The Los Angeles-based Gardner has been touring in support of his debut album Adventures in Real Time, which is out now on Warner Bros. Records. Co-produced by Gardner and John Dragonetti (The Submarines, Jack Drag), the album is a stellar showcase for the 19-year-old Illinois native’s brisk hooks, high-spirited melodies, and a musical eclecticism that reflects his deep love for his pop-rock predecessors, including The Beatles, Ben Folds, and Vampire Weekend. Gardner first began to attract attention with the album’s opening track “Let’s Get Started” when he put it up on Spotify earlier this year. After being included on a popular playlist called “Smart Is The New Sexy,” the track caught fire and began racking up plays. (It is now close to four million.) Watch the official video here.
Raised in both Illinois and Arizona, Gardner has been playing piano, guitar, and drums, as well as writing songs since he was a kid. His father, Mark, was the bassist in ’80s Chicago power-pop band The Kind and young Dylan pored over his dad’s record collection, becoming deeply enamored with such classic artists as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors. Before recording Adventures in Real Time, Gardner studied the techniques detailed in Brian Kehew’s 500-page tome Recording The Beatles.
