DED STARK
1) Tell us something about yourself that your fans may not know.
A: Hmm fans may not know I'm left handed, they probably don't know I used to be a jock either.
2) How did you get into producing music?
A: To keep it as short as possible, I started playing guitar and singing in elementary school, had bands by highschool as the lead guitarist and singer, and also started dabbling in hip hop in high school to both producing and as an emcee.
3) What's your process like when creating a new track?
A: My tracks basically write themselves sporadically. When a good idea pops in my head sometimes I know a whole song will pour out so I let it happen and record it in voice memos. Usually that includes a melody or pattern too. Typically lyrics come first but sometimes I make a beat based on a cool little guitar riff I made up without any lyrics in mind. I'll write / practice and record pretty quickly in most cases. Though that process is not an absolute, the best ones basically write themselves and then exist within a day or 2. I use ableton and drag in guitar or vocal samples that I make myself for the instrumentals. I used different recording setups but lowkey i'll have songs coming out that were recorded on phone or built in laptop mics. I think they sound good aha.
4) Who are some of your musical influences?
A: I have many inspirations musically, not too many idols though. I am heavily inspired by all kinds of artists from different genres and eras. From Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd, to Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Candlebox and Soundgarden, to Skrillex, Rl Grime, Baauer and Flosstradamus, to the OG rappers like Pac, Biggie, Eminem, Tech N9ne, all the way to newer artists like Juice, Uzi, Suicide Boys, etc. That's just off top.
5) You dropped your DED DREAMS project just over a month ago. What was the inspiration for this project?
A: DED DREAMS was my first long project though it could still be considered an EP (10 tracks but that includes intro/outro). It is kind of a follow up to DED Diary 1 and 2, but a tad different because I was in a little bit of a different head space at the time. Rather than purely sad vibes it was a little more introspective. IDK how to describe it because it's still a DED STARK project but the lyrics and overall subject matter were a little different in this one. I think the sound had a bit of a different vibe too but not like night and day or anything..
6) You went from playing sports to making music. Tell us about that transition, was it hard?
A: I was a jock and a musician basically all throughout grade school. My dad was actually a community football coach for a time and turned the program around because he's kind of a football genius. Really that's a whole story on its own but I came from a football past. Loved it, played it, studied it, lived it. I also played baseball but it wasn't MY sport. Throughout those years though my dad (the coach) always encouraged me to stick with music too which I showed interest and also had natural ability in. Before the end of highschool I was already sick of the athletics lifestyle. Taking my sophomore and junior year not playing any sports. I did have a band at the time and we were actually successful for a highschool band. Getting gigs including the monteret blues festival in 2007 which was a big deal for us at the time. Anyway I missed sports by senior year so came back and played just football one more year. Sadly I broke my hand the week before our 1st league game and it was a bad one so I had surgery with pins and all... I was in the starting rotation for receivers and defensive backs (we had alot of talent... I was hype) until I broke my hand. Regardless I played with a cast for like 6 weeks. Got a lot of defensive snaps anyway.... we were literally undefeated so we could rotate our depth chart at will. (my dad was not the coach but this was the same group of kids he coached in middle school) ... Anyway I got my cast off and then got more playing time but still never had the season I could have, had I not broke my hand. Either way I was never a star just in the rotation. We had real stars. 2 all state players (RB/MLB) and a QB who was only a FRESHMEN that year.... ON VARSITY (his dad was in the nfl lmao), and he did great. We went 12-0 and won CCS D3.. (2009) which never happened in CHS history and probably never will again. They had a hard time winning playoff games at all and we wrecked everyone. ANYWAY. That's how I ended my time as an athlete. Was a good high note. I had already known music was my long term lifestyle at that point. It was the larger of the passions and it also was easier for me to do things within the music world. The athletics world is even more competitive and rigid in my opinion. I'm not cut out for that. so here I am.
7) If you could only have 1 feature for the rest of your career who would it be?
A: As far as features go, I have never done one. There was a point where I considered it as a possible move but at the end of the day I listened to my gut. I know i'm very underground but still I don't really want any features. It's not because I don't think it would help but that's not the point, I just want my art to be standalone. The purest form of my expression.
8) What can fans expect from you in 2020?
A: The only thing to expect from me is more music. I don't know what's in store for me but I'm pretty anti social so at the end of the day I know how to create and release music which is what I'll keep doing.
Follow Ded Stark:
Instagram - @dedstark_ig
Twitter - @NateEarsley
Soundcloud - @dedstark
