DREAMER BOY
Debuting his brand new single “Don’t Be A Fool”, Dreamer Boy crosses into uncharted territory by incorporating his Nashville influence more so than ever. His latest singles have contained a lot of experimentation with a diverse range of styles and sounds, and give us a taste of what’s in store for the upcoming album. Check out the interview to hear more about Dreamer Boy’s new music, influences, songwriting process, and more. Plus, here’s an exclusive playlist he made us— “a journey”, as he calls it, through music that has been inspiring him lately.
INTERVIEW
Interview by Bridgette
December 2, 2020
I’m super excited to welcome Dreamer Boy! He’s joining us from Nashville. Thanks for being here!
It’s a pleasure to be here today!
We appreciate it! And today is a huge day for you because your latest single, “Don’t Be A Fool,” just came out, so congratulations! That’s very exciting.
Yes, very excited. It’s always a beautiful day to release music to the world and finally have it be free and out there for people to listen to. It's a beautiful day!
And it’s a really cool song! I love how we get a little bit more of your Nashville influence from those pedal steel guitars to the storytelling, especially. I’d love to dive into this song and hear a little bit more about it— from the inspiration to the creative process.
Absolutely! It definitely is the first song that I’m putting out that I think is more of that Nashville sound statement that I think I’ve always wanted to make. Even though I would consider myself just a pop artist, me and my musical partner, we make music that I could fall anywhere. But this song has been exciting for me ever since we started making it because it is sort of this Nashville statement that I think was inspired by living here and sort of the old Nashville that still is very rich here. I don’t know, a lot of people run from it when they move here, or if they’re new to Nashville, a lot of people are like “Oh that’s not the way Nashville is anymore” or “It’s not really the sound that Nashville should be known for anymore.” But for me there’s so many beautiful country elements and materials to work with that can come into any genre. So I think with Dreamer Boy and especially with this new music, we’ve been trying to sort of bring that into the Dreamer Boy sound and it’s been exciting because I think they’re just beautiful elements. Like you said, pedal steel is one of my favorite instruments, and actually when we were finishing this album, I was going pedal steel crazy. I was like “let’s put it on every song!” I was going overboard, so we had to be a little bit more tasteful with it, but I love it! It’s dreamy and nostalgic and sort of makes me feel a certain way when I hear that washy feeling of it. But yeah, I’m really excited to have this one out for sure!
Well congratulations! That’s very exciting. Kind of what you were saying about how you make music that falls into a lot of different categories, that’s something I really love. I feel like every single has been pretty distinct, from “Puppy Dog” to “Know You” to “Crybaby,” and now “Don’t Be A Fool.” What was the decision like to experiment with all of these different sounds?
I think it’s just a product of what we all listen to nowadays. I don’t think the average listener is just listening to hip hop or pop or folk or just one thing. For me I’m the same way, and I sort of have all of these moods and feelings, and on a day-to-day basis I’m just drawn towards different things. I could wake up one morning and Charli XCX is the only thing that will feed the feeling of that day, and other days, I need to Adrianne Lenker’s new album and cry, or I need to take a trip back to 1960. Whatever it is, that’s sort of where the music has come from creatively for me, and I think it’s just fun that way because it’s all these different colors and ways to express my life and my story. Hopefully other people find that diversity of sounds enjoyable. I don’t know if people… you know, our attention spans aren’t as long anymore (laughs) sadly enough. But I don’t know! It’s just fun, honestly.
Awesome! I’m interested a little bit more in your actual process, because you’re saying how you’re inspired by a lot of different stuff. What is it like for you when you’re actually creating a song, especially these past few singles you’ve released?
I think it’s just always different. I have been learning a lot about myself and the process of things. I work with one of my good friends, his name is Bobby. Shoutout Bobby! He is the best, he’s a multi-instrument producer, and we write and make all of the music together. So we have been developing this creative partnership for the past couple of years and it’s just been getting more and more natural and fluid and easy to create with each other. That’s been really cool to see, so I guess kind of more recently I’ve been really trying to focus on my writing, and write every day. Recently I’ve gone into the studio with him and had a whole song written, but we don’t have any music to it. So then we’re like let’s piece this together and add the backdrop, if you will, with the lyrics. Then other times, Bobby will just send me some crazy idea he’s come up with or just something on guitar, and I’ll kind of roll with whatever that initially draws me to. I don’t put much pressure on— or I guess you can’t put much pressure on the process. One day I won’t get any lyrics out and it’s just me mumbling to a bunch of different melodies. There’s no small days when you’re working on your craft and what you love. Anyone who is listening, just be easy on yourself when you’re in the process because you never really know what that small experiment or mistake will be and that’s exciting!
I love that advice! And speaking of songwriting, I love the songwriting on “Puppy Dog.” I think that is such a cool song. How did it come together?
