PensEyeView Interview Feature
Read the full interview here: http://www.penseyeviewnew.com/pev/2021/09/06/d-k-lyons/
I like how pop rock n’ roller D.K. Lyons puts it – “I failed guitar lessons three times.” It shows a level of honesty and confidence that’s more than apparent in his musical body of work. As a self-taught multi-instrumentalist whose style is his own (much like his training techniques), Lyons is constantly seeking deeper levels of self discovery. Always working to develop “catharsis” moments in his song structure, D.K. is open to a good time too (just listen to his seasonal single, “Summer Lullabies”). The song came out as a taste ahead of his latest EP due out this fall, a collection titled Vandalism. We asked Lyons to tell us all about the new effort; he said:
“I think it’s the perfect amount of progression and experimentation combined with my classic sound that came out in my 2020 LP. Like I said before, there’s inspiration from a number of different genres, but it feels cohesive and very much like me across all six tracks. In terms of writing, the demos of these songs have been around for a while but I rewrote most of the lyrics across a two week period in September 2020. And it’s a mix of observational stories and personal struggles that I work through in the lyrical content, but it all comes back to this idea of Vandalism, and how some vandalism is destructive and some is beautiful art, so the EP is centered around the idea of emotional vandalism and the ways that it takes place in your relationships with people, things, and the environment you’re in.”
PensEyeView.com (PEV): How would you describe your sound and what makes you stand out from others in your genre?
D.K. Lyons (DK): I think my sound is constantly shifting, which is what I get excited about. I’m definitely rooted in pop rock/alt rock but I pride myself on my lyrics, always trying to create intriguing, strong characters, and what I like to call “catharsis” moments in the song structure, so you feel like you’re going somewhere with each song that ultimately reaches a climax of some kind. “Summer Lullabies” is very much indicative of my primary sound, though, so big guitars, drums, synths, groove, all that good stuff, but the EP is a bit more varied and includes dance pop, reggaeton, alt country, folk, and traditional rock influences across the songs. I don’t like to necessarily confine myself to any particular sound or instruments, which gives me an incredible amount of freedom to go down any route I see fit!
PEV: You told your mom at 5 that you were going to be a rockstar. With that, what kind of music were you into growing up? Do you remember your first concert?
DK: I sure did. I grew up on Tom Petty, no question. He’s the model for my entire life and my love for music and he was really one of the largest male influences in my life after my dad died when I was 6. While Jimmy Cliff was my first concert, one of my strongest memories was going to a Tom Petty concert a few months after my dad died with my mom and all of my dad’s friends and it was just so emotional and powerful. When Petty died, I was devastated, because not only did I lose my hero, but I also relived all of those emotions and pain that were there when my dad died.
On a less heavy note, I also grew up immersed in classic rock music but really fell in love with pop, reggae, hip-hop, synth pop, etc when I was in college and exposed to a wider variety of music. I really just gravitate towards anything that evokes emotion and makes me want to dance!
PEV: What was it like trying to break into the music scene when you first started? What was your first show like?
DK: The music industry is such a complex beast, and I definitely saw it as this massive wall, and breaking through was unattainable. But I really have just followed my process of working hard, getting better every day, pushing my own boundaries, and staying authentic to who I am and people have responded positively every step of the way.
My first shows were acoustic in nature at a little bar in Stamford, CT called The Fez. I became friends with the host of an open mic night, so I’d play a 10-15 min set on my acoustic and then jump either on the bass or drums or guitar and play behind him and his friends for hours after everyone else had played. So I was hanging out with some great musicians and really becoming accustomed to how to really play live.
PEV: What can fans expect from a live D.K. Lyons show?
DK: I love playing live so much and I love connecting with people, so fans can absolutely expect that kind of energy. I like to work in crowd engagement early on in the set and bring it back in different ways throughout because my favorite shows have always been the ones where the artist breaks the barrier between the stage and the audience and makes everyone feel like they’re a part of it.
PEV: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you step on stage to perform?
DK: I grew up playing baseball and was a pitcher, so stepping on stage is very similar to stepping onto the mound for the first pitch of a game. So for me, playing live is like gameday and I like to mentally get myself hyped up and dialed in the same way I did prior to pitching.
PEV: What is the best part about being on stage in front of an audience?
DK: Literally everything! Live music is such a beautiful human experience that we all saw could not be replicated remotely during the pandemic. When you connect to your audience through your performance and your music, having that visceral connection to people is such a rush.
PEV: What is the underlying inspiration for your music?
DK: I think I’m just generally fascinated by the human experience, both my own as well as those around me, and I truly do find inspiration and things to connect to everywhere I go. I’ve certainly been inspired by a lot of personal loss and turmoil but also by the people close to me and strangers I imagine stories for alike. I’ve just always had this internal drive to write that’s never let up since I wrote down my first song title at age 5.
