Q&A with Daytona Starsky
Daytona Starsky
A Star On The Rise.
Daytona Starsky, a Dutch-born indie artist living in Brooklyn, combines pop, hip hop, and electronica on his latest single, "Gasoline." This has been a busy year for Starsky, who released another song titled "SUPRALOVE" earlier in 2021 and even has a debut album on the horizon.
With all that said, it's undoubtedly hard to categorize Daytona under any one genre, and that's just the way he likes it. There are elements of nearly every type of music, both new and old, in "Gasoline" and in the growing archive of Daytona Starsky's singles. Almost like a modern-day David Bowie, Starsky told us that he views his music as "genre-fluid" and nearly indescribable to someone who's never heard him play.
Daytona is definitely a rising star, as he is as charismatic on-screen as he is hard working in the studio. And, like many modern indie artists, Starsky is also well versed in music production and mixing, in addition to being a talented guitar player. I was so happy to get the chance to ask Daytona some questions about this new single, as well as his influences, future plans, and the struggle between maintaining a core identity while also appealing to the masses.
IndieWavves: How are you doing, Daytona? I'm loving your latest single, "Gasoline," what has the reception to that song been like so far?
Daytona Starsky: I'm doing well, and thank you! Gasoline has been doing pretty well. People seem to like this version of me, and it's been motivating in many ways for me to start exploring more in this style. The video has definitely been the highlight of the release, I see people posting about it all the time, and it's great. We put a lot of work into the video, and I'm happy to see it being received with love. Soon we're starting rehearsals for some of the first live performances since the pandemic, and I have a version of Gasoline in mind for live that will make the song even more danceable. I'll soon start announcing some shows, so come check it out.
IW: One thing that I always wonder when talking to musicians is when you go into an EP or a project, is there a set theme in mind before you start writing, or does that theme develop throughout writing several songs and melodies?
DS: I guess everyone will have a different answer to this question at different times. I think if you have a repeatable formula to an approach, then you're not really exploring anything new or trying anything different. Sometimes things all come to you at once, and sometimes you struggle for days or weeks with a particular melody or lyrics or something. Lately, for me, at least, it's been a very organic process, and I'm trying to actively avoid my own inhibitions from blocking creative choices and letting the energy of the moment lead the direction of the project. I'm working on an album right now, and it's been one of the most valuable learning processes of my life. Both about my workflow and about me as a person. I think this worked its way into the music itself, in the sense that everything feels very organic and fluid.
IW: You said, "Gasoline is my first attempt at creating a version of me that is highly palatable, without alienating my musical identity." How did you balance that line between maintaining your identity as a songwriter and also appealing to the masses?
DS: I think we all try to appeal to the masses in some sense, whether you're an artist or a salesperson. That is if you want to be somewhat successful in doing what you do. And in terms of music, I've always been a fan of pop music when it's done tastefully, so my own sound tends to naturally gravitate in a more pop sound. I also really love listening to the out-of-the-box cutting edge stuff because that's where I seem to get most of my inspiration from. The extreme creative choices tend to happen at the fringes, and part of what I love doing is challenging a broader audience by introducing some of this in my own way. For a long time, I was constantly challenging myself by creating very intricate pieces and meticulously editing sounds for hours, but it tended to take away some of the fun and organic nature of making music. So I spent some time finding the right balance, and I think I understand it to a greater degree over the past few years, and now I'm improving on it and creating some of my own favorite songs ever.
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IW: Your music generally incorporates various genres, like hip hop, rock, and electronica. How would you describe your music to a new listener?
DS: The only appropriate term for my music is genre-fluid. It would be much easier to convince a new listener to listen if I just say 'hip-hop' or 'rock' or something. But I'm just a lover of music of all kinds, which translates to me creating music of all types. If you like being challenged as a listener and open to many genres, you would really like my music. As a multi-instrumentalist, I tend to use a wide array of sounds and instruments and try not to repeat the same sonic spectrum almost at all. This keeps me engaged and educated on new technologies and instruments that I hadn't previously used before. I am a guitarist at heart, however, so you will always hear that in my songs.
IW: How has your background as a Dutch-born artist living in Brooklyn influenced your music and your songwriting?
DS: Back in high school, I started off kind of feeling like a fish out of water for a while. In terms of culture and music, at least. So rather than growing up with the music and culture of Brooklyn, I fell in love with it in my teenage years and wanted to know everything about it, and that also made sure I would never take living here for granted. Many artists and bands that I love(d) came from NYC, and living in this place was such a big deal in itself. There is so much cool music coming out of here now that I just can't keep up, I try, but it's pretty insane. There certainly is not an end of inspiration, and as a producer and songwriter, that is gold. Now that the world is slowly opening up again, I am reminded again how lively this city is and that there is live music everywhere. Seeing this return is like a boost of energy and makes me want to write new stuff and play it as much as possible.
IW: You say that "Gasoline" is a magical love song detailing a tug-of-war between both sides needing each other." Could you explain that further and tell us a little bit about the writing process behind this track?
DS: After laying down the initial drum and bass groove, the line "I'm on fire, and you are my gasoline" came to me because it fit so perfectly in the transition from the verse to the hook. I felt it was a strong anchor point and wanted to keep it in there and just kind of write the rest of the lyrics around it. So it was sort of like playing a crossword puzzle where I had to make all the other words and phrases fit within this idea of needing her to light my fire and her needing my fire as heat. So this turned into a back and forth between the two parties, hence the tug of war idea. But in the end, both parties need each other, and hopefully, that argument got settled between them, haha. It's really just a love song, but since love is such an elusive concept, I grounded it in the idea of fire and envisioned a fairytale-like magic aura around it.
IW: How has the pandemic affected you as an artist, not being able to perform live for the most part? Has this also had an impact on your songwriting?
DS: The pandemic has had a huge impact on me personally and as an artist. In the beginning, I had this weird existential crisis moment where reality felt like it was crumbling. We all had way more 'alone time .' That led me to have an experimentation music hibernation period where ideas were just pouring out of me. As soon as I noticed this was happening, I was like, I have to capitalize on this time wisely because everything is so uncertain, and we have no idea what tomorrow may bring. So there was this natural sense of urgency driving me forward, and it was beneficial in many ways. I guess the topics I've been writing about have changed and have become less materialistic and reflective of myself and larger subjects. As I've mentioned before, I'm super excited to start playing live shows again. One of the great joys of being an artist is seeing other people experience your creations first-hand, and live shows are the most intimate version of that. I'm playing some smaller stripped-down gigs soon and then hopefully moving on to full-fledged band sets later this summer or this year.
IW: What other future projects do you have in the works? I understand another single will be dropping soon?
DS: 100% of my energy lately has been focussed on wrapping up my album. I'm very close to having a coherent version ready, and then it's just about the details and the finish, but most of the heavy lifting is done. This has been a pretty ambitious undertaking, but I really believe it's the best material I have written so far, and there is a little bit for everyone in there. It has a unique sound that ties it all together and makes all the songs feel united. Soon I'll reveal a little more about it, but I'm pretty set on the title and the sonic and visual stylistic approach that it's going to take. Other than that, there will be various video/visual projects, a new merchandise line, and some other fun things. So I would say stay tuned. I tend to do most of my audience engagements through Instagram, which is an excellent place to follow along.
Written by Patrick Breen