“I read the quote, ‘I hate you – please don’t leave me,’” Dale May says of the inspiration of new track, “So Electric”. It explores the intricacies of relationships, in particular, those that have unraveled into toxicity. The verses were penned three years apart, with the first exploring the honeymoon early days and the second mirroring it, from the vantage point of the relationship’s demise.
Dale plays with a five-piece band including guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums. The considered textures on “So Electric” exhibit the attention all angles of his tracks are afforded, even if May’s soulful, Maverick Sabre-esque vocals and dexterous storytelling needs little accompaniment. Sharing mutual friends with an array of British music’s current front runners due to his work with the likes of Tobie Tripp (writer and producer for J Hus, Tom Misch and George Ezra) and Rebel Kleff (Loyle Carner), it’s only a matter of time until he’s considered of equal stature, and we can’t wait to watch it happen.
Head below to read our chat about “So Electric”, toxic relationships, and rumours of his upcoming London show…
Describe your vibe today in 3 words!
Peaceful, mellow and there’s no fan in the house so I’m currently a bit sweaty…
Congratulations on “So Electric”! It’s your first single since last November’s “Young Goat” and your “Locked Down Stocked Up” project. What have you been up to since then?
So there’s been an abundance of studio sessions working with some cool musicians like Rebel Kleff, Vibe Chemistry & Tobie Tripp. We filmed a new music video at Durham Yard Studios for So Electric and it was released last week, also played the headline stage at Brockwood Festival back in July!
You really flex your deftness for storytelling on “So Electric”. Tell us about lyricists or musicians in general that have inspired you in that regard! Firstly thank you!
I think artists like Wretch, Little Simz, Berwyn, Mac Miller, Amy Winehouse, Bakar and Loyle Carner have all played a big role in not just my storytelling but also the decisions I make on a record, going back a bit earlier The Streets and Plan B really inspired my lyricism too.
“So Electric” details the ups and downs of being in a toxic relationship. Was it easy to pen your experiences as vividly as you have on this track?
With this one, it was actually quite easy, easier than other concepts I’ve explored on previous projects like Domestic Violence or Burning Thoughts. Without turning this into a counselling session, relationships at the best of times can be tough and ironically can become lonely. I think where I was at in my personal life at the time allowed the hook and 1st verse to write themselves – it was basically me drawing from the raw experience.
You wrote the verses 3 years apart, which means this one technically has been in the works for a hot minute, although not continuously. In the intervening years after writing the first verse, did you think about the track a lot or just come back to it out of the blue?
I was always thinking of the track in the back of my mind but the relationship was turbulent and I wanted to wait until the dust had settled to write the second verse. It was a cool experience because when I came to write the second verse, I had all this hindsight and I wasn’t emotionally attached to the outcome, that’s what makes it my favourite verse!
