THE BEAT GOES ON- INTERVIEW WITH DYLAN JACK MORAN

Freshly out of a life-saving kidney transplant, Dylan Jack Moran shares his journey from ward to stage, and tells us how he is using his music to give back.

I first met Dylan when he got in touch with my radio show for a grassroots music special. He sent me an email that stopped me in my tracks:

“Last year, whilst gigging and releasing music as part of a friend’s band, I was unexpectedly struck with a disease so rare, no one my age had previously been diagnosed in the UK.”

At just 23, Dylan Jack Moran was diagnosed with a rare form of IGA Vasculitis, leading to months of chemotherapy, dialysis and rituximab among other treatments during his prolonged time as an inpatient. He was then told that his kidneys had failed, and that he needed a transplant.

We spoke about his story on air, how he launched his solo music career from his hospital bed, turning to music as a source of strength during his treatments – I couldn’t help but find his story as inspiring as it is fascinating, and this powerhouse musician didn’t stop there.

Fast-forward to last week, I sat down with Moran again, following his much-awaited kidney transplant in February and a sold-out gig at McChuill’s in Glasgow, which raised over £1800 for World Kidney Day and the National Kidney Federation. Moran was visibly triumphant, and rightfully so.

We first spoke about life since his transplant, and what he had taken from his experience: “Life since the transplant is an interesting one, I’ve learned a great appreciation for small things, such as birds chirping in the morning, sounds a bit mental, but after countless hours in hospital beds where the only sound is the tune of drip machines it kind of slaps you in the face, a cold hard reality.”

He highlighted, however, that this process does not come without complicated feelings: “On one hand, I’m overwhelmed with emotion, like, aye, I’m out of dialysis and kidney failure, but I still have to keep solidly in my head that someone had to pass away for me to gain this kidney,” said Moran. “It’s a surreal feeling, man, but to honour that, I’d like to be on the top of my craft and live life to the fullest.”

The Glasgow musician has plans to host a kidney charity concert annually, following the success of his fundraising gig at McChuill’s last month. He told me that getting up on stage and performing again was a nerve-racking challenge, but his determination proved the gig a huge success. “For me personally, after a massive surgery, it was mentally and physically exhausting, and everyone else had their own personal stuff happening, you know?, But we locked into the one cause and popped off,” he said.

I then inquired about what drove him to put on this show despite recovering from major surgery: “I just kept thinking about where I’ve been with my health and the absolute resilience I wanted to display, not just for others but in a more selfish way as well, to show myself I can still do this life and it’s not all white coats and lab results. So yeah, that really pushed me and still does every single day.”

And he won’t be stopping anytime soon. On track to finish his debut album with plenty of plans in the pipeline, I asked him for a message to our readers- he replied: “Your story is a weapon, and you shouldn’t shy away from it. Don’t listen to ‘riddy’ culture. If you enjoy something, who is anyone to tell you different?”

On reflection of his incredible journey so far, his final words to me were: “When you look at it, in one year, whilst dying off in hospital beds and fighting with chemotherapy, dialysis and countless other situations, I have managed to, with the help of my team of believers, release 4 singles, a 5 song EP, headline multiple shows including a King Tuts effort, put out live sessions and sold out McChuill’s whilst rallying the people behind the love. I’m excited to see what’s next for sure.”

Moran will be releasing the first single of his new chapter this summer. He feels “honoured” by the continued support of his music, and his cause.