D.K. Lyons is a songwriter seeking to turn heads with lyrical creativity and intrigue. Pulling influence from the likes of Tom Petty, Third Eye Blind, Goo Goo Dolls, and The 1975, D.K. is dressing up alternative rock to fit him perfectly.
Born and raised in MA and based in Brooklyn, D.K. values authenticity above all else. Creating characters and imagery that produces genuine human feeling and connection. You won’t find too many cliches or vagueness with D.K. Lyons.
Where are you based?
Normally I’m based in Brooklyn, but with Covid-19, I’ve been quarantining at home back in MA with my family. Itching to get back to the city though, hopefully soon.
How long have you been making music?
I’ve been writing songs in some form since I was 5 years old, beginning with just titles that I would make up words and melodies to, progressing to writing lyrics, learning the guitar, and then recording hundreds of demos using Garage Band and Logic. And as I like to say, I essentially learned 1,000 ways to not write a good song before I really started to fine tune my craft over the past few years. And I still have a lot of evolution to go, but I’m really proud of the work I’ve formally released to date.
What genre would you consider your music to be?
My music is certainly rooted in rock/alternative, but I really aspire to be more fluid in the genres I write and record in, and you can certainly hear that on my debut record which touches everything from country and blueglass moments to synth pop and pop punk, and everything in between. And I’ve already been hard at work organizing demos for my eventual follow up, and the genre blending and bending is even more apparent there so far, which really excites me.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I told my mom when I was 5 years old that I was going to be a rock star. And I may not have taken the most traditional path, but it’s something I’ve always felt in my soul, and no matter where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing, it’s the only thing that makes me feel like me and excited to wake up every morning. So I’ve really just been building the foundation around that raw passion and inspiration, learning about singing techniques, recording, live performance, and marketing.
What are your biggest musical influences?
Tom Petty has always been my north star, both from a musical perspective and just overall persona perspective. It may sound hyperbole, but he truly was one of the major father figures in my life growing up without my dad and needing some sort of male energy to align myself to and learn from. Besides him, my taste is all over the map, from The 1975 to Third Eye Blind to Drake to Jackson Browne. I pull influence from all sorts of sonic avenues, but I really get excited about lyrical authenticity and cleverness.
Are you signed to a label or are you an independent artist?
I’m independent!
What have been the biggest challenges in your music career?
I think as is the case with most artists, my work is super personal to me and I obsess over it endlessly, wanting it to be as perfect as I can make it so people will listen and enjoy. But to be an indie artist is to also be your own label, PR manager, content creator, and marketing strategist, which I thankfully have experience in with my day job in content marketing, but there’s the sense to need to always be on in order to get ahead, and it’s a lot of trial and error. So the biggest challenge is trying to find balance in all of it and trusting the process vs. always being results oriented. Believing in the art at the core and trying to stay focused and grounded is certainly a daily challenge.
How many songs or albums have you released to date?
I released a 5 song EP back in 2018 to “test the waters” so to speak, and now I have my first full length debut album out independently on June 26th. I released two singles in the lead up to the album that started to gain some traction and over 20K Spotify streams, so just hoping to keep that momentum going!
Can you tell us a few things about your latest release?
Yes! My debut album is aptly titled The Past (Romanticized), and it’s a multi genre look back at various moments of past relationships, loss, mental health and coming to terms with growing up, all with a rose-colored lens. I think there’s something for everyone on this record, songs to dance to, songs to cry to, songs to listen to on a drive with the windows down. And ultimately I hope people connect with it the same way I have, and I hope we’re able to continue to progress against Covid-19 so I can bring it to the stage. I have hope that once safe, live music will become a place for people to come together for a much needed release and a celebration of humanity.
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