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One week after releasing his debut album, Westward, Dylan Gossett is taking a moment to reflect on what has already become a milestone in his young career.

“It’s awesome,” he says. “I’ve been waiting so long to get it out, so it feels pretty surreal that it finally is.”

The album — fully self-written and self-produced — blends personal authenticity with attention-grabbing melodies. The creative freedom gave Gossett the ability to showcase an unfiltered glimpse into the last two years of his life.

“Every single song is a personal story or something that means something to me,” he explains. “Whether people like that or hate that, it’s exactly how I wanted it to sound.”

The 17-track album opens with “Lord Will You Carry Me,” a powerful, stripped-down, minute-and-a-half reflection on faith.

“Faith is massive in my life, and I wanted that to be the forefront of the album — the very first project that I ever put out,” he says.

“When I’m tired, will you carry me?” he sings — an honest plea that sets the emotional tone for the rest of the album. The intro blends seamlessly into track two, “Hanging On,” which explores themes of family, faith and resilience.

Among the standout songs is “Living the Dream,” which Gossett describes as an honest depiction of his rise to stardom.

“We’re living the dream, but we’re exhausted … it feels like a juxtaposition,” he reflects.

It’s a theme many artists can relate to — the surreal highs combined with the taxing lifestyle of a working musician. It’s the life he’s grateful for, and one he had always dreamed about.

The most personal moment on the album, Gossett says, is “Smell of Rain,” a vivid memory shared with his wife.

“That’s a very specific story,” he recalls. “It was my wife and I for our one-year anniversary. We were on this beautiful cliff face [in Ireland] … and then had just a really cool night with all the locals … staying up until 4 a.m. in a pub singing Irish music.”

He wrote the lyrics on the plane ride home, originally as a poem.

“I don’t think it’ll ever be the biggest song … but that memory, it’s just the coolest. [It] felt like a movie.”

Rooted in face-to-face connection with fans, Gossett says it’s still surreal to hear crowds echo his lyrics back to him. As he looks ahead, he’s eager to bring more of Westward to the stage.

“I’m excited to play all the new songs,” he says. “We’ll probably be mixing in and out and kind of see which ones work the best.”

Gossett’s journey to this point felt like a distant dream. He grew up in a household filled with music — The Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Jackson, Scorpions, George Strait — but he paved his own path. A sports management major in college, he never fully believed music could be a real career.

“I remember seeing Shane Smith and the Saints play … I was like, I would just do anything to do that,” he recalls. “But I always thought, ‘There’s just no way.’”

Among his dreams, Gossett says Red Rocks Amphitheatre is at the top of the list.

“After I saw Mumford and Sons play ‘I Will Wait’ there … it just clicked,” he says. “That’s the place.”

Despite his rising profile, Gossett says it was never about fame — just doing something he loves.

“I was never chasing to be the biggest musician in the world … or the most famous … that’s never been a goal,” he explains.

In a world of endless choices for the soundtrack to your life, Dylan Gossett’s Westward stands out as a collection of raw, authentic storytelling wrapped in compelling melodies.