By: Staff
DULCIE drops ‘Stay Away (Hope You’re Ok).’ With a combined personal and emotional rebirth, DULCIE reveals how sometimes you have to make changes and end relationships to find your personal happiness and give way for professional growth with ‘Stay Away (Hope You’re Ok).’ Wasting no time at all, the lyrics burst open this song with a bold declaration that the human who is the cause of DULCIE’s riled-up emotions is creating havoc, and the lyrics foreshadow the emotions by saying, “You’re way up in your head, Iu’re sca-a-red.” can see that yo The gritty and short strummed electric guitars carry the sternly delivered vocals, but then also goes on to poke a little fun at the whole situation. The chorus is very rock and roll in that the message from DULCIE seems like, you suck, and I kinda don't really care…but I wrote a song about you anyway (insert chuckle here- and yes that laugh is in the song and perfectly placed). The lyric/title to the song “Let’s keep this distance….stay away, but I hope you’re ok” is an instant classic line to me. How better can you tell someone to… GO! than that? This is a really solid musical arrangement with terrific vocal delivery by this emerging artist. So, if you have ever had someone in your life who said, “It's’ complicated,” and then proceeded to make your life really difficult, then you need to check out ‘Stay Away (Hope You’re Ok)’ by DULCIE.
We had a chance to get this artist in the Cage with us and learn more about them and we wanted to share it with you! Here’s what we learned:
What first sparked the passion for creating music?
I have always grown up being surrounded by music, my parents are both super passionate about music- they are very musical themselves and love listening to music and going to gigs and festivals. It was normal in our household to have music blasting through the speakers with everyone singing and dancing along and I wouldn’t change that for the world. I definitely think having music as such a central part of my childhood really ignited my passion for it. I got my first guitar aged 10 and the rest is history!
Can you walk us through your songwriting process and where the inspiration comes from for this latest project?
Stay Away (Hope You’re Ok) came very quickly to me actually. I wrote it with my good friend and producer Joe at his home studio in the autumn of 2023. I’d had a lot happening in my life at the time, I went through quite a sudden breakup in the spring beforehand which left me in a city with nowhere to go. That was super difficult and took a lot of strength and self discovery to say the least. I found it hard to accept that this person was no longer healthy for me and that I couldn’t “fix them” no matter how hard I tried. This song is about that feeling of having to let someone go despite caring about them, even if that care feels one sided. It was very healing writing it which is why it came together so fast I think!
Is any part of your music's message or purpose you feel fans or the industry has overlooked? If so, what is that element, and why is it so important to you?
I find that pop music in particular can sometimes be seen as mindless and superficial. A lot of musicians can be quite dismissive of the genre that I’ve witnessed, I’ve seen it from both sides being in more of a niche genre band. I don’t think this is the case with a lot of pop music- it takes a lot of skill to write a successful pop song even if it’s super simple. You don’t need super intricate chords/instrumentation or lyrics to create a message. That’s what I’ve explored with my solo project. I want to create music that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people but still send a message.
What has been the most motivating force in creating your music?
I think for me music is a form of self expression and a way to document/channel my feelings, so im motivated a lot by this. I like the idea of creating a safe space with my music, allowing others to express themselves and their emotions. It isn’t necessarily about numbers or fans for me, creating my music helps me emotionally- I couldn’t survive without creativity.
What part of the music making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date etc?
For me it’s probably the PR stuff! I find it hard to push my music sometimes as I wouldn’t say I’m a naturally pushy or super confident person. It’s definitely taken some getting used to, there’s a lot of things you have to do as an independent musician- all the press release and promotion is hard work for sure! And you don’t always get the results you want.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
I think for me it would be how male dominated it still is. Although it’s a lot better than it used to be there is still a huge disparity between male and female/female presenting opportunities, lineups, pay etc… I’d love to see more female dominated spaces in the industry for sure!
Where do you see your sound and artistry heading in the future? Are there any exciting new directions you're exploring?
I’ve actually recently had a bit of change with my sound with this new release. I’ve definitely leant into my more alternative influences. I was previously in an alt rock/pop punk band and I really missed writing in this style so decided to bring this into my solo project too! I was a bit of an emo as a teen and have enjoyed diving back into all the old artists I used to listen to.
Pop music is great and I think my writing will always have that pop influence to it but I’m excited to explore some more alternative sub-genres for sure!
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? Can you tell us why this happened and how you found the strength to continue?
I’ve had many times if im honest! I have always struggled with my mental health, especially as a teenager. I have borderline personality disorder which can be super difficult to live with and it’s taken me a long time to learn how to manage my emotions for sure. I have an amazing support system around me which I’m really lucky to have,
my friends and family have helped me through. So has music and my passion for creativity.
What advice would you give your younger self and why?
To not compare yourself to others so much. I definitely struggled with this and still do to some extent. It’s hard to look at yourself and your life and be content when you think other people are doing better/look better etc but in reality everyone is feeling the same. When I let go of that intense self-deprecation i definitely felt happier and more motivated.
How do you feel about social media?
I think social media is a curse and a blessing ! It’s an amazing tool as an independent musician to get your music heard by people who’d never have reached you before. It’s also great for self expression and connecting with others! However it definitely has its toxic side- it’s so easy to compare yourself with other people and portray an image that isn’t necessarily authentic. I think it’s all about finding a balance.
When you become famous, what band or artist would you love to tour with?
I’m a big paramore fan and have been for a long time! I’d absolutely love to tour with them, Hayley Williams is such an amazing and talented performer! Her energy is unmatched.
Check out his latest release and listen to more of DULCIE on Spotify & YouTube.
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