DAVID DALLAS INTERVIEW

“It ain’t my album no more, it’s theirs,” says David Dallas about his third official album release titled ‘Falling Into Place’. The release has sat at number one on the Australian and New Zealand iTunes charts as well as been on 106andpark.com and Billboard.com. These are certainly notable advancements for Dallas who has been steadily making his American cross-over the past few years. In the Grindin’ interview below the ‘Southside’ G-Shock star says, ‘I just hope they enjoy it, on whatever level’. Post album-release he explains the album’s named after the sense of fluidity he felt putting it together, although he says, ‘Of course everything didn’t actually just fall into place at all, at times it was fucking hard work. But it’s all good.”

Sonically, what can fans expect different or new from you on “Falling Into Place”?
It’s moody and beautiful at the same time, if that makes sense.

Creatively, describe where you were at when you made it, say in comparison to “Buffalo Man”?
I don’t really know where I was at, I just knew I had to lock myself off and just focus on this record until it was finished. I didn’t have any grand scheme of what it was gonna be or sound like, I just knew I wanted it to be different from the last album. Naturally I wanted it to be better than anything we’d done prior, but I also knew I couldn’t just sit there and second guess every idea hoping for a better one.

How have you found being back in New Zealand compared to the United States regarding making and recording music? And the general vibe itself?
It’s cool. Would’ve ended up with a completely different album had I just been by myself in NY sending demos back to Fire & Ice. I think us being in the same timezone, and studio daily and them having input on my ideas from the jump yielded a way better result.

Where do you feel NZ Hip Hop is at in terms of artists, sound and up and coming cats?
It’s cool. I feel like the general level and production standard is getting higher all the time. That goes for the music, visuals, artwork, everything. I think hip hop kids especially realise you can be pretty D.I.Y and hands on with everything nowadays.

Describe working with Tom Gould on your new video “Runnin”
Shooting “Runnin” was the most enriching experience I’ve ever had in making a video. Just traveling up to the Hokianga, spending a few days out there, hanging with the locals and seeing the way they go about their lives was fascinating to me. A different world.

What was the creative process for you, mentally with “Runnin”. Like, what was the catalyst behind the theme and the lyrics?
The night before I heard the “Runnin” beat I’d actually written that first verse to something else. Next day when they played me that beat, I mulled over it for a bit and figured that verse might actually work. By some stroke of luck when I put it down and listened to it back, it just fit perfectly, better than what I’d originally written it to. The flow and pattern just sat in the pocket real well. From that point I think my creative process just became “Don’t fuck this up”. It was all about just keeping that energy and feel.

If you weren’t doing music, what would you be doing instead?
No idea. I guess something tech related, hopefully I woulda fallen into the video game industry somehow.

Describe your US tour in hindsight.
Long days. Heaps of driving. Too much Subway & Chipotle. Dope experience.

Being a New Zealand Hip Hop artist it seems you are braver than others to venture outside of the square style-wise and theme wise, would you agree with that?
I wouldn’t say I’m brave or anything like that. I just know what I like, and I’ve always been particular about it. Obviously if your taste is a bit left of what most of your peers are doing, or what’s currently ‘hot’ commercially it might not be the quickest path to success. Fuck it though, I’ve always just ran with what I think is cool and tried to do the best job of it I could.

Have you faced criticism over it?
Sure. But you could come up with a cure for cancer and the first thing some people would ask is why didn’t you come up with it 10 years ago. Criticism is unavoidable, the worst thing you can do is make shit you don’t like just to stay in the lane and avoid criticism.

What do you hope fans and listeners will receive or take away from “Falling Into Place”?
I just hope they enjoy it, on whatever level. If there’s something in the record that speaks to them or helps them in any way cool. If it’s just something they throw on at the party to turn up, that’s cool too. It ain’t my album no more, it’s theirs.

What was the motivation for you making that the title?
I just liked the way the phrase sounds. I figured it’d be a nice mantra for the way I saw the record coming together moving forward. Of course everything didn’t actually just fall into place at all, at times it was fucken hard work. But it’s all good.

Who are The Tint Squad?
Everyone who supports what I do in anyway is the Tint Squad.

Are your glasses still rose tinted?
Always. On those grim days I just gotta make sure I put them on.

What’s your definition of Grindin’?
Sticking to your guns when shit gets difficult. Anybody can work hard when things are sweet and it’s all obviously paying dividends. Maintaining and working hard when it ain’t guaranteed, I admire people that do that.

Interview by Aleyna Martinez