What’s your story as an artist?
D: I always wanted to be a singer and musician growing up, so music has been a big part of my life since I was young. It started mostly as involvement in school choirs and musicals and guitar/piano/vocal lessons, and I began taking it more seriously after high school. Outside of my solo project, I’m in a band called Wild Rivers, which I started with my bandmate Khalid about 7 years ago. We were both playing open mic nights around our university campus and trying to get involved in music however we could, and then we decided to join forces and start a band, which was my introduction into releasing original music. I’ve been releasing records and touring with the band for the past 5 years, always trying to become a better writer and producer on the side through learning from others and collaborating.
Over the past 2-3 years, I’ve been working towards launching my solo project, and earlier this year I launched my first EP Pink Noise, followed by my second EP Liquid Sunshine that came out last week. Although 2020 and 2021 were objectively awful years, they forced me to hunker down and finish songs and focus on my craft as a writer, producer and solo artist.
What do you want your music to communicate?
D: I want it to provide people with context for their own situations and emotions. One of my favourite things about music is that it gives me words for feelings that I haven’t fully realized or processed yet. It can be very self-actualizing.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
D: Mostly real-life situations and other artists/musicians.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
D: Frank Ocean. His creativity is unbounded, he is constantly evolving and taking risks, and he is one of the few artists that makes me think “how on earth did they think of that”? I have this weird system of determining if a song is good enough by asking myself if, hypothetically, Frank Ocean would like it. And guess what… he rarely ever likes it! Hahaha. I know I sound insane.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
D: Best of The Jackson 5′ was the first CD my parents ever gave me, and it had a huge influence on me when I was younger. Amy Winehouse was a huge influence for me in my teen years. Adele, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Beyonce, Florence and the Machine, too (girl power). ‘The
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
D: It was mostly written and recorded during the pandemic. I was alone in my studio most days, with way too much time to think and nowhere to escape from my thoughts, so I decided to lean into it. I knew I had a lot of things to work through, so I got back into therapy, started journaling every day, focused on becoming better at production, got into a solid routine of writing, and just tried to encourage the outpouring of emotions that I’d been resisting for a while. I wrote all 6 songs during 2020 and early 2021 with the help of some of my closest collaborators. It was a tight-knit group that worked on the EP with me, both as a result of the pandemic and how personal the record was. We recorded it in a piece-meal way, between people’s home studios, cottages, and various studios around Toronto. It was executive produced by one of my good friends Jack Emblem, who also co-wrote, co-produced, and mixed the songs. It was nice to have such a close friend oversee the project with me, because it protected it from being passed through too many hands and losing its intimacy.
What inspires your sound?
I like to pull elements from different genres and try to combine them in an unconventional way, like mixing organic textures with electronic elements and combining lo-fi and hi-fi. I grew up on everything from folk to rock to rap to ballads, so finding a way to marry those genres is always exciting to me.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
Right now it’s nascar.
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
– Headline a major music festival
– Collaborate with Harry Styles, Kaytranada, Holly Humberstone, Chris Martin, Frank Ocean… so many amazing artists I’d love to work with
– Growing up in the UK, I’ve always wanted to play Glastonbury
…there are so many things I have yet to accomplish, it’s hard to whittle it down!
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
Hmmm… I think I have yet to write it. I’m a perfectionist so I get pretty critical of my existing songs and just want to write better ones as soon as they come out.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
D: Many many times, but then I stop feeling sorry for myself and realize there’s nothing else I’ve ever wanted to do (or would be qualified to do).
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
D: If you want something to happen, make it happen yourself. I’m lucky to have grown up with parents who taught me that anything is possible and encouraged me to fail, it gave me the blind confidence to have faith in myself to work towards my goals.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
D: I’m interested to learn more about this whole metaverse thing??
