What are your names?
Darin Jellison
What is your genre of music?
Singer-songwriter folk rock
Give us a little bio about you.
I’m originally from Maine, USA, and was a pretty good conforming kid: piano lessons, sports, good in school. Ieft home to go to college in upstate New York, and decided it was time to better express myself, and joined an a cappella group that loved singing mostly 80s pop songs, and soon afterward joined a rock band playing keyboard and some vocals. It was a great balance with rigorous college studies and convinced me that I love to perform. After graduation, music took a back seat to establishing a career in Boston, getting married, and learning adult life. Now having lived in Pennsylvania for a while, music has re-entered life. I learned to play guitar and use Ableton Live, and rekindled the music bug, which has led to a few years of joy in writing and performing music as much as possible.
What made you go in to music?
Balance. I love the personal and introspective aspects of it, and how it helps offset the active team-oriented rigors of my day job. And the amazing connections I have made with people through getting out and pouring my heart and soul out into a microphone is a truly beautiful thing.
Are you a signed?
Nope. All indie all the time!
You released your lastest track ‘ Warm White Light’ , tell us more about it.
This is a very spiritual song that I hope speaks to a lot of people. It acknowledges that sometimes things don’t really go our way or seem unfair, but that if we can pause and listen to that still, small voice then we can have the strength to keep going. This song has prompted so many people to go out of their way to say how haunting familiar yet new the melody is, and that it really speaks to them.
Describe the track in two words.
There’s Hope.
What was the writing process like?
I wrote this song very roughly on the guitar, but very quickly moved it over to the piano. I was thinking of the production as being similar to the way “Somebody” by Depeche Mode rises out of ambient noise into this beautiful, raw, poignant ballad. Lyrically, I had become obsessed with the idea of Chris Rice’s “Go Light Your World” and the symbolic candle as a beacon of love and hope, but also a source of heat and light. The song became a story of hope for people who feel like they’ve lost their way.
What was the recording process like?
I make all my recordings in my home studio. First, doing a scratch track that I use to plan out the arrangement, copying and pasting pieces around until it flows, and then I start putting in the final tracks. Eventually the scratch track is gone, and a whole new piece of music sits in its place. The production is often really non-linear, back and forth, and the cutting and pasting continues quite far into the process. Vocals are always last, because I have to come to terms with the sound of my own voice. I guess I really found it, because I recorded a whole chorus of myself into this one. With my a cappella roots, I really love the vocal recording process – the harmonizing, the interplay of background singing and the lead.
What is the message you want listeners to take from the single?
There’s hope. “We all lose our way,” but there’s always a way to find the “warm, white light” if you can find the will to listen to that still, small voice that can bring it to you.
Where can we pre-order/buy?
The single is available on all digital music platforms for streaming, and it can be purchased on iTunes or at cdbaby.com as well.
Will we see an Album or EP this year and if so what can we expect?
I do think there will be an album by the end of this year. My first album, “On A Lark,” was a collection of singles I had released over the course of a year, with 5 or 6 added bonus tracks included. I liked that approach, and a second album is on its way with the same approach.
Will we see any shows or a tour in planning?
I am always playing somewhere around the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. The calendar on my website and Facebook page are relatively up to date. I would love to do a small tour, but that hasn’t really been a priority, if the opportunity presents itself I’ll jump on it.
What can we expect in 2019?
More single releases, and an album. I’m really focused on my live performance these days, so look for me at higher quality venues as time goes on
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
I am no current plans to write with anyone else. I do like to bring in a drummer for some tracks as I’m recording, but otherwise I’m a pretty solitary producer. There are a few people I’ve explored working with to have them put their mark on remixes of my music, but I can’t really say much about that at this time.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
I’d definitely be open to working on some stuff with someone else if they could handle my figuring out how to do it for the first time…. They’d just have to reach out to me…
Do you play any instruments?
I play guitars and keyboards, so with that everything you hear on my recordings is me, unless otherwise noted.
Who are your influences?
I love to think my music is in the same sphere as Damien Rice, Howie Day, Ben Folds, Emerson Hart, and Ben Gibbard. I want all of my songs to be as powerful performed as a one-man show as in their full production on the recordings, and I think those guys really pull that off. I also idolize Justin Vernon’s innovative production in Bon Iver and how he uses everything so effectively to rip my heart out every time.
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
I think it all comes from my past: memories, a distorted vision of regrets and other emotional times. I once heard Emerson Hart say that if he’s going to sing it, he needs to have lived it. I really believe in that. I’m not a guy who has had a hard life that I can easily mine for material, but I think I have been through some things that a lot of people can relate to.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
Playing to larger and more engaged audiences. I sincerely love the creative process in the studio and will do that forever, but the connection with an audience and the energy and power that has for me is what I keep pushing forward for.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I’m an architect. I love being an architect for many of the same reasons I love making music. We have the power to make lots of people’s lives better, and we get to work together with clients and other team members to guide vision and values to something exceptional.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
Howie Day’s song “Ghost” is one that comes to mind. Watching him play that live is a religious experience, and I’m constantly searching for that kind of alchemy.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
In my second year of architecture school, one of my professors said, “Don’t stress, just work.” I’ve found that if I can get to work on whatever projects I have in mind, I don’t stress about them.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
I tell artists to just keep putting in the work. Following from the advice I was given, if you keep putting in the work on the things most meaningful to you, you’ll push forward and get where you want to go. I wish it was easier, but I think it never is if you’re focused on innovating and improving.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
I have three important suggestions for the Lehigh Valley. First, go see a show at Godfrey Daniels. It’s this great little listening room in the south side of Bethlehem. Tons of history in the folk music world, and live music all the time. There’s only seating for maybe 40 or 50 people, and the room sounds terrific. Second, the most amazing home for the arts is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, called “ArtsQuest.” They host the Musikfest festival every August and attract millions of people. All year round, though, they have so much great musical programming. Third, go visit the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth. It’s really cool to see the care they take in creating their incredible instruments.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
When I’m at a gig, I need my guitar, a capo, my VoiceLive 3 vocal and guitar effects pedal with built-in looper, a microphone, and a black tee shirt. Everything else just flows because of the internal joy, the energy of the audience, and my love of music.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
