Sloan Struble never thought making music in his bedroom would lead to late-night television features, an Austin City Limits taping, and a repeat performance at ACL Fest. Known to the masses as Dayglow, the bedroom-pop idol is currently traversing the country on his first headlining run. While it all felt very sudden, having not toured heavily pre-COVID, the 22-year-old remains as humble as his small hometown.
“It was all really absurd and fun and overwhelming. I’m just a normal guy who likes to make music,” Struble writes. “I’ve never wanted to (and still don’t want to be) a celebrity of any sort, so it’s crazy suddenly having so much weight put onto what I say and do now. It feels like people started relying on me from a distance to keep everything together and happy for them or something, and that’s just a strange thing to happen to someone so quickly and so young in such a weird time in history.
“I’ve absolutely loved meeting so many people, and hearing how my music has positively impacted them recently. That’s the greatest feeling in the world and I just try to focus on that: the music.”
On a mission to make “music that matters,” it’s not enough for him to write, mix, and produce all of his work. As he grows and learns, his tunes mature too. With each new track, the budding superstar ensures that every piece is an evolution from the last and shares a new story. To that end, he’s also wise enough to be unaffected when every single is not a major hit.
“It excites me to explore new sounds and themes, so I hope nothing I make feels monotonous. I am aware that some songs are catchier than others, and some feel like the radio more than others, but I think everything matters to everything. It’s important to have special songs that feel like only my fans should know.”
As an ACL veteran, Dayglow is familiar with the hecticity of the fest. Moving from 2019’s BMI stage to a spot on this year’s VRBO, the singer is down for anything thrown his way.
“I love Austin so much and ACL holds a very special place in my heart. I can’t believe it’s all happening. I just feel so blessed and ready to rock!”
Saturday, 7:20pm, VRBO stageThis article appears in October 1 • 2021.