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Welcome Home Dion Roy
Namibian-born singer Dion Roy releases his new album
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To the general public, Dion Roy seems like a newcomer, but he has been active in the NYC music scene for a good decade now. The Namibian-born singer is not a stranger to venues like Bleecker Street’s The Bitter End, Kenny’s, Pianos and Red Lion; throughout his career he has shared the stage with Eve 6, Ben Kweller, Bleu and The Donnas. For some time, Dion acted as the bassist for a handful of local bands but later decided to be on his own. His first album, Gallery debuted in 2009 followed by his EP The Nearest Light (which was co-produced Scott Reibling, known for his work with Weezer and Cobra Starship) in 2010. With the release of his 3rd album, Welcome Home on March 31, 2011 and an April 2nd release party at Dominion New York, there’s a lot to be excited about.
“I am beyond freaking out for this release,” the singer/songwriter tells Encore in an exclusive interview. “It’s been about 6 months since I started the process of these songs. I released the lead-off track as a free download on my site and my Facebook and the response has been incredible. I’ve already had a bunch of radio play in NY/NJ and I’ve got some good stuff cookin’ with Grooveshark and Blazetrak once this album hits. I cannot wait for my fans and new fans to hear these songs.”
Even for a pro like Dion Roy, great songs are never a guarantee. The Sufjan Stevens fan explains “I have probably 150 unfinished ideas that I’ve been writing over the past couple of years and every once in a while, I’ll leave my iTunes on and I’ll hear something come on and think to myself ‘That was awesome, what was that?’ or ‘That’s brutal. Delete, Delete, Delete.” With Welcome Home, the LES crooner wears his heart and soul on his sleeves, “I took an insane amount of time to make sure that the songs will be good the first time around and when you listen 5 years from now.” In addition to hours Dion devoted to convey his raw emotions through his music, he also spent a lot of time traveling during the creative process.
The ever changing surroundings certainly play a part in his writing, “I think that being in a different environment most definitely changes the way that I think about things and not being home also gives me another perspective. Being in new places stirs up new emotions and brings back others that I thought had been in storage for quite some time.” His evolving view of the world around him is accompanied by moments of inspiration, “It comes from everything around me- past, present, even future at times. I wrote ‘Hear me Out’ about a conversation I hope that I never have to have but it doesn’t make it anymore real.”
Though being out on the road can be fun and exciting, Dion feels that his best writing happens when he is alone- in his pajamas and relaxed, “I really do need to be in isolation sometimes to get the ideas developed, however sometimes, ideas come about while I’m traveling or just going to the grocery store to get peanut butter. I supposed that as long as I’m not on a deadline, I feel most at ease. Sometimes, if I’m not in love with an entire song, I will work with different people to see what their take is on it. My song ‘Leave me Out of this’ wasn’t what it was until I got to California and my buddy Josiah played the guitar part on the piano. It totally changed the vibe of the song. Other songs like ‘This Moment is mine’ stayed pretty close to the demo stages in terms of its overall feel.”
The idea of collaborating with artists outside his comfort zone is definitely something that he has flirted with, “I’d love to write a song with Keane, or maybe Pete Yorn. That would rule! Those guys have totally different sounds than what I do, but I think it would mesh well.” Dion Roy understands the spontaneity of music, “I feel that it’s like choosing your favorite emoticon. It’s a spur of the moment thing. It depends on what’s relevant at the time. Music is all about connecting and some things just work better at certain times of your life than others. I try to keep that in mind when I write as well. I try to keep the original emotion intact, even if it’s dark.”
Check out Dion Roy at http://dionroy.com