After spending the last few months building and developing his sound, Reading-based singer and songwriter Du'val has now unveiled his highly-anticipated debut EP 'Moments'.
Channelling a bold and eclectic direction from start to finish, 'Moments' makes for a wonderfully enticing introduction to his aesthetic. With its soaring hooks, subtle textures, and his own captivating voice at the helm, things already feel like they are heading in the right direction for this emerging talent.
So with the new EP available now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Originally fell in love with Drumming, used to pretend I was playing in a rock band at Reading Festival, with my mum pots and pans, until I eventually annoyed her into buying me my first drum kit. You can still hear now, when playing guitar, the influence drumming had...1 day, it would be cool to play at least a song, in a live show, in which I drum, and sing at the same time!
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
I'd say failed relationships with women probably influenced a lot of my music, fortunately, I have no luck when it comes to love. It makes great stories for songwriting, that I think maybe most boys can relate to...
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
I've always just loved music, never really cared what package it came in. If I was to show you my Spotify liked tracks, there's no real pattern. But i suppose as a teen, I was in a rebellious Rock faze, would listened to bands like System Of The Down, Enter Shikari and the Kooks! But yeah genuinely love music, and always have. Listened to all sorts.
Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?
Funnily enough I do...I was quite a shy kid, knew I loved yo sing, but absolutely hated the feeling of being nervous. I remember, in GCSE music, I was caught on film singing 'Beautiful Girls' by Sean Kingston. Got a thousand views on YouTube, and became an overnight "high school celebrity"...enjoyed the feeling of positive attention, and decided to pursue music...
When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
I wake up normally, wanting to listen to acoustic music, like acoustic versions of well known songs. But it genuinely depends on the mood im In. Fridays normally start off with some kind of Garage!
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
All of my songs, involve people in my life. I'd find it super hard, to fabricate situations, that never existed. So I suppose, all my music is, is originally drawn from emotions I felt with someone I know...
What have been the most memorable moments in your career so far?
All my memorable moments, come from live performances. Performing is all I've ever wanted to do. I've been lucky enough to support the like of: Mist, P-Money, Cautious Clay...and excited to be supporting Bobby V on his UK Tour in May 2022...my most memorable moments so far cone from connecting with large crowds, but I'm sure, that my most memorable are yet to come!
Outside of music, what is your biggest passion?
Biggest passion outside of music, is probably football...I thought id be a football player when growing up. Until I found out I wasn't good enough to play... luckily I was alright at singing too...
If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?
I would have been an entrepreneur of some sort, or just the Prime Minister of Barbados.
And what advice would you give to other musicians looking to start a career in music?
Make music that you love, don't over think, about what other people like, or what will make you the most money. Just make sure you enjoy creating your art....also surround yourself, with people that genuinely care for you...im so lucky to have the same team now, that I have worked with since I was 13, we get on well, we understand each others goals, values. We want to win as a team. Its so important, that you have the right people, looking out for you!
But yeah, lastly. Just have fun. Art is not meant to be stressful, it's supposed to be a release. If you take things too seriously, you'll find it harder to motivate yourself to create...
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Du'val's debut EP 'Moments' is available to stream and download now. Check it out in the player below.