We have an exciting new feature today! After almost a year of doing interviews with authors, we’ve expanded that to include artists as well. And the first of our artist interviews is with Daniel Molyneaux.
You can listen to Daniel’s music here, and follow him on twitter here.
So I know you just released an album last month, but let’s actually start at the beginning. How did you first get into making music?
❤️ Well I’ve had a love for music and performing arts my whole life – I starting attending my first performing arts school at age 7 but I first started music officially when I 14. I was always making up remixes on songs and one day I recorded one and put in on the internet. It got quite a good response and then I started to record and perfect my craft and then it went from remixes to my own stuff and just learning more and more and here we are two albums later!
I love that it’s something that you’re truly passionate about and that you managed to make your whole life about it basically! It’s so nice!
Awww thank you.
Like we always say “do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life!”, but so few people are actually lucky enough, so it’s lovely.
❤️
Okay so what are your favourite genres to listen to?
I listen to quite a vast selection of music. But I’d say the main genres I’m drawn to are the likes of Pop, R&B and Dancehall.
Anything you’re not likely to put on a mix?
Anything homophobic!
Oh that’s a mood, yeah. So what I always wonder about when it comes to music: how do you get inspiration for your songs?
I get inspiration from a lot of things, but mainly daily life I’d say. I just walk into the sessions with my producers and then it all depends on what energy I’m feeling. If I’m in a club mood or have some shots in the studio then I’ll be more inclined to make a more fun song. If I’m dreaming of a boy then it’ll be romantic. It all just depends!
How did the songs on Free come to be then?
That same way! I just walked into the sessions and made music which reflected my currrent state of mind. I’d walk into sessions with an idea of what I wanted the songs to sound like, with some reference of melodies that I’d recorded in to my phone from beforehand and then work with the producer to bring it to life as a song. The lyrics would flow out of my head as the producer makes the beat and then once the beats ready I’ll sing it to him and ask what he thinks, lay down a demo vocal, go home, write more and then come back and lay the vocals officially. Ah the memories of the making of FREE! I was born to be in the studio. ❤️
It honestly kinda shows through the album that you had fun making it!
I really did. ❤️
Can you even choose which you enjoy more, writing melodies or lyrics?
Haha they go hand in hand to me. I couldn’t even pick. But I’d say there’s more of a ‘thrill’ with melodies. Cos with lyrics you can just write them down on your phone but with melodies there’s a lot of times where I’ll be out shopping or in the shower and a melody would just come to me or I’d start humming and find a sick one and I’d have to go on a quick run to my phone to get it recorded haha, or keep repeating it over and over again out loud until I can get to my phone. So melody writing is definitely a lot more thrilling! Haha
So all those movie scenes where someone would desperately write notes of a melody down on a scrap of paper, that’s really what it’s like, huh?
Yes you could say so! 😂
Which three artists would you say have influenced your music the most?
Hmm I’d say Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Spice.
Oh those are such great artists! Okay! Give us a five word description of your latest album, Free!
Gay boy being his natural self. Oh sorry that’s six! 😂
It’s okay, gays can’t do math.
Hahahaha. Ermmm. Boy being his gay self. 👌🏿 Sounds better. 😂
It does lmao. And it’s honestly a perfect summary. So now, if (when!) your music was to be used in movies, what sort of movies would you like to see it in? Any directors in particular?
I’d love to see my music used in Tyler Perry films. He does a lot of woke films about issues within the black community and homophobia is one them so I’d love for my music to be used in a film about black homophobia and it’s surrounding issues.
Fingers crossed!
🤞🏿
And it’s always better to see people from a community making stories about said community’s struggles, right?
Yes it is.
Which brings me to the fact that it’s safe to say that there are more openly LGBT artists nowadays than ever before. What does seeing so much representation mean to you?
Indeed. And it means everything to me! I know that not every LGBT person is going to see eye to eye but with the way history has treated us LGBT people we are undoubtedly a ‘team’ (somewhat), and should stand together. People typically think that being LGBT is a choice so more and more representation helps make it more and more of a normal thing in the world, which it is!
I totally agree! And with so many voices out there telling their stories, LGBT people are bound to find some artists they do see eye to eye with.
Exactly. 😊 Someone will find their LGBT person. There are LGBT people in all forms so I think it’s important for all forms to be seen and told. It’s all about LGBT life being seen in all angles. That’s what I’m about.
So with that in mind, rec us some of your favourite LGBT artists.
I love Sam Smith, Frank Ocean, Tracy Chapman, Kehlani.
God I’m currently obsessed with Sam Smith’s I Feel Love! The 80s’ vibes are just so great.
Yes and I love how they’ve come out of their shell a lot more in the recent years. It’s beautiful to see. ❤️
It really is! And what’s one piece of advice you would like to give your younger self?
Five words. What will be will be. ❤️
Okay, last question! If you could have dinner with one member of the LGBT community, dead or alive, who would it be?
Alan Carr. He just seems like such a vibe. Hopefully we’d be able to go for cocktails as well!
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Daniel Molyneaux is a singer/songwriter from Tottenham, London.
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