L.A’s funk & soul powerhouse Dylan Chambers releases “Me Vs. Me,”
L.A.-BASED POP, FUNK & SOUL POWERHOUSE DYLAN CHAMBERS
RELEASES NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO FOR “ME VS. ME”
PRODUCED BY STEFAN LITROWNIK (BOYZ II MEN)
“A supercharged modern funk number.” – Glide Magazine
Check out Dylan Chambers…
New single + video debut “Me Vs. Me” at Glide Magazine
Stream/embed “Me Vs. Me” via Spotify / YouTube / Apple Music
RIYL : Mark Ronson, Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars,
Charles Bradley, James Brown
Dylan Chambers – photo by Alex Lang
“A funk workout that revs up the intensity and angst, with Chambers cathartically belting over a relentless groove.” – American Songwriter
“A positive, energetic track with a cathartic message.” – mxdwn
“Chambers is issuing a series of singles capturing classic soul vibes with new energy.” – SoulTracks
August 12, 2021 – L.A.-based pop, funk, soul guitarist and powerhouse vocalist, Dylan Chambers, brings yet another crowd-puller to the table with “Me Vs. Me,” alongside an arresting and self-referential video, with a raw and modern take on soul that spells ‘classic’ in all of its Daptone-indebted glory. Refusing to pull any punches, Chambers links up again with trusty producer Stefan Litrownik (Boyz II Men, Andy Grammer). Raring to garner the charm of timeless classics before them, the duo have no scruples about citing contemporaries such as Vulfpeck, Jacob Collier, Devon Gilfilian and others content with preserving the sanctity of soul. Chambers has collaborated with producer John Alagia (John Mayer, Herbie Hancock), critically acclaimed singer Haley Reinhart (American Idol, F is for Family) and GRAMMY Award-nominated, multi-platinum jazz artist Dave Koz.
On the new single, “Me vs. Me,” Chambers showcases his ability to universalize impromptu self-help mantras with nimble guitar riffage and infectious funk melodies, wherein the songwriter manages to catch lightning in a bottle. Chambers exudes resilience as a hitmaker, and an uncanny ability to cast bright and bold melodies that are enlivened by an impressive vocal range, grimy bass and electric guitar rhythms beholden to Prince. The accompanying visual – shot in Spokane, WA with director Justin Frick – places Chambers in the ring, with none other than himself.
Creating a party atmosphere, even when the narrative is centered around existential dread, Chambers prevails at elucidating the importance of self-reflection, under the hood of satire and apparently, pop art. The set features vibrant, retro aesthetics reminiscent of The Ed Sullivan Show, a Jack White red living room, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, and an actual boxing ring where the epic battle takes place for an admission fee of exactly one nickel. There’s also a brief encounter with Chambers as an evil train conductor, playing his own archenemy, a la Snidely Whiplash.
For the sake of authenticity, the songwriter went as far as training with four-time world champion, Brian Viloria. “You can never escape yourself, wherever you are,” Chambers puts, plainly. “All different kinds of versions of yourself emerge, and voices begin to pop up, especially as you’re aiming to grow or further your career. I wanted to play that up in the video, with an inner battle of the psyche being manifested quite literally, not only to illustrate and validate these automatic thoughts, but also to provide levity and poke fun at these kinds of villainous versions of ourselves.”
Having moved to Los Angeles in 2011 with his roommate at the time, resident choreographer of RuPaul’s Drag Race and American Idol finalist, Todrick Hall, Chambers hustled quite a bit at first to keep pace with his peers. Chambers paid his dues with open-mic nights at The Parlor on Melrose, while also taking up various residencies around Hollywood. Pretty soon, he met and became fast friends with former pro dancer/choreographer, Mark Ballas of Dancing with the Stars, which led him to performing on the show and joining the national DWTS tour as a featured singer and guitarist in 2014, performing with that season’s winner Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).
Time and again, Chambers has proven his flexibility as an artist, providing session work for countless surrounding artists in Los Angeles, but the single most exciting aspect of the songwriter’s bandwidth is the fact that he’s finally embracing his solo career, penning polished anthems, with a comfort level that rivals the swagger of Mark Ronson and matches the bravado of Bruno Mars.
“I found it fascinating to learn the sport, and it became clear to me that boxing wasn’t entirely different from performing, or singing and playing guitar at the same time. It’s been great for my anxiety, too – all these moving parts and having to think about a bunch of different combinations at once. I think I’ll continue doing it!”