Get To Know Declan Florez. He’s a singer songwriter from Melbourne with a stunning voice and a soulful new single in ‘Fast Cars’.
Find out where his musical journey began, what the first album he bought was and what he’d be doing if music wasn’t an option.
It’s all right here in our latest feature.
01. Name : Declan Florez.
02. Where are you based? Melbourne.
03. How did you get your start in music? When I was living in Sydney a friend introduced me to a producer called Michael Tan. We met and filmed a cover to Frank Ocean’s ‘Forrest Gump’ and posted it on YouTube. I then had originals that I wanted to put out, which led to the recording of my first EP ‘Trips & Visitations’.
04. Give us five words to best describe you as an artist. Storyteller, rhythmic, sensual, nostalgic and alternative.
05. Tell us a little bit about your sound and how it developed. Growing up I was heavily influenced by music with hip/hop, R&B and Latin music. This then led me to alternative R&B as I grew older. Taking all these influences and putting them into my work was a challenge. That’s why my I think my EP sounds very eclectic, jumbled even. There’s definitely a little bit of everything on there and that’s because I listened to so much growing up.
06. Who have been your musical influences? Janet Jackson, Frank Ocean, Tyler, The Creator, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell and Flying Lotus.
07. What are your favourite songs of all time? ‘We Belong Together’ – Mariah Carey, ‘Pyramids’ – Frank Ocean, ‘Cosmic Love’ – Florence & The Machine, ‘Focus’ – H.E.R., ‘Empty’ – Janet Jackson, ‘Day Dreaming’ – Aretha Franklin, ‘Cruz’ – Christina Aguilera.
08. What was the first album you bought? ‘The Power ‘by Vanessa Amorosi.
09. Give us a little fun fact about yourself that people might not know. I had an unhealthy obsession with the film ‘Anaconda’ growing up.
10. What would your chosen career be if music weren’t an option? I’m also an actor so I guess I would have put all my strength and energy into that if music weren’t an option. I can’t imagine any scenario where I wouldn’t be an artist of some sort in my lifetime.
11. What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career? Never wait for anyone to assist you. This piece of advice really slapped me into gear. Especially being an unsigned artist, you must go out and find producers and other artists you want to work with and approach them. At the end of the day no one’s going to hold your hand, you’ve got to go out and happen it happen.
12. Tell us about your latest release. I recorded ‘Fast Cars’ when I was living in Sydney. I wrote the initial melody and chorus on my friend’s living room floor. We were both high at the time and missing our friends and dealing with other stuff. Once I moved to Melbourne I wanted to make a video that captured the vulnerability and my aesthetic. So much has happened since recording that song that I wanted to honour its roots but also show glimpse to my future and where I’m going to take my artistry. ‘Fast Cars’ is about escapisms and the things we do to avoid our issues. But there’s also a triumph about it and I think the video captures that nicely.
13. What do your future plans involve? Writing and recording new music for a new project. I’ve been in the studio working in a few ideas and I’m definitely ready to delve back into the process of recording new material.
14. Where can our audience catch you live? Will be playing at Bar Oussou in Brunswick but dates are TBA.
WEBSITE : https://www.declanflorez.com/
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/declanflorez/
TWITTER : https://twitter.com/declanflorez
INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/declanflorez/
SOUNDCLOUD : https://soundcloud.com/declan-florez
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