As she opens the door and shows us inside her supremely creative and friendly brain, Darrian Gerard guides us slowly us into her Tom DeLonge and Avril Lavigne birth theory, telling us about her new single Powerless, while also enchantingly enticing our tastebuds with (possibly) the best recipe ever invented.
We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today, Darrian Gerard. What does a nutritious dinner in your household entail?
Darrian: Hmmm. I love a good homemade Tomato Basil soup when I get around to making it. I also eat a lot of pasta with vodka sauce and Hawaiian pizza, but that’s not super nutritious, shhh 😉
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard a song before?
Darrian: I would describe my sound as anthemic, cathartic, and full of pop-rock instruments. If Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge and Avril Lavigne were combined into one person, some say you would get Darrian Gerard.
Powerless. Please tell us more about your 2nd release and what the song means to you?
Darrian: Powerless is such an important song to me. It’s the first song I’ve written in the perspective of someone else, but as you read through the lyrics, it can be compared to so many other situations in my life or others’ lives; the feeling of being powerless. Powerless was written in the perspective of someone without a home, who has no where to go, and doesn’t know what to do next with their life. I came up with the beat one night before bed, slept on it, then wrote the lyrics in what felt like minutes and fully produced the song the same day. I usually write the lyrics and melody before I produce a song, but this time I did it the complete opposite. Powerless is definitely one of my favourite songs I’ve ever produced and I’m extremely guilty of listening to it on repeat.
British Columbia, Canada. Please detail which small town you grew up in and what was it like as a young musician?
Darrian: I grew up in a small town on Vancouver Island, BC. I was very fortunate to have parents that let me explore and be creative and when I asked to play guitar at 7 years old; they bought me a $20 dollar guitar from the local auction and put me in lessons right away. I’ve always had a thing for music and sounds and how things can be combined to create something wonderful. After a year or two of guitar lessons, I wanted to learn more and ended up song writing, learning piano, bass, and drums. Although it’s a small town, it gave me ample opportunity to learn guitar and further my experience through band groups, and more.
What advice would you give a new musician starting out in this game?
Darrian: Don’t stop making music just because one person told you so. Release that single, post your cover on YouTube, spam your Instagram followers with your music because no one is going to care if you do or don’t. Forget what people think and just keep creating and making music because you love it. Eventually, you will gain some traction and listeners because they see how passionate you are about your music career, and things will tumbleweed from there.
Your EP called Basement Stadium is going to be available from 2023. What should new and older fans expect?
Darrian: I am SO excited to release my brand new EP Basement Stadium. I just finalized the release date for early 2023 (announcement soon!!) and I couldn’t be more ecstatic for everyone to hear what I have to say. You can expect a few brand new songs, and a few older songs that mesh well with each other. A coherent ensemble of songs that I think flow so well together. One of the new songs on the EP is definitely one of my most vulnerable and I’m quite scared to hear what people think as I let them deep into my head, but I think showing emotion is beneficial to listeners.
Last of all, where can we find you live next or do you have any exciting projects lined up for 2023?
Darrian: I have so many excited things planned for 2023! First off is the EP, then I have a few live shows booked. I can’t wait to perform these songs for everyone to hear live for the first time!
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Listen up to this fine track on Spotify. See this angelic wonder blossom on IG.
Interview by Llewelyn Screen