Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares journey that started in Topeka

Kansas-based musician Dallas Pryor blends Texas country and red dirt music styles, drawing inspiration from his home state.
Pryor prioritizes performing in Kansas and expresses gratitude for local events like Topeka’s Eats and Beats festival.
His latest single, “Woman Like You,” has broken into the top 50 on multiple country music charts.
Pryor is currently an independent artist seeking sponsors or investors while embarking on radio tours to promote his music.

This music artist has been on numerous stages across the U.S., but he always adores performing in his home state of Kansas.

Dallas Pryor, who mostly grew up in Topeka, has been releasing original music and developing his songwriting since 2019, with a focus on blending Texas country and red-dirt music styles.

Pryor started listening to Texas country and red-dirt music while attending Shawnee Heights High School, but it wasn’t until he was in the Marine Corps that he really took a deep dive into that music scene, The Capital-Journal previously reported.

Now with years of music experience whether it be hitting big stages, writing songs or making radio appearances, Pryor is grateful that there’s no place like home — Kansas.

‘Paying homage to Kansas’ through song-writing

Pryor’s songwriting process is varied, with some songs coming quickly while others taking years to complete. He said he draws inspiration from his experiences growing up in Kansas the most.

“I love where I’m from, and not a lot of people do,” Pryor said. “A lot of people complain about it, and I am not one of those guys. I went to the Marine Corps, and everybody else around me was like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait till you leave home and get out of here.’

“And I did not want that. I wanted to be home. I was homesick as soon as I left. Paying homage to Kansas has been a theme in a lot of my songs.”

Pryor and The Lazy Wayne Band performed Aug. 7 at Topeka’s annual Eats and Beats festival at the downtown Evergy Plaza. Eats and Beats is a 17-week summer event series that takes place every Thursday from May to September.

Before his performance, Pryor said Eats and Beats is a great show for the community and artists like himself. This month was his fourth appearance at the festival.

“It’s going to be one of those kind of shows that I know a bunch of people are going to be out at because it is a big deal all summer long that people actually care about,” said Pryor. “There are communities all around, not just Kansas, but everywhere else that people will try to do really cool things like this and nobody, a lot of the community doesn’t buy in, support it or come out or care.

“But Evergy has really made the culture of Topeka one that cares about events like this going on by putting these on pretty religiously and not taking breaks and stuff like that. So it’s a really big community thing and I love it.”

Pryor is also scheduled to perform at the Topeka Food Truck Festival, which will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 24 at Gage Park, 635 SW Gage Blvd.

What’s next for the artist?

Pryor has completed 6,000 miles of radio tours and will soon do another to promote his singles. His goal is to push more of his songs for radio play.

”I’m probably about to do another 4,000 to 5,000 here in the upcoming weeks for the rest of the radio tour. But, it’s all paying off. People are loving it. I think ‘Woman Like You’ is a hit and I think it deserves to be on the radio. It deserves to be listened to, loved and appreciated.

“And we just got news that it broke. It broke the top 50 and multiple charts. The Texas Country Music charts — it is sitting at place No. 41 right now. The Americana Country Music Charts has it sitting at No. 44.”

Pryor is currently an independent artist, which means he handles all business and logistical aspects of his music career. He’s looking to potentially partner with sponsors or investors to help support his musical endeavors.

Pryor’s band is Lazy Wayne Band. While Pryor still plays with the band, he recently rebranded to promote himself using his name.