A significant part of Filkins's childhood was spent intensely studying classical guitar in Barcelona, Spain. He attended Colorado Springs Christian High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he played for the school soccer team. It was at the high school that he met future bandmate Ryan Tedder during their senior year. During a drive home, Filkins and Tedder were discussing their favorite musicians and decided to form a band. They began performing in a group called 'This Beautiful Mess' with some of their friends, playing small gigs attended by friends and family. After the end of their senior year, Tedder and Filkins parted ways, each attending different colleges.
In 2010, Filkins and his wife, Lindsay, had a son. He openly thanked and acknowledged her in the liner notes of OneRepublic's debut album, Dreaming Out Loud. Filkins speaks Spanish fluently.
Before moving to Los Angeles and starting OneRepublic, Filkins did some modeling on the side in Chicago. He worked under Maximum Talent Agency and was featured in a few brands ads such as on Covington and Jockey Underwear. His torso image can still be seen on some packages of Jockey Underwear.

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