Dylan McGuire

For Philadelphia area based singer/songwriter/guitarist, Dylan McGuire, “Another Chapter” is a fitting title to his latest album. McGuire, who has been a member of many bands in the area, recently set out to take his career down a different road. The result of this journey is an album full of pop hooks and songs that switch between optimistic and melancholy. This new edition shows a maturing songwriter who still writes for crunchy guitars and a driving rhythm section. REM and U2 heavily influence his music, even though his sound does not mirror theirs. “I am an unabashed sucker for melodic, emotional, but well-written rock songs,” said McGuire. “I admire those songwriters who can find a way to get outside the typical rock lyric while still creating songs that the listener can latch onto.” His other influences include: Radiohead, Tom Petty, the Beatles, The Clash, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Live, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and The Cure.To record “Another Chapter” McGuire ventured into the studio with local producer Derek Chafin (The Darrows, Superstatic, and Head) to record a work that expanded on McGuire’s signature pop hooks. The result is bigger, more expansive sound. Highlights of the album include: “City Lights,” a simple pop-rock song that showcases McGuire’s knack for hooks, the powerful “Sullen Girl” and the dreamlike “Sleepwalker.” Chafin was able to bring the rawness of McGuire’s music to a new level in the studio.“My other recording projects have been mainly self-produced and essentially live recordings with overdubs. In this project, Derek and I worked together from the very beginning. We tried to focus on all the details and really delve into where I was coming from. I also wanted an objective outside opinion on the music,” said McGuire.“I wanted to make sure that the songs had enough space to allow them to build and for the lyrics and vocals to be out front. I also wanted to have a number of sonically interesting musical parts that were more than just guitar strumming and leads,” he said.“I also wanted to get the songs as concise and to the point as possible. There are no unnecessary musical parts or long intros on this album. We went in with a true traditional pop approach to the songs.” McGuire, formerly the lead singer/guitarist of Broken Jones, which later became Elroy, has also played in Anam Cara, Wide Open Spaces, Christine & Company and Lotus Hill. He recorded “Another Chapter” with former Elroy members Joanna Justice on drums, Kevin Henry on guitar, and Steve Knickerbocker on bass. “Even though I've always had a lead role in my bands in the past, this was the first time I really took ownership of the project,” said McGuire. His current band features Scott Reichert on guitar, Jeanne Broadwell on vocals and guitar, Chad Gorn on bass, and Will Alpers on drums. The band currently plays throughout the Philadelphia region.