I am going to quote some words from the artist himself:
“DIY or DIE is about an artists decision to turn their career to being community driven and independent or become an artist who sells their soul to corporations and music industry standards that may or may not stifle their own creative individuality. While being a musician is not always black and white, the decision to be part of a major label or part of an independent community can often be divisive.“
And some words from Spotify bio:
“A Day Without Love (ADWL) is the diverse multi-genre project of Philadelphia native, Brian Walker. The project took form as a recording and live project in 2013. The concept of A Day Without Love was born from struggle and took action after experiencing 19 days of homelessness due to Hurricane Sandy. Walker decided to pursue music with the intent of rising above his own adversity and sharing a story of hope, inspiration, and support for all. Since 2013 ADWL has engaged in various projects such as fundraising, awareness campaigns, collaborations, skillsharing, hosting meet ups, leading community groups, marching and more. Walker has spread his message across 43 states in the United States and recently completed an independent full US tour. ADWL’s catalogue spans various genres from folk punk, indie, emo, blues, jazz, and edm. Walker’s work consists of varying stories about depression, addiction, racism, sociopolitical inequality and how to cope with these issues.”
I have been following Brian for a while on Twitter. He has even done an episode on his podcast Dreams Not Memes with me about Z Tapes and music in general. He is for me a synonym for DIY musician. I really admire everything he does so sharing his music is an honor. He is definitely someone who every musician should follow just for ideas even though they do not like his music. But in my case, it is both. I like him as a person – innovator and also as a musician who is making great music. I hope one day I will see him play a show here in Europe. His music is very underrated, but I hope all the work he is doing will pay off. So if you are not following him on social media, you should, at least on Twitter, and do not forget to get some merch from him.
You can find more music on Spotify.