running. Everything was going really well for me, I was on the precipice of a big break. I won a songwriting competition, was about to perform at SXSW for the first time when the pandemic hit and everything changed.

During COVID, in isolation, I began to doubt the validity of what I was doing, and went to a dark place, where Instagram likes and comments controlled every aspect of my self-worth. I put an immense amount of pressure on myself.

I mostly write songs about my struggles with anxiety, depression and self-doubt. I write a lot about the creative process and the push and pull between wanting to retreat from the world completely and also wanting to be present and connected. I think that’s one of the hardest balances to strike as a creative person, especially now. Social media can destroy creativity; it can make you feel like you have to be “present” and “doing something” all the time, which is counterintuitive because when you’re on social media, you are not creating.

The silver lining of COVID was that I had so much time on my hands. While I’d always worked with other producers and engineers, I began producing and engineering my own music in earnest. Up until then I hadn’t felt confident enough to fully produce my own music because people always assumed I couldn’t. I spent ten hours a day working in Ableton, took classes, and collaborated with peers, and started to gain confidence. In a matter of a few years, I internalized my abilities as a producer and engineer which was a huge struggle for a very long time.

Music is and continues to be a male dominated industry. As much as that’s slowly changing, I’m usually the only woman in the room, so I feel like I have to work ten times harder to prove myself, which I’m sure many women can relate to. But the good side of that is that all that extra effort and intention has made me a better music professional. Now, not only am I a songwriter, producer, I am now working running live sound at venues and designing and programming live shows for big artists.

My new artist project, Slower Power, is the embodiment of the idea that it is OKAY as a creative person to retreat, to grow, to transform and to change. It is okay to disconnect from the constant noise of social media and comparison. I think Slower Power is also a great way to describe feminine energy.

I am excited to continue to share my story and encourage other women to pursue their interests even when spaces don’t feel inviting. I want more women in these spaces and the only way for that to happen is for women to support women.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting, and they only had one day in LA, I’d take them around Highland Park. We’d start the day at Homestate and eat a bunch of breakfast tacos, and then head to Kumquat for a Tennessee iced latte. Next, we’d go down the road to Hodgson’s Antiques and peruse old Time Magazines. The next stop would be my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, Joy, where we’d have Dan Dan noodles and salted cream boba. Then, stuffed and overly caffeinated, we’d work it off with a couple of games at Highland Park Bowl. To kill some time, we’d grab a drink at Goldline before heading across the road to the Lodge Room for a show. And then I’d be super tired and we’d grab an overpriced Uber home because drinking and driving don’t mix friends!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First I’d like to shoutout my dear friend and bandmate Denise Santos. She is an Emmy Award Winning composer and an all around beautiful human being. I’d also like to shoutout my other bandmate, Aaron Christopher. He is an amazing guitar player, multi-instrumentalist, and a founding member of the band Twin Oaks.

Website: https://www.slowerpower.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_slowerpower/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-nichols-679a8217a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slowerrpowerr

Youtube: @slowerpower

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BoMLNHPZMtMjXUqXhFYFN?si=_c1iPMADQzaShizmJxHjnw

Image Credits
Anna Azarov