Dustin Seymour

If you are looking for a unique soulful country artist, you might be very surprised what you would find in the small town of Orange City, FL... Lucky for us Volusia County folks, we have something very special in our own backyard! That is Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, and Performer Dustin Seymour... And he is definitely leaving his mark wherever he performs. I had the opportunity to talk with this up and coming artist about his new album, growing up in a music household, and his dreams for the future.

Dustin Seymour was born on July 23, 1984 in Orange City, FL. "I was always surrounded by music, Growing up my father was a gospel singer. I would watch my father perform at churches in his gospel group "The Jeremiah Singers," and at 7 years old, I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life," Seymour tells Full Access Magazine.

Seymour started out as a solo artist performing at local shows. Seymour attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN. This is where he studied classical music and says, "It was a time in my life when I was finding myself and what I liked as a songwriter."

Seymour tells Full Access Magazine, "I am a self taught vocalist and guitarist." He taught himself how to play guitar at the age of 19. I asked if he had any type of ritual that he did before a show to get him pumped up or if the nerves just take over?

"No! I have no rituals before my shows (Laughing), but I do enjoy the pressure and getting up in front of an audience to play my music." Seymour continues,"When performing I never use a set list. I like to feel how the flow of the crowd is to my music and just go from there."

Seymour has also been the frontman for the group, "Whiskey Basin." When asked who inspires you, he replied, "Radney Foster." Seymour continued to tell me,"I feel like today’s country music has so much more potential. I feel the type of music I do; there is something very unique to it. I can reach out to a more broad audience with my songs; even to some people who would not call themselves country fans! I can go out there and open for an R&B artist as well as a Country artist."

Dustin Seymour's Album, "What I’m Made Of" is available for purchase through his website dustinseymour.com, Amazon, and iTunes. This is a six-track album. I asked Dustin if he would share with us the meaning behind some of the songs he wrote for this album. "The first track is ‘Death and Taxes.’ I was driving in my car and for some reason I was thinking about the Ben Franklin quote, ‘...in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.’ I started to think, is that really true? That’s when I came up with the main line. Being the self predicator I am. Basically the entire song is making fun of myself in a funny way. The words to the song were done in 15 minutes along with the guitar riff." This was one of those songs that came really easily.” Then he adds, "I wish they were all that way!”

“Track three is 'Up In Flames.' It's basically a "Forget you" (in the editing style of Cee-Lo) song. You did me wrong and now I'm going to do to you what you did to me, just in a completely different way.” It definitely has a rock feel with a lot of influence from my all-time favorite band, U2. It's a fun song to play and a great one to sing along to (especially if you're angry with your better half)! The fourth song is 'My Last Stand.' This is where the title of the EP, 'What I'm Made Of' comes from. I've found that this song can be taken many different ways, as I've found out from fans who've told me how the song affected them. People have told me it perfectly described the relationship they are/were in. Others have said they feel that the song is very spiritual. I'm kind of a unique songwriter in that, I don't usually sit down with a specific something I want to write about or get off my chest. I will feel inspired by something and then see what comes out. I won't always know exactly what it means to me or what I'm - Full Access Magazine

Self teamed with Sarasota radio station WCTQ, 106.5 FM, to help present entertainment, including Jack Calhoun, who has performed with Willie Nelson; Dustin Seymour, who blends bluegrass and country with soul; and Bradenton's One Night Rodeo, winner of the Great American Country Star competition. - Tampa Bay Online

- Dustin Seymour, 9 p.m., mini-stage in front of the Event Main Stage, 138 W. Indiana Ave. This DeLand singer-guitarist calls his music "country soul." It's a style Seymour lives up to on such ballads as "My Last Stand" and "Scarlet Sunrise."

For those who doubt a guy can inject soul into his country roots, consider another feat pulled off by Seymour: He also does a mean acoustic guitar medley of "Big Poppa" and other hits by Notorious B.I.G. -- yep, that late, great, big daddy of hip-hop. Check out the video on YouTube. - Daytona Beach News Journal