Biography
Austin, TX-based Dan Dyer possesses a soulful tenor voice paired with gospel-tinged pop songwriting that sets him apart, drawing clear guidance from 1970s figures such as Al Green, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Dr. John. Born and raised in the small East Texas community of Tool, he received his first guitar at age five yet waited until eighteen—after relocating to Austin—to begin playing it. There he cultivated a passion for singing and devoted consistent effort to refining his songwriting craft. While enrolled at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, Dyer joined forces with guitarist Tyrone Vaughan (son of Jimmie Vaughan), drummer Jason White, keyboardist Ezra Reynolds, and bassist Josh Dawkins to create Breedlove; the group built a loyal local audience through club performances and issued its self-produced album Reach Out in 1996 before disbanding in 1998.
In 2001 Dyer completed the still-unreleased 12 Songs alongside guitarist Billy White, who handled both performance and production duties, before moving to New York to compose advertising jingles. Lenny Kravitz, who had recently launched his Roxie Records imprint under Warner Bros.’ Reprise Records, signed him and served as producer while co-writing three tracks and performing the majority of the instruments on the debut solo release Of What Lies Beneath—also Roxie’s first offering—which appeared in 2004. Following Warner’s sale, Dyer lost his contract amid corporate restructuring, prompting a move to St. Louis, MO, where he started a family yet continued periodic returns to Austin for performances. Reestablishing contact with longtime associate David Boyle, he recorded in Boyle’s converted-church studio just outside the city; the resulting self-titled Dan Dyer album surfaced on Fat Caddy Records in 2008.
In 2001 Dyer completed the still-unreleased 12 Songs alongside guitarist Billy White, who handled both performance and production duties, before moving to New York to compose advertising jingles. Lenny Kravitz, who had recently launched his Roxie Records imprint under Warner Bros.’ Reprise Records, signed him and served as producer while co-writing three tracks and performing the majority of the instruments on the debut solo release Of What Lies Beneath—also Roxie’s first offering—which appeared in 2004. Following Warner’s sale, Dyer lost his contract amid corporate restructuring, prompting a move to St. Louis, MO, where he started a family yet continued periodic returns to Austin for performances. Reestablishing contact with longtime associate David Boyle, he recorded in Boyle’s converted-church studio just outside the city; the resulting self-titled Dan Dyer album surfaced on Fat Caddy Records in 2008.