PREVIEW: Vermont Songwriter Dylan Patrick Ward Visits Troy This Weekend
5/24 @ Mojo’s Cafe and Gallery, Troy
“If you’re a little bit sad, a little bit weird, and you maybe got a little too into Bo Burnham’s Inside during the pandemic, Dylan Patrick Ward’s rebellious folk stylings and irreverent comedy might be for you.”
Vermont folk singer-songwriter Dylan Patrick Ward got a taste of the Capital Region music scene and he’s back for more!
Self-proclaimed folk misfit, Dylan Patrick Ward, will be returning to Mojo’s Cafe this Saturday, May 24th at 7pm. Playing alongside musicians Jay Maloney and Banjo Gorman, Mojo’s Songwriter’s Night will surely be worth your while. If you’re a little bit sad, a little bit weird, and you maybe got a little too into Bo Burnham’s Inside during the pandemic, Dylan Patrick Ward’s rebellious folk stylings and irreverent comedy might be for you.
I had the chance to sit down with Ward and chat with him about his upcoming show and most recent album, Ne’er-Do-Wells, released in December 2024 and produced by fellow New England folk-head, Ian Galipeau.
Ward’s writing in this album is effortlessly funny and hyper specific, yet extremely relatable. He tells me he didn’t set out to write these “highly specific small-town stories” in Ne’er-Do-Wells, but as he wrote, the songs got better and easier to write. Take “Cat Song” for example, a song that feels lyrically silly at first, yet somehow also captures a genuine perspective of unrelenting love.
“Cat Song” and many other tracks penned by Ward, were heavily influenced by the folk influences he grew up with and listening to in Bellows Falls, Vermont, citing quite an array of folk artists from Elliot Smith and Bright Eyes to Greg Brown and Jeffrey Lewis.
Surprisingly, another piece of influence on this record was the sordid, anti-hero tale of Richard Nixon. “Oh, Nixon”, my favorite track off the album (and least favorite politician), came from an ironic kinship with the clumsy tragedy of Nixon’s story and his own. Ward held up an old, awkward photo of Nixon jumping, that he kept by his desk and had inspired the song.
This unique song and Ward’s proclivity for witty, punchy lyrics, prompted a discussion on the pertinence of humor in songwriting, and the levity that it can bring to a sometimes depressing political landscape. He noted that the political world and songwriting world share strong parallels, specifically in their goal to connect with people.
“Politics is kind of a performance,” Ward says. “And I think writing and performing music is the same way. You're trying to find some way to connect with people. Express yourself in a way that other people can relate to.”
What sets Dylan Patrick Ward apart from other musicians, and I guess Richard Nixon, is the intention and authenticity behind his lyrics. They resonated deeply with me, and I’m sure they will with fellow folk misfits in Troy.
For more information on Saturday’s show, visit https://www.mojoscafegallery.com/events
