Singles Spotlight:
Inland Years –
“Only In Dreams”

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How are you today?

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I’m excited to discuss Inland Years, a musician who had a great Water Tower Session with us late last year as part of an awesome live band featuring Ryan Daniels on guitar and vocals, Daru Oda on vocals and tambourine, Michael Figgiani on bass, Shane Kerton on drums, and Andy Plovnick on keys.  You can watch the entire video on SWT’s YouTube page right here. While you’re there, please like, subscribe, leave a comment, and share with your friends.

Back to this page, the Inland Years project is the home-recorded indie vehicle of Brooklyn-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Daniels. According to the bio from his site, “Inland Years makes lo-fi indie rock in the tradition of Pavement, Lou Barlow, Bill Fox, and Guided by Voices. The focus is on compact songs, strong melody, and an DIY driven approach to recording. Daniels records all the instruments himself. The music often centers on isolation, memory, movement, and the pull between distance and connection. There is a sense of longing throughout it, but also a quiet hopefulness that makes each moment linger a little longer.” After listening off and on for the past 8 or so months, we at SWT would agree with those descriptions and would add more bands depending on the Inland Years’ release, as the sound has evolved creatively.

Speaking of albums, Inland Years have been quite prolific the past few years, releasing several full-length albums and EPs, including The Meadow (2026), The Bunker Sessions EP (2025), Keep Your Eyes On The Road (2025), Lock & Key (2024), 14 Songs (2023), Early 2023 (2023). You can listen to each of these albums and EPs and more on Inland Years’ Bandcamp page.  I guarantee you’ll find at least one album that calls your name over there.

And as of this month, comes a new album, Nowadays.  Here’s what Daniels shared with SWT about the album, “Nowadays represents the last year or so of creative energy, squeezed in between work, family, rehearsals, and whatever small pockets of time I find. I took what was working in my songwriting process and refined it into these twelve short songs, all recorded at home with a DIY spirit. I’m really proud of this release and think there are some catchiness that people will really connect with. It’s out now on BSDJ, an independent label in Japan that grew out of a small cassette community and a Discord of bedroom musicians, which makes the release feel even more special.”

Hell yeah, we dig it. I got to listen and really liked what I heard. I knew I had to share at least one song with y’all as part of the Singles Spotlight series. As I’ve done throughout the series with the songs I’ve shared, I chose what I feel is the best song on the album, and also the most likely to draw in the most new fans to Inland Years.  A representative sample, some may say. I chose the song, “Only In Dreams,” from Nowadays. It begins out of the gate with a purpose. Heavy on guitar strums, vocal harmonies, and steady drumming, and sprinkled with synth and percussive moments, the song takes you to another place. Especially if you close your eyes and focus on the sound of the melody and Daniels’ voice. Even if you were on the loudest subway, I think you would feel that way. It’s a short tune with a lovely feel, like many on this album, but worth listening to. And if you’re like me, you’ll do so on repeat.

What did Daniels want to share with SWT and our audience about the song “Only In Dreams”? “I wrote this like most of my songs pretty quickly. Found the melody right away, and then the lyrics came soon after. It’s all about dreams, feeling unreachable at first, then attainable the more they come to you. I wanted a slower vibe for the track. Something thunderous and hypnotic. So I leaned into the toms and actually doubled them with reverb to make them feel bigger. It’s low in the mix, but there is a layer of synth and also a constant rim shot that feels like a metronome. Like a Spacemen 3 pulse. I also used some other hand percussion, including Mèo finger bells, I picked up while traveling through the Northeast Hmong region of Vietnam. They are barely noticeable on their own, but they add another texture that helps hold everything together. Almost meditative.”

Take a listen for yourself. See what you think and let us know:

Take a gander at the cover art for Nowadays:

The track list for Nowadays:

1. Around We Go (1:00)
2. The Way It Goes (1:36)
3. I Know This More Than Anyone (:47)
4. Breadcrumb Trail (:50)
5. Morning Train (1:02)
6. Every Single Time (1:15)
7. Drove Away (1:20)
8. A Thousand Miles (1:33)
9. Only In Dreams (1:25)
10. Haunt (:58)
11. Cold (1:30)
12. Brand New (:52)
13. Nothing Left To Say (1:25)

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com