Things have changed since we last spoke. And as of over 6 months ago, I decided it's time we talk about these things, on record.

This time last year, I was packing my bags to be a freshman in college, leaving behind my hometown, a slew of warm teenage memories, and my perspective on the world at seventeen. I was jumping headfirst into an entirely new place in my life, as I'm sure many of you can relate to from one direction or another. Senioritis had both prompted me on my way, while forcing me to reflect on everything I was detaching from. Change is a part of life, and we know this, so we adapt, adapt, adapt, and carry on.

Weeks later, months later, and as I sit writing this a year later (in fact, at each step of the way), I recognize that my life has fallen subject to turbulence. It feels like I haven't stopped traveling. My relationships have changed, my mind and my goals have lost and since rediscovered themselves, I've met a million and one strangers who I may never get to know as well as I'd like to, and I've learned some valuable lessons, in and out of positive, negative, positive, negative, inevitable moments. One or two of these moments big, a lot of them small. Some lonely, some fulfilling. All of them redefining.

You could say I'm a perfectionist, but let me honestly admit that the first documentation of this new collection of songs occurred around last November. It didn't dawn upon me to begin writing a new CD, the inspiration didn't come as a result of researching the modern music industry or observing that other rappers release material a lot more frequently than I do, but rather, it struck me, in response to writing off quite a few thoughts I had bottled up inside. Since that first moment, I've been carefully putting together what I'm going to present to you a little over a month from now. So, over half a year and over 30 rough songs (including beats..) later, I'm settled enough to share the biggest lesson from this past year, whatever you take it to mean, with you.

Keep Your Friends Close.

In technical terms, this is an EP. Between me and you, this is a lot more than that. In fact, the number of tracks alone is controversial in the "EP" (EP = half-album) world. So we can call it what we will. In terms of content, these are my most personal, most honest, most sincere and most heartfelt songs to date. I really really hope you like them, and I really really cannot wait to share them with you. I love and am so beyond grateful for anybody and everybody who supports my music. And I feel for anybody and everybody who shares their emotions with others. Rock on. While many of you may have heard some of these songs at live shows, I promise they've all been revamped and I promise there's quite a bit you haven't heard. Even better, perhaps the best news of all, is that this is going to be a FREE release. My first, at that. So you can show your friends who can show their friends, and.... you get the point.

In a funny sort of way, things haven't changed since we last spoke. I'm still writing my story with confident hope that you will relate to it. So my purpose now, now that I've written this story down on paper, is to share it with you. Keep Your Friends Close.

Don't forget:
1. I've got a new, free EP coming out a little over a month from now.
2. There will be an advance version on iTunes.
3. More information coming soon.
4. Keep Your Friends Close.

Thanks for reading. Much love.
Dylan