As many a frenzied text to former Life Editor AJ Kolondra regarding Dayglow’s latest releases and tour dates showcase, I find the pop artist to be something special. Although I’ve been an avid fan of Dayglow and his infectious energy since the release of his debut album, “Fuzzybrain,” in 2019, seeing him perform live only increased my appreciation for the artist. As AJ and I left the Brooklyn Bowl last semester slack-jawed—in awe at the level of passion the indie-pop singer brought to the stage—I knew an opportunity to speak with the artist behind the band—Sloan Struble—was one I could not pass up.
Having just recently performed at Ryman Auditorium, I wanted to understand more of what inspired Struble’s inspiration behind his latest release, “People in Motion.”
“‘People in Motion’ came out of seeing what people wanted out of Dayglow as a whole,” Struble said. “When you’re on the road, everything really starts to blur together, and, thankfully, it’s a good blur. This tour specifically feels like there’s something going on like it’s the beginning of something new.”
Struble mentioned that the inspiration from his latest album was the feeling of playing music live, which was not shocking to me having seen the amount of passion Struble brings to the stage.
“It’s very much an album made for performing live and definitely exists for that reason,” Struble said.
Struble’s journey as an artist reflects the uniqueness of his music. Beginning to make and produce music at just 11 years old and releasing his debut album as a teenager, Struble has spent the majority of his adolescence becoming an indie-pop sensation.
“When music becomes your career, it changes a little bit,” Struble said. “But [my] whole approach to making music hasn’t changed at all … It’s really weird that it’s my job; [that] still doesn’t really click for me.”
Curious if any other genres have ever piqued the artist’s interest, I asked Struble how he knew indie-pop was where he belonged when he began making music.
“[It was] naturally what I started to make, I wasn’t too self-aware about it… I have never really thought about it, I’m very much not a rapper… I just generally love pop music, I think it’s really musical and fun,” Struble said, citing his main inspirations growing up as the Talking Heads and Paul Simon.
Struble described how his approach to music production is solitary—consisting of making music in his spare bedroom all day in Austin, Texas. Dayglow the band is not only made of Struble however, consisting of keyboardist Norrie Swofford, bassist Peyton Harrington, guitarist Colin Crawford and drummer Brady Knippa.
Making music for Dayglow the band is not where Struble’s passion for production ends.
“I would love to produce for other people; [I] have gotten into that a little bit and it’s fun,” Struble said.
Struble also enjoys collaboration—a dream collaboration for the artist being fellow male pop icon Harry Styles (as a fan of the bright pop beats and lyrics of Harry Styles, I would absolutely purchase this collaborative album).
Almost overwhelmed by the levels of success the indie pop artist has seen, Struble’s goals seem to center on continuing his successful approach thus far: making music and touring.
“As far as setting goals, it’s already way bigger of a deal than I ever thought it was,” Struble said. “So I don’t necessarily know how to make a goal beyond this. It’s all just been amazing, and I’m just soaking it all in.”
This skyrocket toward fame has not shaken Struble’s priorities of making music that comes from the soul.
“Making music comes really, really naturally to me, it’s definitely the best way that I process my own emotions [and] the best way that I can translate my emotions to other people I think is through music, so it feels like a very natural process.”
This emotional translation approach to lyric writing is echoed in tracks produced throughout Struble’s career; what came to mind for me immediately was the lyrics of the Harmony House track “Woah Man”:
“Listen to me closely / But look around you mostly / There’s so much more to love / That you will find / Once you wipe those tears away / From both your eyes / And let them dry.”
With a balanced and retrospective attitude towards fame and music making, I look forward to future releases from Struble as he remains connected to his values within music making.
