If you’ve been craving something that feels real, relatable, and quietly powerful, you’re going to want to hear what Dylan Espeseth just dropped.
His new single “Whine” is stripped back, emotionally direct, and refreshingly unpolished in the best way. It’s the kind of song that feels like a late night conversation with a friend, quick-witted lyrics, soft melodies, and that familiar emo ache that hits right in the chest. Taking cues from bands like Say Anything, Saves the Day, and Yellowcard, Espeseth still manages to sound completely his own. This doesn’t feel like a throwback. It feels current, personal, and honest.
“This song was one of the easiest I’ve ever written lyrically,” Espeseth says. “I sat down and came up with the first verse and chorus in under 15 minutes, and it felt like the rest of the song just smoothly flowed out of me. I just sat writing line after line and verse after verse for several minutes and before I knew it the song was finished. It just seemed like such a natural way to describe what I’d been thinking and feeling for the past several months.”
Music’s always been part of his life, starting with school orchestra and later bonding over vinyl records with his dad. Along the way, his taste stretched from Fall Out Boy and Dashboard Confessional to Bob Dylan, Juice WRLD, and Lil Peep. That wide mix shows up in “Whine,” balancing melodic warmth with real emotional weight.
Like a lot of artists, the pandemic forced a reset. Espeseth stepped away for a bit, then came back fully committed, teaching himself production, mixing, mastering, and recording. That DIY approach shaped his sound, and an earlier track, “Falling Faster,” connected with listeners looking for comfort during isolation. That same honesty runs straight through “Whine.”
For this release, he deliberately leaned back into a more acoustic feel, aiming to keep things raw and conversational. He wanted it to sound like those early bedroom demos, lo-fi vocals, simple guitars, and nothing getting in the way of the story. You can hear that intention in every line.
Fresh off opening for The Rocket Summer in Los Angeles, Espeseth is clearly building momentum, but doing it on his own terms. “Whine” feels like a confident step forward and a promising preview of his debut full-length album, currently slated for release in 2026.
If you’re into emo that actually means something, this one’s worth your time.
