Having already made his mark with a wealth of shimmering delights these last few years, indie-pop innovator D.K. Lyons is back once again to deliver his sprawling double album 'SOPHOMORIC RAMBLING'.
Featuring the previously shared gems ‘When We Were Falling In Love’, ‘Where Do All the Sad Girls Go?’ and ‘Fake Ray Bans’, this new twenty-track collection makes for a brilliantly fun and enjoyable listen. Brimming with more of that bright and infectious aesthetic he is known for, 'SOPHOMORIC RAMBLING' marks another vital addition to his ever-evolving catalogue of late.
So with the new LP available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I fell in love with the guitar from a super young age. I recently found VHS footage of my mom giving me my first acoustic when I was 5 years old and have been hooked ever since. Although I will say I failed guitar lessons 3x separate times as a kid before teaching myself properly as a teenager (and still have SO much to learn).
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I grew up listening primarily to classic rock music from the 60s and 70s, so the guitar hero was implanted in my brain from a young age. Tom Petty was kind of my guiding star growing up and you can definitely hear his influence throughout my music.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I have distinct memories of riding in the back seat of my dad’s black Impala SS on the way to the airport he owned listening to Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever, Echo, and Wildflowers. I was also a big fan of artists like The Who, The Cars, and Jackson Browne and remember owning each of their greatest hits as a kid on CD.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is such a great question! There are so many options, but I’ll go with It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You) by The 1975, The Boys of Summer by Don Henley, or Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I really don’t have any habits or rituals because writing music simply isn’t ritualistic for me. I’ve written close to 1,500 songs in my life (I like to joke that the first 1,400 were trash), so at this point I know a good song when the inspiration hits me. And once it does it’s usually a mad dash and almost like a flow state situation where I can bring something from an initial idea or hook to a fleshed-out song in a matter of minutes without really knowing how I got there, and I feel blessed when this happens but also don’t feel stressed when it’s not happening because I know at this point it’s only a matter of time until the inspiration returns.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I’ve been listening to Troye Sivan’s latest album a lot, he’s such a fascinating and earnest artist, it never feels like he’s trying to be someone else unlike so many other artists and I really gravitate to that. I’ve also dug back into Paul Simon a lot recently, especially Graceland of course. And then lastly recently discovered The Blue Nile and particularly Hats, so I’ve been immersing myself in that album as well.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
The 1975 hands down. Outside of Tom Petty, the most influential artist to my own work and approach to music, performance, and the like. Outside of them, I’d say either Third Eye Blind or The Maine, two other potent influences on my musical upbringing.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
For me there are 2 as I really operate as 2x musicians, the recording artist and the performer. As the recording artist, there is simply no greater high in the world for me than stumbling upon a song idea that gets me excited and turning it into a fully formed idea. I have so much written yet unreleased music that I’m trying to hold myself back from because I get so inspired by what’s new vs. promoting what’s out now.
Then on the performance side, it’s the crowd. My band has such amazing chemistry (credit to them all being amazing musicians and even better people, shout out Sophie, Isaac, Matt and Eddie) and our rehearsals are always fun and loose because our goal isn’t to look cool or be the best musicians in the world. Our job is to make sure the crowd has the best time possible, and when we achieve that goal, I experience a high post-show that can only be compared to the same high I get writing a new song.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I’m probably one of the most impatient people on the planet, so accepting the slow-build process and the grind has always been hard for me, but I’ve gotten a lot better at it! And I’ve learned to fall in love with both so that no matter what I’m doing, if it’s a positive step in the direction of my career goals in music, I enjoy it.
Otherwise I think I’m mostly frustrated by the strange place music is in across the board. Spotify, social media, and the internet in general have opened up so many opportunities for music but they’ve also made everything so cluttered, and there also feels like this inherent pressure to put out as much music as possible that’s relatable to the most amount of people so that it can drive the most amount of streams or TikTok views. So I’ve seen some really strong artists put out a lot of really mediocre work recently to try and appease this, and I think the entire industry needs a bit of a reset to get back to quality, intentionality, and individuality.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
“Only you have the power to give up on your dreams.” I think it speaks for itself. And I certainly won’t be exercising that power as long as I’m still breathing.
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D.K. Lyons' new album 'SOPHOMORIC RAMBLING' is out now. Listen to it in the player below.