Since making his stunning debut with last fall’s first full-length, Love, Nostalgia, Nashville’s Dreamer Boy, the latest musical outlet for local artist Zach Taylor, along with his producer and collaborator Bobby Knepper, has been drumming up buzz throughout the blogosphere and beyond, with festival appearances and a string of buzzy tour dates clocked in recent months, as well as a growing, organic, and enthusiastic following here at home. Though still underrated, in part because the project is very new, Dreamer Boy has all of the ingredients to be one of Music City’s next big breakout acts, crafting stylish, earnest, emotional and thoroughly modern songs with an original twist he’s dubbed “cowboy pop,” and the refined, thoughtful, visual flair to match. While there have been chances to see hometown outings in DIY settings and supporting slots, for their first prominent, headlining, formal local affair, Dreamer Boy is set to play a venue less trafficked, at least for music: The Belcourt. Perfectly fitting of the singer’s cinematic aesthetic, the beloved local indie cinema will host the performance tonight, May 8, and tickets are still available right here while they last! Definitely one of the coolest outings of the spring, read on for more about the show!
DREAMER BOY
The musical project of multi-faceted local artist Zach Taylor, along with his roommate, producer, and collaborator Bobby Knepper, Dreamer Boy is still relatively new to the scene, at least under his current moniker, but has swiftly been building buzz since the release of last fall’s stunning debut album, Love, Nostalgia. Taylor first came to our attention a few years ago when he was kicking around the underground scene as an aspiring hip hop artist, but after meeting Knepper while attending Belmont, then subsequently moving in together in the summer of 2017, the genesis of their current project was born, which channels a sound they’ve dubbed “cowboy pop,” drenched in sweeping synths, r&b beats, string flourish, and thoroughly modern tones justaxopsed with retro, nostalgic vibes. Zach’s hip hop background is certainly felt as well, but with Dreamer Boy he shifts to a more alt r&b vocal styling, akin to internet-bred faves like Still Woozy (with whom he recently toured) and Kevin Abstract. With most of their demos and album ideas planned out throughout 2017, the pair took their time meticulously crafting Love, Nostalgia, and that attention to detail is throughly felt. For a homegrown effort and a musical debut, it sounds absolutely rich and stunning, harboring more confidence and focus than your typical first indie effort, and leaning heavily into transparent emotional themes, exploration human connection, and wistful feelings of nostalgia. Leading up to and following the LP’s release, Dreamer Boy has appeared at SXSW, shared the stage with buzzy artists like Omar Apollo and The Marías, and has released a string of fantastic and visually engaging music videos, further asserting Taylor and Knepper as skilled and multimedia-spanning artists who, along with other members of their team like Adam Alonzo and Cody Clark, who all reside in their home base of “The Dream House,” are helping champion Nashville’s unique artistry and essential underground pop scene, which, despite the city’s rapid expansion, is still an important, communal, and foundational piece of our musical landscape. Don’t sleep Dreamer Boy!
Dreamer Boy will perform tonight, May 8 at The Belcourt. The show is all ages, begins at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $15.
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