I completed a review of Dixie Darling’s song Every Time You Come Round and I thought she had a really fresh sound. Have a read of the interview below and check out her music if you like what you read!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a track titled Every Time You Come Round, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about this song and where can it be purchased?
Every Time You Come Round is a song about trying to move on from somebody, but not being able to fight the weakness you have for them. The song’s message is that this weakness doesn’t make you fragile, but it makes you a human and you should never beat yourself up about that. It’s been a great experience releasing the song as my first single and I’ve loved hearing everyone’s thoughts and feedback. I’m so grateful for everyone’s who has shown the track support. You can find it on all streaming services and on YouTube under my name, Dixie Darling.
Has the pandemic hindered your work much?
I’m a university student studying music, so when everything went online for a year and a half, it was hard to collaborate with other musicians which is really important in this industry. It also meant I couldn’t build on my gigging portfolio, so I had to push myself out of my comfort zone when everything opened up again because I hadn’t played in-front of a crowd for a long time. However, the pandemic definitely gave me time to slow down, reflect and focus on the things that I really love in my life, with singing and writing songs being one of them. I found writing songs about missing the way things were before COVID to be a therapeutic process, but I also wrote songs during that first lockdown about looking forward in my life which helped me get through.
What is the writing and recording process like for you?
I often start writing a song with my guitar or keyboard and try to finish it so I can do a rough recording on my phone. Then, I like to reach out and get other people’s opinions on the songwriting and see their reactions. If I am struggling to finish a song, I will work with a writer who I think can help me; having another person’s opinion on a song really helps when trying to finish it. I’ve found that having those fresh ears on the song can make all the difference because they can bring in new ideas that you would never have thought of. Once I’m happy with the song, I will bring it to my producer who is very skilled and understands my vision for my songs. We’ll make a demo and then he will continue to work on the track until it’s mixed and mastered.
This is your debut single, which is very impressive! How has the reception been so far?
Thank you! And the reception has been really great – I’m so pleased that people are enjoying the song and thankful for the support it’s getting. The song has been played on Amazing Radio UK & USA over 300 times now and I’ve had several blogs and playlists feature the song. Releasing my first single has been a great experience for me because I want my songs to be accessible to people whenever they want to hear them.
Do you plan to release any singles in the near future?
Yes! I am releasing my second single Care About Yourself on 4th February which I’m so excited for. It’s a song about feeling like you are being undervalued which is a frustrating feeling. It has a different theme to my first single because it’s not so upbeat, but I hope listeners can relate to the lyrics in some way. You can pre-save the song now which would mean so much to me. I’m currently spending a lot of time in the studio working on my EP which is coming out in May. It’s been so therapeutic working on this project because all of the songs I have chosen to be featured on the EP mean so much to me and each tell a different story. I’ve also learnt a lot of new skills whilst making the EP and I’ve really enjoyed working with new writers and my producer. I can’t wait to share the songs with the you all!
Whereabouts are you based and what is the music scene like in your part of the world?
I am originally from Portsmouth, but I moved to Brighton (UK) just over 2 years ago to study music. Brighton is a very young city full of musicians who support each other. There are lots of great venues, big and small, to perform and showcase your music. For example: The Brunswick, Freemasons and Green Door Store. It’s great that these venues are open again so people can enjoy live music.
What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?
I’m very much inspired by artists who tell stories through their song writing. For example: I’m a big Taylor Swift fan because I love her catchy melodies and her honest storytelling. I love her re-release of the Red album, especially the 10 minute version of All Too Well. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of music by brilliant country artists like Maren Morris, Lady A and Bret Young. You can check out some of my current favourite songs on my artists choice playlist on my Spotify page – it’s called Dixie’s Playlist.
Do you have any tour dates lined up?
I am performing at the Folklore Rooms in Brighton on 13th April which is a really nice venue that I’ve always wanted to perform at. So I’m very excited.
What can people expect from one of your shows and why should people come and see you perform live?
When I perform live, I like to take people on a journey with my songs. I like to give my audience a bit of background on the songwriting process and the meanings behind my originals. I also enjoy performing a couple of covers of some of my current favourite songs to mix things up a bit.
Any last words for the fans?
I’d just like to say a big thank you for supporting my first single Every Time You Come Round and I’m really excited to share my second single with you guys on the 4th February. I’m releasing an EP in May with a selection of some of my favourite original songs. Working on this EP has been such a brilliant experience for me and I’m really happy with how the songs are sounding – so make sure to stay tuned for that!