Hear American Singer-Songwriter Ail Don’s Wistful Folk Single ‘Summer Wine’

From Brazilian drum groups to reggae, hip-hop projects and being a sound engineer at Google, American artist and producer Dylan Walker-Chargin aka Ail Don has continually put his foot forward when it comes to music opportunities.

An established sound engineer for a decade, he left the cozy job with the tech giant to pursue studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2016. He says, “I knew that if I stayed behind, I would forever regret not knowing what could have been if I really sunk my teeth into my artistry.” Ever since he’s arrived in the city that’s his current home, he says there hasn’t been a single regret. What’s more, the artistry has shone with Walker-Chargin’s project Ail Don, heard on the smooth debut single “On & On” and then a new turn as openhearted, reminiscence-bearing single “Summer Wine.”

Singing about love, loss and “thinking back to a beautiful time in your life that brought such joy” and the inability to go back to it, “Summer Wine” is poignant, thanks to the string arrangement and distinct vocal melodies. The song was written in January this year, with the lyrics being finished within a couple of hours as well as the demo readied within a day. Walker-Chargin’s friends – Bobby Borenstein on guitar and Myra Choo on violin – heighten the track, with Sean McLaughlin taking on recording and producing vocals.

The two songs under the Ail Don moniker indicate a multi-genre approach from Walker-Chargin. “I believe being multi-genre allows for us to explore our creative thoughts and not be restricted by the walls that genres may preemptively build up […] Some days I’m feeling neo-soul in a dim lit club, others I’m feeling folk music with some close friends, but each project is a reflection of me at a certain point in my life,” he says.

There’s an EP coming up by the end of 2021 or early 2022, plus a music video for “Summer Wine” slated for release in September. All throughout, the love and conviction towards music stays unwavering. “There is magic in music, both live and in the studio and I love feeling that magic from all sides. Either helping someone else get there or getting there myself, it all fuels my creative fire and I can never get enough,” Walker-Chargin says.

Listen to ‘Summer Wine’ below.