Meet Bradley Dillon | Journalist // Security Guard // Father // Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bradley Dillon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bradley, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started New Fury Media, it was an idea I had that stemmed from the ashes of another music // gaming // sports publication that I had gotten my start at 18-24 months prior, in 2011. So it’s been really ten years since it really began.

Everything was so different back then. I wasn’t married, I certainly didn’t have a child, and I had very little actual responsibility – so I wanted to take something I was passionate about and see what I could do with it. Too many music publications are filled with similar writing styles that only seem to focus on either A, smaller bands that nobody knows about (which severely limits your exposure) and B, only writing about constant drama and in-fighting with the biggest bands in the scene. Believe it or not, you can do both and still get traffic!

I personally love all kinds of music, and many of my favorite albums are ones I grew up on – Hybrid Theory, White Pony, Wonder What’s Next, Pretty Hate Machine, etc. Writing about those from my own perspective – specifically, a descriptive fashion – is pretty easy. But I’ll never run the kind of music publication that only focuses on bands whose heydays were 20 years ago. New music is awesome too.

Things are so different now. While I don’t have nearly the time I used to to create content, now I maximize said time because all the hard work I put in for years is now quite literally paying off. I saw a path to do things differently while still maintaining a sense of familiarity – but most importantly, using my own voice.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
You want challenges? Okay, cool.

Well, for starters I’m on the autism spectrum. Communication with others and relating to others has always been incredibly difficult for me. Large crowds can often be scary for me if I have nothing to do or distract me, and a “real world” job has always been difficult for me to keep as well. Hence why I would rather create content in the comfort of my own home. Many people see me as too direct, when in reality I am this way because I don’t have time for small talk. I’m conditioned to get done what I need to get done so I can continue doing what I actually want to be doing.

I also have a very limited amount of time to create content on a daily basis, which often means I’ll lose sleep if I’m really trying to get the next day’s content out. Which is fine, I’m still young, but I can’t do that forever. Combine that with having a family, and many wonder how I ever get anything done. I tend to answer this simply: “Caffeine”.

I’m most proud of having the fanbase to introduce new bands I love to people who I think might love them, and I’m really stoked that several of my favorite bands – Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, etc. – have recognized and acknowledged my work over the years. It’s pretty surreal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in San Diego now, but only have for about 18 months. Before that, I lived in St Pete, Florida, for 30 years – so that’s way easier.

I’m not much of a “go out on the town” type of person, but I would bring said person to a few of the area’s best music venues (Jannus Landing in St. Pete is a classic), and probably Tropicana Field for a Rays game, too. And maybe even some minor league baseball around the TB area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I may have started New Fury Media on my own, but I doubt I would have ever gotten off the ground if it wasn’t for Tim Morris, who saw a lot of potential in my passion for music and writing in general. At the time, I was a depressed individual who would stay up all night and play video games, I didn’t have much direction. It accelerated in the months and years to come.

I also couldn’t still be doing this without my wife, Kayla, Even after we had a child together, she encouraged me to keep living my dreams, and I did – even while working 50+ hour weeks to make sure we could have all the things we needed and wanted. And now that my son is old enough to go to shows with me, he has a blast – and gets to see his father doing the things he loves. What’s better than that?

Website: www.thenewfury.com

Instagram: @Definethegreatpony // @NewFuryMedia

Twitter: @BradleyDIllon12 // @newfurymedia

Facebook: @NewFuryMedia // @Bradley Dillon