Having already established himself with a wealth of riveting releases these last few years, Spokane-based indie-pop artist WINSTON ViSTA (aka Daniel Kinne) has now returned to share his vibrant new single 'MILKY WAY SKYLINE'.
Exploring more of that warm and alluring aesthetic he has earned a solid reputation for over the years, 'MILKY WAY SKYLINE' makes for an incredibly rich and emotive return for him. With its sprawling textures, breezy atmosphere, and his own compelling vocals at the helm, he continues to shine as one of the more exciting names on the rise right now.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most recently.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Probably the piano, I never really played it, but one of my sisters is classically trained and one of my earliest memories is her playing. I absolutely love piano, especially classical and jazz.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Most of the emo/pop punk of the early 2000’s, that always got me pumped up, or got me in my feelings haha, nothing like being a ten year old kid and thinking you know all about the depths of love and heartbreak ‘cause your favourite band is singing about it. Also lots of music from the 1960’s. When I was like 6, I would sit for hours and read Garfield comics and listen to the oldies radio station hahaha.
What was the first album you remember owning?
That’s a tough one, there were so many cd’s that always seemed to be floating around when I was a kid. I tended to just take whatever cd’s friends or family members owned and rip them to my laptop then put all my favourite songs from them on my MP3 player. Two of the first LP’s I remember owning on vinyl are ‘On and On’ by Jack Johnson and ‘Axis: Bold as Love’ by The Jimi Hendrix Experience though.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Can’t Smile Without You by Barry Manilow; that song is tears in the sunshine.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I tend to write music in different stages. I have a lot of demos/sketches I use as a reference. Every day I just work on a different piece of the puzzle. Some days that means spending most of the time writing/rewriting lyrics, some days laying out the structure of a track, sometimes recording one part of the song. If an idea for a chord progression or melody comes to mind I record it right away so I can come back to it in the future and build on it.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Sade, specifically the track, ‘Hang On to Your Love’, I’ve also been jamming the album ‘This Time’ by Dwight Yoakam, and the track ‘Simple’ by Kali Uchis - I love her voice.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Kings of Leon
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Just being able to write music is an incredible gift and thing to be a part of; I really try to not take it for granted. The process of writing and recording music is such a beautiful thing even though it can be a bit tedious at times. But I’m learning to enjoy that part of it more than expecting anything in return. Also having a song you wrote connect with someone on a very real/personal level is undeniably beautiful.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Sometimes it’s trying to balance working a job and all the other parts of life with making the time to make music. Also really trying to find the right audience for your sound these days: the opportunities the internet presents are fantastic, but it also feels so oversaturated sometimes. A lot of times the progress feels really really slow in the moment, but then it’s always good to look back and really see how far you’ve come. It can definitely feel like an uphill battle.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
On that note, my best friend told me once, “It might take a long time for you to get established as a musician, and for your music to really catch on, but when it does, it’ll be worth it.”
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WINSTON ViSTA's new single 'MILKY WAY SKYLINE' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.