L.A. Based singer-songwriter Dezelle is a notorious genre adventurer whose lyrics are unable to be constrained by a single genre. Her sound is most often picked up in the "indie" side of things, with more than a splash of folk thrown into the mix. Dezelle often regales listeners with warm and gentle melodies that always have this comforting "home-cooking" feel to it; even when she's being melancholic, you can't help but feel like you just listened to a pick-me-up song, a hearty and condensed musical broth full of great lyrics to bite into.

Co-written and produced alongside Adam Orfale of Feverkin, "dreams we forgot (won't look down)." is Dezelle's newest single, and I believe it really captures what Dezelle's trajectory and body of work stand for so far. The song starts out with a rustic guitar melody that gives way to an electronic beat that's straight out 90s alt-pop sound. I'm not sure how much of the retro vibe is intentional, but it makes it all that much easier to fall in love with the nostalgic vibes and ingenuous emotional landscape of the song.

Your newest single has a very retro flavor to it, It felt like something straight out of the 90s in the best possible way. Was that something on your mind when the song was being created or is that just my impression after the fact?

I love that you got that vibe from this song. A few other people have also said it reminds them of the 90s. It wasn’t necessarily an intention we set, I think it’s just where the song wanted to go and we followed it. I love the 90s as a musical decade though and especially the trip-hop sub-genres from that time that I think the song pays tribute to, so I am honored by the reference.

I really enjoyed the Spoken word part, I think it's a highly underrated and underused art form, is it something you want to explore more of in the future?

I love your take on that and agree with you. I have always loved spoken word and songs that sample conversations. I think it tells a story and plays with the space between art forms. The intersection of sonic and literary mediums in songwriting is what fascinates me most about the craft. So I wanted to create something that lived in that space. And something that felt like an auditory montage. Something that painted a picture of what it’s like to have constant input and stimulation around you and try to integrate but keep your voice and your intuition louder than outside noise. That’s a daily experience and challenge for a lot of us, and the song is supposed to sort of mirror that experience of hearing the world around you and asking yourself “what’s the meaning in everything happening around me” and “what do I want to hold onto? What do I want to believe and most importantly, what do I want to contribute while I’m here?” The spoken word part of the song was supposed to represent the internal voice and intuition.

On a related note, that part comes from a poem you wrote a while back, is poetry -outside of songwriting- something you still pursue?

I think it’s something I will always do. I have volumes of poetry from every age of my life. I write to find my voice. It’s a survival instinct for me. I have released a lot of music,and have published a couple of poems, but it’s definitely something I’d like to pursue more. It’s been an intention I’ve had for a while.

Tell us a little bit about your experience creating this song with Adam Orfale of Feverkin

I admired Feverkin’s work for a long time before I met him. I would play his catalog on repeat. I reached out to him about a music licensing project as a fan, and we met for coffee. From there we became fast friends and collaborators. I can’t say enough about what a great person he is -sincere, trustworthy, humble but so very talented and creative and hardworking. He was patient and encouraging through the process. His music comes from somewhere; he’s one of those artists that is just connected. I’ve learned a lot from him and he inspires me on a musical and personal level.

You also approached French artist France Courpotin -of whom you're a fan- for the single's artwork. Did you come to her with something in mind or did she have full free reign when it came to creating the artwork?

I discovered her on an art curator’s account @itisartime that I follow on Instagram and was really taken by her work. Her paintings are beautiful and intricate and moving. This piece “plume” was a piece she already created and I fell in love with. When I got the courage to write to her and ask her if I could use it for the album cover for the song, I was so happy with how warmly she received the request. She’s been wonderful. I love connecting with other artists who have such a generous and supportive spirit and feel lucky to have connected with her. I hope to meet her one day!

This is a standard but a well-deserved question. Who are your biggest musical influences?

So many across genres. Wilco; Jason Isbell, Mac Miller, Arlo Parks, Cat Stevens, Jhene Aiko, Kota the Friend, Sharon Van Etten, Ben Harper … I’m really into lyrics and uplifting messages. So I also take a lot of inspiration from writers and philosophers like Paolo Coelho, Russell Brand, Exkhart Tolle, Cheryl Strayed, Annie Lammot, James Baldwin, and people I know personally and their stories. I like songs and lyrics that capture something raw and unapologetic and personal but universal and deliver it with a message that is uplifting and conscious and progressive. Those are the artists and writers I admire and want to emulate. The bravest of the brave. The ones that use their craft to heal others.

If not music, what would Dezelle be doing?

Oh man, I’d be completely lost.

What's Dezelle working towards this 2022? what are your goals?

To keep writing, keep collecting stories, stay open and try to be of service with whatever I’m doing in any given moment, despite the uncertainty of the times

Time for a Speed-round! short answers only!

-Favorite season of the year- autumn

-Best Pizza Topping - mushrooms

-Never leave home without... headphones :)

-Movies you can re-watch endlessly - Almost famous, Scent of a woman, As Good as it Gets, It’s a Wonderful Life

-You get two free scoops of any Ice cream flavor, they are: coffee and mint choc chip

-If you could choose to have written any existing song in the world by any artist other than yourself, what song would that be?

I have been recently inspired by “Go Easy, Kid” by Monica Martin and “75 and Sunny” by Ryan Montbleau . Also “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac and “Don’t Be Shy” by Cat Stevens. (“Love is better than a song,” is one of my favorite lyrics. )

CREDITS:

Artwork by @france.courpotin

Interview: Dezelle reminds us not to look down.

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