Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Kyle Dillingham & Horseshoe Road

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

 I remember the music at church when I was very young. Also, I remember my aunt playing the piano at family holiday gatherings at my grandparents’ house. 

How did your passion for creating music begin?

 As a young boy, I would spend time on my grandparents’ farm. My grandfather’s music became my music, and I remember falling in love with the music of Bob Wills, “the king of western swing.” I remember singing along to this music as a kid; and once I started learning to play the violin, I could hardly wait to start playing this music I loved. 

What’s the story behind your current music project?

 When I began working on my current music project, I honestly thought I was just making a single album. But it quickly grew into something much bigger and much more meaningful to me personally. The first release, Love Lifted Me, became the opening installment in what is now a four-album series of hymns for violin and voice that I plan to record and release by the end of the year.

What makes this project unique is its simplicity. So often in modern recording, there’s this feeling that you have to keep making the production bigger and bigger—more instruments, more layers, more voices—to create something worthy of these timeless hymns. But I wanted to go in the opposite direction. By limiting the arrangements to just my violin and voice, I hoped to create an intimate encounter with these intimate and powerful texts of faith.

Interestingly, the entire concept really began with my friend and client, Mark Lammert, founder of Compliance Solutions Inc.. Mark suggested that I record an album featuring only violin and voice and that he would fund it. That one idea eventually inspired not only Love Lifted Me, but the entire series. I’m incredibly grateful for his encouragement and support because this project truly would not exist without him.

As I was selecting hymns and developing arrangements, I took inspiration from the book Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories by Robert J. Morgan. At one point, I honestly questioned whether voice and violin alone were enough. Then I came across the story of missionary E. P. Scott, who faced a hostile tribe in the Indian subcontinent and simply began singing and playing his violin. That moment transformed the entire encounter and eventually opened the door to two years of ministry among that tribe.

That story deeply affected me. I thought, “If the voice and violin were enough for him, then they’re enough for me.” In my arrangement of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” I actually tried to musically capture that moment of tension, relief, gratitude, and jubilation.

The response to the album has been incredibly encouraging. Michael Martin Murphey told me, “Your vocals are the best of any of your previous albums. You seem to sing with more abandon—and the inspiration comes through.” That meant a great deal to me because this project is probably the most personal recording work I’ve ever done.

I’m also very excited that the second album in the series, America the Beautiful, will be released USA Memorial Day weekend on May 22, 2026. That album centers around the great patriotic hymns of America along with a selection of hymns that would have been sung in colonial America. Releasing it during America’s 250th anniversary feels especially meaningful to me because these songs really tell the spiritual and cultural story of the nation in a powerful way.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

 My sound is incredibly eclectic. It carries the full inspiration of my early love of American swing, country and bluegrass music, but is also deeply infused with various international influences from my travels and performances in over 40 countries. But whenever I play, I think my underlying mission to bring inspiration, encouragement and healing through my music shines through – there is a certain joy, perhaps, that is always present. It’s the joy I feel deeply to have another chance to share my music with someone.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

 Interesting question. I always point to the fact that when I was 22, I took a semester off of college to become an international student in France. I spent 6 months living with a French family and taking intensive French language courses. For the first few months abroad, I didn’t play music at all. When I began taking the violin back up, my entire perspective had shifted. I really began to think of the music as another language – another set of sounds that have deep and powerful meaning to communicate ideas, like any other language. This changed the way I began to express myself musically – it unlocked a door to a truer self-expression. So learning French completely changed the way I make music! 

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

 In the creative process – especially for writing, scoring or arranging, I have a home studio setup that streamlines the process. I use a MacBook Pro with Logic Pro and an Edwina mic by Ear-Trumpet Labs going through a Motu 8M pre-amp. Then I have my guitar, violin, piano, double bass, viola, and any other instruments I might be using out and at the ready. If it’s more spontaneous, the most powerful tools seem to be the Voice Memo app and Notes app on my iPhone! 

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

 One of my favorite song writers/artists is actually my very good friend and musical partner of over 30 years, Peter Markes. He has so many great songs, but a few of my favorites that I find myself singing often are “It Was Love,” “Drum Major” and “My Father’s Age” all from his most recent album, My Father’s Age. Makes me want to go pull them up and listen right now!

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

 I mentioned earlier that my artistic vision has always been about changing lives—to inspire, encourage, and bring healing through music. But what if our artistry could have an eternal impact as well?

My personal experience with the unconditional love, grace, and mercy of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has profoundly shaped both my music and my purpose as an artist. It’s set me on a mission not simply to entertain audiences, but to create music that points people toward hope, peace, healing, and faith.

I’ve had the opportunity to travel and perform in more than 40 countries, and no matter where I go, I’m reminded that people are all seeking after the same things—love, belonging, comfort, meaning, and connection. Music has this incredible ability to cross cultural, political, and language barriers and bring people together in such a natural and powerful way. I’ve witnessed moments where the music was able to reach someone in a way words alone never could. That realization has deeply influenced my artistic vision. I no longer see music as simply performance or production. I see it as ministry. 

That perspective is especially present in my current hymns project. Stripping the music down to just violin and voice forced me to approach the songs with honesty and vulnerability. These hymns carry timeless truths about redemption, grace, perseverance, and faith, and I wanted the arrangements to feel personal and sincere—as though I were standing alone in a cathedral with my violin and just singing and playing my heart out before the Creator of the universe.

Ultimately, my life experiences have taught me that music is most powerful when it comes from a genuine place. The moments that stay with me most are when someone says, “I needed that song tonight,” or “Your music helped me through something difficult.” Those are the moments that continue to shape why I do what I do.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

 If people can enjoy the music and feel a little lighter even in the moment, then that is work that I can feel very proud of.

 What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

 One important lesson that music teaches me over and over is that we should never doubt the power of music. It is one incredible tool and so naturally brings people together. If wielded with pure intentions, it can do so much good – and it only takes a little to change everything. Once you begin to create music, there is a shift in the atmosphere. 

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

 I have never broken into the European market, which surprises me a little. I feel like what I do could have broad appeal in Europe. In France, in particular, even the language is not a barrier for me. But overall, there is a lot of European influence in my music – so though it is truly American in one sense, it is also very international. With that being said, it would be an absolute dream to play “Un Violin sur le Sable” in Royan, France. I have also dreamed of touring Italy. Musicastrada Festival in Tuscany would be an incredible way to do that.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

 There are so many…but I think it would have been incredible to play with French Manouch guitarist, Django Reinhardt. 

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

 I’m working on a new project right now for a violin that has been given to me. This newly restored 200-year-old instrument, brought to Oklahoma by the family of Kurt Leichter, survived both Kristallnacht and Terezín and now stands as a powerful symbol of endurance, remembrance, and hope. The violin will serve as the artistic centerpiece of a newly commissioned 30-minute lyrical work for solo violin and orchestra.

I will create SONG OF RESILIENCE alongside acclaimed Oklahoma composer Edward Knight, and I will also serve as featured soloist. The composition will be written specifically for the unique tonal character and expressive voice of the Leichter Violin. We wish to give this violin it’s unique voice and a platform to share this story of hope and resilience with the world. My dream is to travel and perform this new work with orchestra’s all over the world. The world-premiere is already set for November 2027. 

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

 I hope that listeners will have the chance to discover the story of a young boy from rural Oklahoma, who has been given a chance to share his music all over the world. And I hope that the story will be inspiring for those who discover it, and I hope that they will enjoy the music I’ve created and come to appreciate the mission I’m on to use my music to inspire, encourage and bring healing to audiences everywhere I go.

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