Dylan Young, performing under the moniker Way Dynamic, has emerged as one of Australia's most compelling contemporary folk-pop artists. The 30-year-old Melbourne multi-instrumentalist's third album, Massive Shoe, has garnered international acclaim since its original 2025 release, with admirers including Elton John, musician and producer Djo, radio presenter Zane Lowe and actor Elijah Wood. Young's warm, analogue-textured sound—layered with subtle instrumentation, gentle vocals and introspective lyrics—recalls the Beach Boys and the Beatles while remaining distinctly modern and timeless.
The past year has been transformative for Way Dynamic. After signing with the indie label Jagjaguwar, which also represents artists such as Bon Iver and Chanel Beads, Young embarked on his first headline shows across North America and Europe, many of which sold out. The North American tour included stops in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington, Montreal, Toronto, Chicago, Columbus, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with the Los Angeles show scheduled for 2 October 2026 at Sid The Cat Auditorium. Prior to this international expansion, Young had opened for Black Country New Road, Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman during their Australian tours in 2024.
When interviewed at a Melbourne café during a brief return home before another European tour, Young reflected on the rapid trajectory of his career with characteristic humility.
"Just gradual enough that I've not gone crazy,"he said with a wry smile.
"It is an adjustment, and it's been work to not go crazy … all of that exciting, bigger-scope stuff feels fun and adventurous rather than nerve-wracking, if I'm just making sure I'm doing it for me and my friends."
How did Way Dynamic begin?
Young's musical journey began in Ballarat, a regional city in Victoria where he was born and raised. He started learning guitar at age eight, drawing inspiration from music discovered through the television program Rage. As a teenager, he played in bands, and in 2014 his high school group, Bel Air, won a regional competition to perform at Laneway festival—a moment that crystallised his commitment to music.
"That helped me know that I wanted to keep doing it, because of how it felt to make music with your friends,"he recalled.
At 18, Young relocated to Melbourne and immersed himself in the city's music community. Over the years, he has performed in multiple bands including Snowy Band and Cool Sounds, and served as a live and session drummer for artists such as Darren Hanlon and Kankawa Nagarra. These collaborations would later inform the Way Dynamic live ensemble, which draws members from his various musical projects.
What shaped Way Dynamic's sound?
Young's musical education came largely through self-directed study. In his early twenties, he explored jazz, bossa nova and densely arranged compositions via YouTube, discoveries that would become foundational to Way Dynamic's aesthetic. His melting harmonies evoke the Beach Boys and the Beatles, while his soft vocals and contemplative lyrics have drawn comparisons to Nick Drake—though Young admits limited familiarity with Drake's catalogue.
Rather than chasing a particular sonic palette, Young pursues the intimacy and immediacy of earlier recording eras.
"It's not necessarily the sounds of those records that have inspired me, but more what the technological limitations of that time forced music to be like,"he explained.
"The immediacy and reliance on playing instruments and a certain rawness was integral to that time … I try to work to take and not belabour any takes and let mistakes breathe in the music, and I think that does lend to that sound."
Young's lyrics navigate contemporary life—exploring love, commitment and identity—yet often employ cryptic language that invites interpretation.
"I'm starting to find how it is I like to communicate music, which is to be very specific, but also vague and broad enough at the same time that people can project what they want onto the music as well."
How has collaboration shaped the project?
A significant evolution in Way Dynamic's development has been Young's willingness to relinquish creative control. All three Way Dynamic albums have been co-produced with Stefan Blair of Good Morning, a partnership Young describes as essential to the project's sound.
"For the longest time, I was doing everything by myself, and I was finding that was getting me the closest to what I wanted,"Young said.
"From watching how [Blair] works, I've learned that allowing some chaos and spontaneity into the process is hugely beneficial. It keeps the music alive and interesting, not contrived."
The live band embodies this collaborative philosophy. Young selected musicians from his various projects based on shared creative values and personal connection.
"We all have similar approaches to our projects where it's one person's thing a lot of the time, and we know how to give and take,"he said.
"They're invaluable to how everything comes together and sounds … I probably decided to start being friends with all of these people because I think they're incredible creatively, and I've been very lucky to find out that they're also the nicest people I know."
What's next for Way Dynamic?
Young is already working on his next album while maintaining an ambitious touring schedule. The Jagjaguwar reissue of Massive Shoe is scheduled for 2 October 2026, featuring an additional track, "Officially," not present on the original 2025 release on Spoilsport Records. Young will perform Australian shows in November 2026 before embarking on a US and Canada tour in early 2027.
Despite the pull of international success, Young remains committed to Melbourne.
"It does tempt me sometimes but I'm really happy here,"he said.
"I love the Melbourne music community – I feel like it's a really nurturing place to live for that. I think I'll be visiting overseas a lot but I think I can almost definitely see myself staying here."
Way Dynamic's songs to live by
Young regularly shares the music that has shaped his artistic sensibility. When asked about the best year for music, he pointed to 1966 and the surrounding era, citing Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan, Revolver by the Beatles, Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter and Face to Face by the Kinks as defining works.
His current listening habits reveal eclectic tastes. He cleans his house to "Phone" by Preet Brar featuring Miss Pooja, describing it as
"like a shot of adrenaline to the heart."This year, he has repeatedly returned to "Baby Love Child" by Pizzicato Five, which he characterises as
"like my hand being held."His shower repertoire recently included "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khachaturian, chosen for its brevity when time was short.
For karaoke, Young gravitates toward "Prisencolinensinainciusol" by Adriano Celentano, appreciating both its melodic beauty and its ability to unite a room in song. Conversely, he has sworn off "Dancing Queen" by Abba, finding its melodic perfection emotionally overwhelming. When asked about the best song to have sex to, Young offered a characteristically candid response:
"I'll let you know when I try it."
His teenage years were soundtracked by "In Too Deep" by Sum 41, a song whose hooks and themes of youthful alienation resonated deeply. His first album purchase was Jet by Get Born, acquired at Sanity in Bridge Mall, Ballarat—a purchase that, as he notes with playful self-awareness, fulfilled the album's promise that he would indeed "get born."
