Dalton Cyr – Happy

By starrymag | November 16, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I make guitar-based pop music. It’s been described as “Mayer meets Sheeran meets Timberlake,” which I don’t mind as a comparison!

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

) John Mayer has always been my biggest inspiration, though The Beatles, Parachute and Jack Johnson also come in pretty high on the list.

 

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

 

A) I wrote “Happy” to capture that sinking feeling of playing the “what if” game after a relationship ends. Sometimes it can kill you to see an ex happy – not that you want them to suffer, but that you couldn’t give that happiness to them.

 

Q) What made this the perfect follow up to your single “Dying to Love You?”

 

A) “Dying to Love You” and “Happy” feel like the perfect one-two punch of the death and following mourning of a relationship. It’s not uncommon to wonder if you made the right decision after you stop seeing someone.

 

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

 

A) “Happy” as a track is so sparse and intimate, I wanted to lean into that feeling to shoot a video just of myself in a room with a guitar. The song was born out of loneliness and deserved a video that highlights how it can feel to be alone of your own volition.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think it’s so common to feel pain at seeing your ex happy without you, yet people don’t particularly express these feelings for fear of being seen as possessive and/or selfish. I wanted to speak on that pain and knowing that you aren’t alone in the experience can be so freeing.

 

Q) “Happy” was co-written by you and Sophie Rose. What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) At least for myself, the writing process has the potential to be different every time. I believe we started this song on the guitar with the chorus progression; however, “Dying to Love You” was started with the lyrics of the first verse! I believe remaining open to anything, and everything will make you the best writer possible.

 

Q) Mikal Blue lent a hand in production for the song. How much of hand and say do you tend to have in the production of your music?

 

A) Mikal Blue and I have worked together for years now and have a seamless time producing with each other. Over the last few years, I have taken some major steps in production myself and tend to be much more hands on nowadays.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) That’s the plan! I’m writing every day and more tracks are coming down the pipeline.

 

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

 

A) I grew up in Florida and some of my favorite show memories come from the shows I used to play at the (now defunct) Landing in downtown Jacksonville. Nothing better than putting on a packed outdoor show, on the water, in a town that loves you as much as you love it. For the West Coast, my favorite spot to play has been the Peppermint Club in LA.

 

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

 

A) Without a doubt, John Mayer. I’ll even settle for just a solo from the guy!

 

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

 

A) My “big find” in artists this year has absolutely been The Oh Hellos. Tyler and Maggie Heath write and sing together so well, it’s just a joy to listen to that sibling connection between the two. Their live band is MASSIVE too, which I respect!

 

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

 

A) Never before have people been so widely accessible to each other. Socials give me the opportunity to have real, important conversations with people I would otherwise never meet! It’s such a powerful tool to be able to share my stories, knowing new people find me every day.

 

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

 

A) Thank you! It’s an honor to make music and even more of honor that you choose to listen to it.

 

 

 

Watch The Video For “Happy”