Thank you! That song to me has always been a really lighthearted song; sometimes it feels like some songs just write themselves. I had written the first verse for that song a while before we ever even recorded the hook or second verse, so I just had this verse that felt like a sort of sung-rapped feeling. The melody for the hook Bobby had played on guitar, and so I just put lyrics to it. At the time I had just been in love with my best friend and I had to figure out how to express it in a way that didn’t totally break my heart, so I was kind of poking fun at myself. I think “Puppy Dog” was my attempt at being cool about it and being like “oh yeah this is just a feeling I have!” But later I wrote songs about that situation that were much more earnest. “Puppy Dog” was just me trying to play it cool about these feelings and keep it lighthearted like it was just a crush. That was me really trying to protect myself, you know? (Laughs) It’s a fun one to play live too, which we miss doing.
I’m sure! But that’s awesome! I love that story behind it: making it a joke like “oh I’m a puppy dog” when really…
Yeah! When really I am in love with this person and I have no idea how to tell them. (Laughs)
Well I guess a song is one of the best ways to do that! Kind of speaking about how the current circumstances have affected you, has your songwriting process changed at all with everything that’s going on?
I think most of the things that have changed have sort of been the logistical planning — trying-to-predict-the-future side of releasing music — and that’s been tricky to navigate. But at the same time, I have been trying to trust that timing is always going to be right and whenever things are supposed to happen. There have been a few things that have been sad to cancel, and navigating producing and making music videos during this time has been another challenge. But in terms of songwriting, it’s been healthy. I think that it hasn’t changed much, but during this time it’s been really valuable to know that I have this work that I can do and be responsible for, and it’s almost like this past year it’s been my duty. Like this is my thing that I’ve been able to do, and I’m still able to do it during this time, so let’s do it more. I’ve taken that energy and put it towards it. I’ve been writing a lot more music and I can’t even speak to how much it’s helped my own mental health to feel like I still have a purpose right now. I hope that everyone who feels like they have lost that during this time or can’t really do that, my heart is with you. I also think that those who can still create and do these things should really pour into it. It’s been cool! I think I’ve started writing a whole other album, which is exciting.
Wow! So another album in addition to the one you’re releasing now?
Yeah, the music coming out right now was finished back in February, so it’s been this amazing journey with it, and now it’s finally being given, like I said, the freedom.
That’s cool! That’s an interesting thought because I’m sure, if it was finished in February, you never could have predicted that this would be the climate in which you’re releasing it. But I totally get what you’re saying: new music, music that people love, I think everybody needs it. Kind of speaking of the album that we’re in the middle of right now, what can we expect from it?
It’s only my second album and I think if anyone has heard my music — and if anyone who’s listening to this has never heard my music — I am always trying to paint a larger picture. I really truly think I am in love with making albums, and the full, wholeness of what an album can be as a statement. The album is called “All The Ways We Are Together,” and it’s sort of like this arc of love. I think every album is a love album, but this one is sort of looking at my friendships and my relationships just with friends and other people and with romantic love at times. And it’s also taking a look at my relationship with myself and my environment. Sonically, I am really proud of the way it draws from, like I said, all the little artifacts like my childhood, the music I listen to, the way I feel when I wake up and just want to dance around, or the way I feel when I just want to have this songwriter intimate sort of song. I think that there’s all of that on the album and it has that Nashville twang on some of it that ties everything together. I think it could be cool and something you might not have expected from Nashville, as well. I’m excited! It’ll be fun to have it out finally!
That was beautiful, such an amazing description of it. And now I’m sure everybody listening is extremely excited to see what’s coming. And I do love what you said about the albums. In talking to a lot of artists, EPs are really big right now and a lot of artists are just doing EPs, but I think that there’s always a time and place for an album— a time and a place for a more drawn out, holistic musical experience. I can’t wait to hear it!
Thanks so much! I’m so excited to share it, so I can’t wait!
I’m sure it’s been a long time coming for you, so it’s super exciting. And congrats on the release of “Don’t Be A Fool” today! Before I play that new song, is there anything you’d like to share with everyone listening?
First of all, thank you, and I’m very excited! I guess my only thing is if you love someone right now and you’re thinking of someone right now when I’m saying this, and you don’t know what to do or you don’t have the words, this song is me when I was there. And shoot! It’s quite the place to be, so this song is encouragement to yourself to gather the courage to be like “okay I gotta tell this person I love them.” And if you’re just listening to this today and not thinking of love right now, and it’s just not the time for you right now, just call your mom and say “Hey mom! I love you!” Call your friend and be like “yo, I thought of you today.” I guess that’s what today could be about.
Awesome, that’s a great message. I think human connection has always been important, but now especially. That’s a great sentiment and I’m super excited to play the track. Thank you so much for coming in and chatting with me!
Thank you so much!
This interview originally aired on WNYU Radio with Bridgette Kontner on December 2, 2020 on The New Afternoon Show at https://wnyu.org/archives/2020-12-02-the-new-afternoon-show