Cottle’s brand of radical love influences everything she does. With the help of her husband, Doug, the performer has created her lane in the Twitch music space that is sure to capture audiences for years to come. The Twitch streamer boasts nearly 16,000 followers on the popular platform where she and JamFamBam congregate to be enchanted by the musical stylings and artistry of Dylan Cottle. However, that’s not the point for her. The love and supportive strands she weaves throw the Twitch Music scene is enough to satiate her creator appetite, and she’s hoping to reach a few more hearts. “We knew that this would be a start to bring people together. There was no intention to make a living or even put my music out there,” Cottle said in a phone interview with Lifewire. “We just wanted to do what we love and share our passion with like-minded people, but the support has completely blown me away.”
A Different Kind of Love
A Houston native, Cottle as a child was drawn to music from the start. Raised by a single mother of three, she cites fleeting memories of her father as evidence of a kind of musical gene. Her father performed in a KISS cover band, and her love for rock alternative music has stayed with her. Genre-bending singer-songwriters like Brandi Carlile were an inspiration for the budding artistry of what is today known as DylanCottleMusic. Her interest in music-making waned throughout her childhood, but then reached a fever pitch at 17. The young singer dived headfirst into guitar playing, songwriting, and honing her vocals with a desire to sway crowds. From there, a passion for music turned into something greater: a passion for artistry. Music remained a hobby for much of her life until she found live streaming in 2019. In a desire to spread love, the only universal love language she knew was music. There was no better way she saw to consecrate this force than through the power of her music creation. The singer-songwriter remains committed to spreading some much-needed positivity in the streaming world. As much as she sought to help others, it also helped her. “Being able to do more of what I love sparks inspiration. Getting that feedback and support for others fuels me and my creativity,” she said, detailing her new music creation process. “It’s really the power of passion.”
Unleashing the JamBamFam
The quintessential Dylan Cottle streams open with a little request section and ends with a crescendo of sounds and music meant to speak to the soul and the heart. She’s a musician who comes to her craft from a unique perspective and the aesthetics of her performance in a dimly lit room with just her guitar, her voice, and a song. Her followers, affectionately donned the self-proclaimed dorky moniker JamBamFam, are drawn by her humble predisposition and have formed this self-policing community. The trickle-down effect of her terminal positivity has allowed for her to enjoy a warm, rarely moderated community of music listeners. A rarity in the Twitch space. She says she likes to think her community is a reflection of her own values. Her star was on the rise fairly quickly as the Twitch music scene allotted Cottle all the support she needed to excel. Unlike the gaming sphere, there’s a connected sense of camaraderie in the music scene on Twitch often accompanied by friendly raids. However, the numbers never really mattered to Cottle. “What sticks out was when people kept coming back,” she said. “When it was clear we were creating a community…when it started to feel like we formed a bond, I knew it was something more.” It was with the encouragement of her community that Cottle was able to unravel the artist that had laid dormant within her for years as she started her family. She says before streaming she would take a year to write one song, but now with a new wave of inspiration, she’s been able to churn out more music, including a full-length EP, Bloom. “I’m not here to win people over with my style of music, I’m truly here just to express love through my style of creation,” she said about her musical journey. “I adore being able to connect with people globally. It’s an exchange of inspiration. They inspire me and I hope I can inspire them, too.”
