Damien
Ipswich’s self-professed prophet of prose, alt-electro-rock musician DAMIEN is a queer, non-binary artist who powerfully pushes against mainstream conventions with poignant, post-punk political commentaries and calls for social activism.
Emerging in early 2020, DAMIEN's music blends electro rock with elements of both pop and industrial, and pairs this with lyrical content that has solidified him as an artist hell bent on causing a ruckus that disrupts the conventions of current day consumerism. In 2021 DAMIEN released the full length album, 'Girl', which saw was praised for reshaping alternative electronica by Happy Mag.
DAMIEN has performed to sell-out crowds, and in May 2021 launched his album in front of a near capacity crowd at the iconic Lefty's Music Hall in Brisbane, earning critical acclaim for his energy and crowd engagement during his performance.
DAMIEN has received national airplay and has frequently featured in local, national and international publications. His 'Your Woman' music video has been heavily praised for its support of transgender people and awareness of issues faced by the transgender community.
Love Myself
Damien und seine neueste Veröffentlichung "Love myself" sind angekommen, angekommen um uns zu überzeugen und das gelingt ihnen bestens. "Love myself" das ist purer Elektro Rock in Kombination Industrial mit einem Hauch Punk versehen. Der Track ist sofort "on the point", ohne lange zu fackeln geht's hier zur Sache. Eine hämmernde Bassdrum sorgt im perfekten Zusammenspiel mit Synthbassläufen, die an die beste Zeit von DM erinnern, für den richtigen Drive. Der verzerrte Sound der Gitarre passt herrlich ins Klangbild und verbindet immer wieder Rhythmus und Vocals miteinander. Das Geschehen, der Schauplatz quasi der Mittelpunkt bleiben jedoch die gelungenen Vocalparts, welche im Chorus seinen Zenit erreicht. Beinahe schon hymnenhafter Dark Pop, Dark Wave wird zelebriert. Eine Feierlichkeit zu unserer Freude. "Love myself" von Damien ein Genuss und Muss für Fans des Genres aber auch Musikbegeisterte im Allgemeinen.
Q&A
Damien is...?
Fundamentally just a little child wanting to be seen and heard. Someone who naively hopes he can change the world, and simultaneously fears he can't even change himself.
Who inspired you to make music in general?
My father. When I was around 16 years old I was going through and intense period of depression, and my father gave me a guitar and encouraged me to channel my emotions into music
...and especially to the song "Love myself"?
This was primarily sparked by a conversation I had with my friend Lucy. We had both gone through recent breakups and were both questioning our self-worth. The song was a declaration that we loved who we each were, that we had much to offer the world, and that we could both grow and develop through our hurts and heartbreak.
The used sounds are amazing, how much time did you spend to find the right one?
It definitely takes a lot of trial and error to find sounds I really like. Usually I have a rough idea of what sounds I want, so I try to find basic synth presets that closely match that sound, and then tweak those to fit what I'm after. I also find that you can create some really cool sounds just by getting creative with how you use guitar strings and various amp settings.
Could we expect more songs like this one in the future?
Absolutely. 'Love Myself' is the first single off my upcoming album, titled 'Wrong Age. Wrong Race. Wrong Gender.' and all tracks on the album have a similar darkwave/industrial vibe about them. It's definitely the style of music I have become most in love with, and will continue to develop and refine this overall sound into the foreseeable future.
When do you decide that a song is ready for a release?
Great question. In some ways, it's never ready. There is always 'more' I could be doing to a song, and ways to make it 'better', but I often reach a point where I feel that overall energy is good, the balance of instruments communicates the movement of the song, and the vocals sound authentic and honest - at that point I hand the song over to a mix engineer.
What is your creative process like?
Most I start with a lyric and melody and build from there. I will often create simple rhythms and bass lines, and then build layers of synths and guitars on top of the tap. The really fun part is a lot of the ambience, as It is a very tactile process for me to organically create swells and rises using various filter settings.
What is the most useful talent you have?
I think my stage presence is the most captivating thing about me. I am larger than life on stage, and often feel completely free of my inhibitions when performing and so will act and move in ways I would not usually do in daily life.
What do you prefer, a live gig or a studio session?
Without question, a live gig. The music I create is always created with the view to performing it live in a room full people. I love the energy of a crowd coming together and making an event out of a song that I have written. The audience is always as much a part of the show as the artist at a lie gig.
How do you feel the Internet (especially Social Media platforms) has impacted the music business?
I think it has certainly made it easier to 'put music out there', which is great for empowering people of all ages to explore their creativity. Unfortunately it has also made the 'business' side of it far more competitive and difficult, as there is just so much music out there now, and not all of it is good.
What’s next for you?
I plan on releasing another single from my album later this year, and then another two next year before releasing the entire album. After that I hope to tour the album, and begin work on the next one.
Photo credits:
Jacinta Goodsell
This song has been discovered via Musosoup
https://www.musosoup.com/
