CimplyDan – Waves

By starrymag | October 13, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) The best way to summarize my sound would be diverse. I have all kinds of sounds from chill laid back to love songs, club music, trap, pop, reggae, R&B and so many more. There isn’t really one particular sound I stick to. I let all my creative ideas come to life. I will say the distinct similarity in all of my tracks would be the catchy hooks. Other than that, my unique flow & ability to change flows/cadences seamlessly.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) My biggest three influences are Mac Miller (RIP), J.Cole and Russ

 

Q) I am from Ft. Lauderdale! As a life-long Floridian, how has your time there played a role in the music that you make?

A) Big Fan of Ft. Lauderdale, their community is super friendly! I’m also a life-long Floridian. It’s definitely impacted my lingo. There are just some words and phrases we say that don’t make sense to people that aren’t seasoned to it. Alongside that is the cultural diversity in Florida. Being exposed to so many different cultures constantly I’ve started to pick up things from them and then implement them into my music & daily life.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Ride the Wave.”

A) “Ride the Wave” summarized is pretty much talking about how I’ve been doing me and going with the flow for so long and now it’s finally paying off. Everyone wants to “Ride the Wave” I’ve created. There’s actually a lot of depth and stories behind the lyrics; however, with all my tracks I like to leave my meaning/story a bit of a mystery. Mostly because I want the listener to interpret the lyrics, however they choose to in their current mindset/stage of life. Also, I feel that not directly giving my meaning to the story it’ll allow the listener to connect more by relating their life experiences to the lyrics. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shown friends of mine tracks and they mention a particular line and come up with a meaning that’s completely different from how I was intending it to be interpreted.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) The video of the track is playing into the go-with-the-flow Idea. In the beginning, you can see me stumbling on a beach and passing out then waking up in this cartoon world. This is supposed to portray the free spirit vibe. It’s supposed to represent that I’m on something, but it doesn’t matter I still just keep going with it. Regardless of what’s around me, I’m going to keep doing me.

 

Q) What made this song the perfect first single off your upcoming EP Waves?

A) It was a hard choice picking the single for the Waves EP; each track truly could have been the single. They’re all unique and have a depth far past what you would think; however, I figured “Ride the Wave” was rather fitting to be the single for an EP called Waves. Mostly because of the play on words. The honorable mention single was “Candy Man,” which I’ll let you interpret why after listening to it.

 

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I make music every single day at the very least Monday through Friday. I create a minimum of one track a day. I pretty much wake up, do my morning routine then hop in my home studio where I listen to a bunch of beats and whatever beat I connect with at that particular time I just write to and create a song. That’s why I have so many different sounds/vibes one day I might wake up and write a love song the next a club banger then a reggae track it really depends on what’s on my conscious and subconscious mind. Bu,t yes, I would say about 90% of the time I write to the music. Although, the music I write to doesn’t always end up being the music in the finished version. Sometimes I’ll write to one beat than me and my producer Anomalia (IG: @anomalia.music) will conclude the lyrics are there but the beat isn’t so well remake the beat around the vocals.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I always get the final say in my production; however, my producer and I are very close. We’ve known each other for well over ten years before either of us decided to pursue music. So that being said, he knows what I’m going for and I let him do whatever he wants, and I just make adjustments if need be. But as far as me doing my own production I dabble but I’m still in the learning stage.

 

Q) How do you shake off a long day in the studio?

A) After I’m finished with my daily studio session I generally head straight to the gym. Fitness/health mean a lot to me. I’m a firm believer in look good, feel good, you get what you put in and a healthy body means a healthy mind.

 

Q) Your EP Waves came out last month. What are some themes you will be exploring on it?

A) I really take the listener through a journey from start to finish. In the beginning, I start off with “Blast Off” where I dive into this lifestyle I’m living and enjoying. Then, as we transition to the last track “My Demons,” I express how this lifestyle has been taking its toll on me and I’m finally putting an end to the struggles of losing friends, breaking bad habit and realizing I’m the reason that my problems/issues exist – besides this track being very moving, powerful and meaningful. I’ve purposely slowed it down to prepare the listeners for the upcoming sounds I plan to release.

 

Q) What are some tracks that are personal favorites for you and why?

A) “Candy Man” is the fourth track of the EP and will surely be a fan favorite. It’s easy to follow, playful, super catchy and just makes you want to move or sing along. Other than that, my personal favorite would be “My Demons” – the sixth and final track of the EP. The amount of depth & meaning to this track is immense. I still get goosebumps every time I listen to it.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I love performing in Miami mostly because it’s my hometown and I got a lot of “die-hard” fans out there. Other than that, I enjoy performing in Orlando because all my close friends and family live there.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I can go on forever. I enjoy collaborating with everyone because you can never tell what the outcome will be; however, my top three picks would be J.Cole, Russ and Drake.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) To be honest I don’t listen to much Hip Hop music other than myself. I’ve noticed that based on the music I consume I’ll create something that will sound similar. I also listen to my own work to make adjustments and improvements; however, if I am listening to something else it would most likely be house music or just electronic music in general.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media allows fans to really learn who I am and connect with me past just the music. Fans get an inside look at my life & hopefully can relate and learn/benefit from my experiences or even better share their thoughts. I love reading and understanding everyone’s thoughts and thought processes.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you! I truly couldn’t be where I am today without you. Words will never be able to express how grateful I am. I hope that my work and experiences will continue to help you through whatever you may be going through or at the very least play a part in your life.