“I’m working on a lot of music which is really uplifting and energetic. It is positive music that feels like a reflection of my life right now,” says artist DanDlion. “I’m trying to live as presently as possible,” he continues. Having moved to London at the age of 19 from his hometown in Reading to nurture his musical career, DanDlion consolidated himself as a multi-hyphenate artist with an affinity for both producing and song-writing.

As we talk over Zoom, his self-assurance quickly becomes endearing. He is an artist who is completely unapologetic in his practice and armed with the patience to refine it. Whether it’s a music video set inside a beehive or a song filled with the cheekiness rarely spoken in conversations, his individuality and sprightly presence is reminiscent of a young Pharell Williams. Last summer, DanDlion could be found headlining the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival, where he also performed with friend and rising star, Griff. “I’ve been going to Reading Festival since I was 15 and it was the first time I saw a proper big stage like that. So being able to play on one of them, let alone as a headliner, was a full circle experience for me,” he explains. But 2022 wasn’t just about performing live, it became a year of reflection for the artist that saw him revisit archived songs and experiment with developing new ones – all ultimately underpinned by a desire to trust in his instincts and build on his power.

Strength and vulnerability, two contrasting themes represented even in his name DanDlion, referencing the flower and feline, are woven together across his music in an alt-pop genre that goes beyond uplifting to addictive. A visual thinker, the experimental scale of DanDlion’s creativity is evident in his recent music video for “Knock Knock”, which takes us on an otherworldly journey. “My work has always been very tongue-in-cheek. Some have had a serious tone, but most of the time, it’s just me mucking about,” he imparts. “I did this song three years ago called ‘Co-Pilot’ and I decided to put myself in the stunt plane for three hours whilst the pilot flew about. For me, it’s about adding to the whole story of a song. I’m always so involved in the creation of the ideas and the way I want the music to look and how I am dressed. I want people to understand who I am not just as a musician, but also as a character and as a person.”

A self-confessed entertainer, DanDlion grew up in a musical household and was free to express himself from an early age. At eight, he began acting and at 14, he had even made an appearance on Blue Peter. But, it wasn’t until later in his teenage years that music became his focus. “My dad was a drummer so he always had a drum kit set up in the house. I then started writing music on a guitar too. So it’s always been this evolution of being able to express myself fully which I’m so lucky to have had.” This self-expression that has followed DanDlion throughout his life has also meant that he can revisit material from his past. His most recent release, “All the Way Up”, was a single originally written six years ago as a love song. “It’s about meeting someone for the first time and having your whole world turn upside down and realising that this is the person that you want,” he offers. Today it looks very different, DanDlion has reproduced, rewritten and reworked the song, evolving it to suit his current mood. “Love completely takes over your emotions, your whole approach to life. So many people have this set way of living and an expectation of what they are going to do but this gives somebody else that power to take it away from you and mess up your psyche.”

Despite many more releases and collaborations simmering away, DanDlion’s focus is on reuniting with his true love: the stage. “You can’t beat that feeling of everyone being in the same room for the same reason, or listening to the same thing and experiencing the same emotions together,” he tells me. Repeatedly filling out venues, those in attendance at his shows are absorbed by him, jumping around and feeding off his energy. He describes his live performances as “the final stage in the song process.” One that oozes character and charm. “It is like letting your child free. They turn 18 and it’s like, ‘Okay, there you go, go and live your life.’ It’s not my song anymore, it’s for the people that need it. I didn’t get that until I started putting out music. That’s exactly how it is”.

Stream “All the Way Up”…