Plainfield native Dylan Gardner, 18, to open for Emily Kinney Sunday
For those of us well beyond our teen years, it can be a little ... difficult talking to Dylan Gardner.
The Plainfield native has a major-label record deal, a well-received debut album out, and he's about to tour the country with Emily Kinney, best known for playing Beth on the hit AMC TV show "The Walking Dead." In short, he's doing pretty darn well.
Oh, and he's just 18 years old.
Gardner is touring behind his debut, "Adventures in Real Time," which came out earlier this year on the Warner Bros. label. His tour brings him to Chicago on Sunday, May 17, where he will open for Kinney at Schubas Tavern.
"I love going back to Illinois," said Gardner, who now lives in California. "Every time I play there, the crowd is filled with family members, friends, even some old teachers. It's always a great feeling."
The album showcases Gardner's knack for creating pop melodies and his love of 1960s pop, particularly the Beatles. (With his mop of hair and his natty dressing style, Gardner looks a bit like a transplant from the Beatles' early days.) Also striking is his singing voice, which is weightier and more expressive than you'd expect from someone who hasn't yet cracked 20.
Gardner was born in Aurora and raised in Plainfield. His father owned a musical-instruments store in Naperville. His father also played bass in the 1980s power-pop band, the Kind. Gardner says that his father's music pursuits, and his record collection, were enormous influences.
"I learned about lyrics and the guitar by watching Dad's bands rehearse in our garage," Gardner said. "Eventually he started bringing me up on stage with him. And our house was full of all the great classic rock - the Beatles, the Kinks, the Beach Boys. I studied that stuff like crazy."
When Gardner entered high school, he was exposed to contemporary music from the likes of Vampire Weekend, fun. and Ben Folds. He knew then that he would devote his life to making music.
Now, Gardner says he writes songs constantly. When his family moved to Arizona a while back, he built a small recording studio in his bedroom, so he could quickly produce demos of melodies that seemed to be promising.
"I start with the melody first," he said. "When I've got that down, I'll think about the lyrics. The melody, though, has to be the first thing."
Melodies are abundant throughout "Adventures in Real Time," which references all of Gardner's classic-rock heroes without sounding overly retro - the production, by Gardner and Jack Dragonetti, gives the hooks a modern sheen. Noting this balancing act between past and present, some reviewers have pegged Gardner as the next young artist to watch.
Gardner said he is "amazed" by the warm reception the record has gotten.
"It's almost surreal," he said. "But I'm so grateful."
As he prepares to hit the road with Kinney, Gardner already is building a collection of songs for his next album. And looking a bit further down the road, he dreams of being involved in every aspect of music that he can, from producing other artists' records to writing movie scores.
"I don't see making music as work, to be honest," Gardner said. "I know how lucky I am to be in this position, and I plan to make the most of it. The sky's the limit - when it comes to music, there isn't much I don't want to do."
Dylan Gardner
With Adam Tressler, opening for Emily Kinney
When: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 17
Where: Schubas Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, (773) 525-2508
Tickets: $15, go to