Hitting the dance music scene with a bang in 2016, Declan James is one of the freshest new talents to grace the charts. From his start as the youngest person to ever sign with the London based Trance/Progressive label “Enhanced Music”, Declan has proved himself worthy of the position by producing a unique stylistic blend of Progressive and Electro sounds. Declan’s success has in part been fueled by garnering support from the likes of internationally acclaimed DJs and Producers such as Armin Van Buuren, Above and Beyond, and more. As a versatile multi-instrumentalist and producer, Declan strives to continuously push the boundaries of his sound by combining influences from across the board. We got a chance to chat with Declan to find out where this 17 year old came from and where he is headed next! Don’t forget to check out the guestmix he did for Neon Owl Radio a few weeks back!
Positive focus. What is something you are grateful for or excited about?
I have so, so much to be grateful for in life. If I had to choose just one thing, I’d have to say that I’m just so incredibly grateful for how rewarding this past year of my life has been. It’s been so cool to see my musical desires begin to come to fruition. I’m really excited to keep going forward with life, because if next year is anything like this one has been, I have so much to look forward to!
You are only 17 and so talented! When did you start making music or decide that this was a career you wanted to pursue?
First of all, thank you so much! I’m a classically trained guitar player and my parents are also musicians, so music has always naturally been a big part of my life, but I didn’t start producing till about two years ago. As soon as I started I fell in love with it, and I haven’t looked back since.
What are your parents’ thoughts on this whole music production gig? Did they or do they expect you to go down a certain path?
My parents have been incredibly supportive of me from the get go; they’ve always been huge advocates for the idea that through hard work, anything is possible, so they’ve never once doubted my ability to achieve my goals in music, but I don’t think they ever expected it to go as far as it has. That being said, I don’t think they really have a desired path for me to take. As long as whatever i’m doing brings me happiness and fulfillment, they’re happy.
How did you get involved with Enhanced? Tell us about the moment you found out you guys were going to work together and how you felt!
About a year ago Lycii followed me on Soundcloud and on a whim I decided to message him because I noticed that he lived pretty close to a lot of my extended family in Utah. We ended up hitting it off and a few months later, we met up and made the Saturn/Dimensions EP. We immediately sent it over to the A&Rs at Enhanced and they absolutely loved it. I was so overjoyed to have been offered a spot on the label that got me listening to Trance/Progressive in the first place, and it still blows my mind that I’m lucky enough to call myself a member of the Enhanced family.
What’s been your favorite track put out so far?
I would say Orion is my favorite thing I’ve put out so far, just because it’s very “me” sounding. I think it just about perfectly sums up my sound as an artist.
Track that is on repeat in your playlist right now?
I’ve been listening to Subtact’s new remix of Matches by Ephixa & Stephen Walking nonstop since it came out a few days ago. It’s one of the best future bass tracks I’ve heard in awhile.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Deadmau5 & Myon and Shane 54 are by far the two artists that I draw the most influence from, but I listen to and get inspired by everything from Tchaikovsky to Kendrick Lamar.
The dance music scene is on the rise in Texas. Can you give us an insider scoop of where you see it heading in Dallas or other places in Texas?
I personally think Texas is en route to taking over California in the next few years for the place to be when it comes to EDM. We’ve got a really healthy dance music scene in Dallas and it’s only gonna keep growing. I’d definitely keep an eye out for Dallas becoming a new hotspot for Producers and DJs, because it’s been pretty crazy to witness how many big producers have either moved here or emerged from here in the past couple of years.
Who would be a dream collab for you?
Definitely Myon from MS54. His new track “Omen in the Rain” that debuted at ABGT200 a few months ago is absolutely incredible, and he actually lives about 20 minutes down the road from me so it’s something that could definitely happen in the near future!
Any up and coming artists you are excited to share with us that we may not know about?
Yeah, absolutely! There’s so much talent that goes unnoticed in the industry, so I always love to try and draw attention to lesser known artists when I get the chance. Right off the top of my head i’d say check out Arian Cook, he’s only released a few tracks so far but his production quality is mind blowing. Another artist to watch out for is Cignature. He’s self released a series of remixes on Soundcloud and I’m 100% convinced that he’s gonna be the next big thing.
If you were not musician, what would you be?
I would definitely be a political analyst of some sort. I’m incredibly passionate about global politics and would love to get a degree in Political Science someday.
What is your spirit animal and why?
If I had to choose I’d probably say a Flamingo because they seem like very eccentric creatures…plus I really like the color pink.
Give us a specific example of how music has impacted your life. Feel free to go a little deep here.
In all honesty, music is everything to me, it’s the reason why I wake up in the morning. From the time that I was very young, I was never very good at expressing my feelings, but when I discovered music, I finally had a medium to communicate things that I never could before. Music provides me with fulfillment in my life, and for that I will forever be grateful.
Envision your dream show or performance. Help us see what you see.
My dream performance would revolve largely around the visuals, as almost all EDM shows inevitably do. Of all of the artists that I’ve seen live, I think Porter Robinson as the closest to what I would like to emulate, in that his visuals all evoke very distinct feelings. Every song when combined with the visuals in his sets creates a grandiose image of some sort that sticks with the audience, and that’s inspiring.
At Neon Owl, we are all about connecting people through music, passion, and giving back. Is there a specific cause you care about or would like to see us work with?
I’m personally really passionate about the importance of education and literacy; I think that having a solid education is fundamental to being a successful individual, so would definitely love to see you guys work to achieve some goals in that realm.
How do you want to impact this world and those around you?
My main goal in life is to inspire and enable others to follow their passions. If can do that, then I’m happy.
What can we expect from you in 2017?
I’ve got tons of new music queued up for release next year on some of the biggest labels in the industry, including collaborations with my good friends Notaker and William Black. I’ve also been working on finally playing some shows, which is super exciting. All in all, things are looking great for 2017, and I’m super optimistic about where the new year will take me.
soundcloud.com/declanjamesmusic
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