At AWAL, we love sharing our artists’ stories so their paths — as individual and unique as the music they make — inspire others to pursue their own music-career goals.
Here in our “My Journey” series, our members share their stories — the challenges they’ve faced, how they’ve overcome them, the milestones they’ve achieved, and where they hope the future leads.
This week, we’re speaking with Brian Dales of rock/pop band — DALES.
Tell us a little bit about how you got your start as an artist.
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, in a home where Bruce Springsteen was our lord and savior and Born to Run was the Bible. My first musical memories involve hanging out in the basement with my dad and a little toy plastic guitar pretending we were in the E Street Band.
No matter where this musical journey goes, I always find myself back home in the basement where it all began. Those are my roots.
Where are you now in your artistic journey?
I’ve got this new band called DALES. I feel like these songs are the story of my life, and I’m excited they are slowly getting to see the light of day after two-plus years of working on them in secret. The cat’s out of the bag now, and I think this is gonna be a really exciting year.
What were some of the hardest obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are today?
I spent the last 10 years in a band called the Summer Set, which I started in high school with my friends in Arizona. I never thought in my wildest dreams we would get to do the things we got to do or meet the fans we got to meet.
Putting that band aside so I could show the world a different side of me and make the DALES album was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. Sometimes you grow up and have to make the hard decisions so you can show the world what you can really do.
I will always be grateful of what we built as the Summer Set. They were the most formative years of my life.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your journey so far?
Putting out “Young for the Summer.” It was the biggest leap of faith, taking that step out onto my own and showing the world what I can do. I felt like it was the beginning of a new story. It was a long road to get there, but I’m so glad I finally did.
What’s up next in your journey as an artist that you’re most excited for?
I’ve put out three singles and played some incredible shows around LA, but this year, it’s time to finish the album and take this show on the road.
What are your ultimate goals as an artist?
I grew up on Springsteen. At the end of the day, the only goal is to play for as many people as I can, for as long as l can. Anything else would just be icing on the cake.
AWAL Insights™ Into DALES’ Journey
- Since becoming an AWAL member, DALES has earned over 154,000 streams.
- The ladies are loving DALES — 61% of all listeners are female.
- 21% of DALES’ Spotify streams come directly from playlists!
How has your experience with AWAL been so far?
Wonderful. This is the first time I’ve ever put out music independently in my career, and AWAL makes that process so much easier.
Stay on top of all the latest trends in the industry by subscribing to the AWAL Weekly. We’ll shoot posts straight to your inbox every Tuesday!
