Way Dynamic is the solo project of Melbourne’s Dylan Young, who recently performed dates in Brighton at the Komedia and Patterns as part of The Great Escape. Last year released his third album ‘Massive Shoe’ – a playful and understated, luminous and textured affair. Check it out HERE.
‘Massive Shoe’ is minimalist folk-pop, art rock and baroque pop, produced and largely played by Young, who moonlights in Melbourne’s beloved Cool Sounds and Good Morning and has played drums with Snowy Band and Kankawa Nagarra.
It’s tempting to only compare these timeless songs to those of yesteryear, but there’s a sensibility, a turn of phrase, that feels deeply contemporary: it’s telling that Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield described ‘Miffed It’ as her “favourite song in a VERY long time”, and Katie and MJ Lenderman have both taken Way Dynamic on tour. At the same time, Sir Elton John said that he “just cannot stop listening” to “Ibiza”.
Young’s songs don’t shy away from sentiment, or equally from silliness: on any given song he might evoke a cruisy trip through hell or earnestly lament a miscommunication. Whether the journey is to space or along the Seine, we’re very much along for the ride.
Our review of Young’s taster 25 minute set at Komedia Basement on Thursday 14th May reads as follows:
Channelling the era of both legends he shares a name with, Way Dynamic is Dylan Young’s project. Described as a “time traveller”, Young & Co channels Brian Wilson’s harmonies into retro-inflected bedroom pop. It’s a remarkably chill affair with playful opener ‘People Settle Down’ primed for smooth radio with harmonies of “I wanna be your best friend.” This energy is maintained perfectly throughout, with beachy swaying from the relentless hypnosis of ‘Ibiza’ to the unreleased country twang of ‘Officially.’ Throughout, Young’s porcelain lilting vocals are strikingly reminiscent of Nick Drake, right down to cadence. With precious little stage interaction, save for “These are all songs from our recent record”, the breezy, finger-tapped ‘Miffed It’ is finally aired to cheers from a packed-out audience; for most people in attendance today, it’s their first hearing of the catchy riff introduction. As a finale, ‘I Was The Dancer’ channels warm harmony, with slightly sharper guitar work, finishing on a small upswing of energy to conclude, at least by the band’s standards. Way Dynamic’s set is a winner: a pure slice of joy, channelling sounds that half the room is too young to be nostalgic for into something intricate yet simplistic, capturing the ephemera of not being scared to grow up.
Way Dynamic has announced a swift return to Brighton, courtesy of Love Thy Neighbour promoters, and this time he’s headlining at Chalk on Friday 21st August 2026. Tickets are purchasable from HERE and HERE.
Supporting Way Dynamic will be Liam Parsons who also plays in the band Good Morning.