PEV: Thinking back to when you first started out, do you ever look back on your career and think about your earlier days and how you’ve arrived where you are today?
DK: I definitely look back to appreciate who I am now compared to who I was, but I’ve learned recently to not linger too much on the past and focus more on what’s in front of me. I tell people all the time, I thought I was good when I was 20 and I was absolutely not! The 10,000 hours plus deep practice theory really is true and I’m still working every day to get better at all aspects of the music process. I got to where I am now through that deep practice and have no doubt I’ll get to where I want to be doing the same thing. In the words of Petty, “you can look back babe, but it’s best not to stare.”
PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about you?
DK: I failed guitar lessons three times. I just was not built to take in lessons. I learned guitar because I wanted to be able to write songs and taught myself to play other people’s songs that had chord progressions I liked and then put my own spin on them to write a song. So there definitely comes some imposter syndrome given I don’t come from a formal music-training background, but I know super-technical musicians who love the way I write and play so it’s something I’ve learned to embrace.
PEV: What happens when you hit a brick wall when writing? What are your methods to get over it?
DK: Going outside has always been a cure for me, especially now living in the East Village. You’ll see something that sparks a line or overhear a conversation and suddenly that wall comes down. But for me, I tend to get inspiration, sit down to start writing, and then five minutes later I have a full song in front of me before I even know what’s happened. I feel very blessed to write in that way. And I certainly do a lot of tweaking from inception to recording, but I tend to pour out full songs once I’ve got the inspiration.
PEV: How do you think the industry has changed since you first started out?
DK: I think the industry continues to become more equitable and less dominated by big business (at least I hope!). Before the pandemic, independent artists were beginning to take over and I hope we as a group can stay resilient and continue that trend into the future.
PEV: What can fans expect from your new EP, Vandalism, due out this fall? What was the writing process like for this work?
DK: I think it’s the perfect amount of progression and experimentation combined with my classic sound that came out in my 2020 LP. Like I said before, there’s inspiration from a number of different genres, but it feels cohesive and very much like me across all six tracks. In terms of writing, the demos of these songs have been around for a while but I rewrote most of the lyrics across a two week period in September 2020. And it’s a mix of observational stories and personal struggles that I work through in the lyrical content, but it all comes back to this idea of Vandalism, and how some vandalism is destructive and some is beautiful art, so the EP is centered around the idea of emotional vandalism and the ways that it takes place in your relationships with people, things, and the environment you’re in.
PEV: With all your traveling, is there one area you wish you could travel around and play that you have not yet?
DK: I would love to play in Europe as soon as possible. I love London and Paris and I would jump at the opportunity to play there at some point in the near future.
PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your career?
DK: It’s funny, most of them had no idea that I was a songwriter and produced music until a few years ago because I kept it hidden from almost everyone but my mom. Haha! But once I introduced them to it, the response was absolutely incredible. Everyone has been insanely supportive and positive about it and introducing my art to the people I care about was a really important step in me progressing to putting out music to the world and promoting it.
PEV: What can we find you doing in your spare time, aside from playing/writing music?
DK: I still love baseball so I try to watch most Red Sox games (I’m a Boston kid through and through) and I actually play in a co-ed softball league. I also love video content, which is why I’ve put out a music video for every song I’ve released, so I’m constantly concepting videos, photoshoots, etc. And then in the winter, I’m a big skier, so before the pandemic I was getting 15-20 ski days in each winter. Very much looking forward to getting back to that this winter!
PEV: Name one present and past artist or group that would be your dream collaboration. Why?
DK: Aside from Tom Petty, I would love to work with Matty and George of The 1975. They’re absolutely brilliant producers and songwriters and I think we would really vibe and create something special. Putting the energy out there to make it real some day!
PEV: Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?
DK: I think Gus Dapperton is such an interesting songwriter and he’s definitely blown up a bit recently. His song “Post Humorous” has become one of my all-time favorites. And he’s always been unapologetically himself which I respect as well. Another person I’d love to collaborate and write with at some point for sure.
PEV: If playing music wasn’t your life (or life’s goal), what would you do for a career?
DK: Unfortunately I wouldn’t have one. I’ve tried to run away from music and nothing else I’ve done tastes the same. Married to the game for life.
PEV: So, what is next for D.K. Lyons?
DK: The hope is for this next EP to really launch me to that next level and gives me the freedom to do whatever I want next. I already have my 2nd LP planned out and am working on a companion film script with a screenwriter friend. I’ll stop there in terms of future plans because I’d probably scare the readers with just how much I have planned out! Overall though, my goal is to make music that people feel, appreciate, and relate to and I hope that this EP does exactly that.