As part of Vevo’s DSCVR: Ones To Watch – which sees the music video giant picking ten acts it believes are going to make it big in 2015 – Freddie Dickson couldn’t be riding any higher right now. Based in West London, his self-described brand of dark pop resonated with audiences last year when he released his critically acclaimed EP Shut Us Down, and he just unveiled the video for his long-awaited new track News.
But where did this dark sound come from? “I just kind of discovered what I liked in aspects of more modern music,” Freddie says. “I was always listening to really old music and then started listening to bands like The xx, plan B, and Florence Welch and came up with this sound now.”
Although his music might be dark and emotive, his love for pop is evident in every note, which makes for a refreshing stance from an artist with as much credibility as Freddie. “I never want people to think that I take myself too seriously,” he explains. “I love pop songs in the sense that you can sing along to a great hook and a melody and so I always try and think how the audience can remember that. Cause I think that’s the sign of a good song.”
Becoming one of Vevo’s Ones To Watch this year really is the icing on the cake for the singer. Not only has he debuted his new single, but last summer he managed to score the opportunity to tour with US duo MS MR on their UK tour alongside pop rebel Charlie XCX. “Playing Shepherds Bush Empire was the coolest,” he gushes. “I’ve only ever played to 300 people and I think there were 1200 people that came up and they were just everywhere.”
After achieving more in a year than most can hope for in a lifetime, Freddie explains that he’s already looking forward to the array of possibilities 2015 could bring him. “I’d love to play Glastonbury and Jools Holland,” he says. “Finish the album too, that’d be nice.”
With so much success in such a short space of time, you’d be forgiven for thinking it could all have gone to his head. Thankfully that’s not the case with Freddie, who can’t even get his head around the idea that fellow artists might look up to him. “God, I’ve never seen myself as an influence. If you’re just starting – never give someone something that you’re not 100% happy with.”
“I mean, for me, I spent two-years writing demos. I hate when people ask you, what’s your music like? And you say ‘It’s like this’ and you can hear dogs barking in the background. I wanted that moment that I could say, here you go, here’s the best I can do.”
Freddie Dickson’s currently hard at work on his debut album, which fans can expect to hear at some point in the New Year.
Words: Josh Haigh @joshcharles_21