Valeria Krel (VK): You’re an award-nominated voice actor. How does voice acting relate to singing, if at all? Do you find the two influence each other in any way?
Dédé (D): So, just as you use your voice to invoke emotion when you sing, you do exactly the same in voice acting. It’s often said that it’s closer to singing than acting. A great songwriter who I’ve learnt so much from, who teaches at Berkeley University, said that when we talk to each other, we’re actually singing. We talk in tones to convey, and get across, our messages, and our ears are attuned to these tones. We cry in the minor 3rd, and we shout in the major 5th.
VK: Do you have any artists who have influenced you or shaped your outlook on music the most?
D: I’m mostly influenced by Soul and R’n’B singers like Jill Scott, Aretha, Etta James and—in terms of performance—I owe my life to Beyoncé. I don’t do anything as crazy as her but her commitment to performance art blows my mind.
VK: One of my personal favorites of yours is Oh Boy You Don’t Love Me. Is there a song of yours that holds a particularly special place in your heart? If so, why?
D: Oh that’s so cute. That song started from a jam session and I just really like the chorus. I think Calling the Clock is the one that still makes me tear up. It really is from a real place, a place of despair. I can’t even think of how sad I was when I wrote it and how much joy it brought to other people.
VK: I’ve read somewhere that you lost your masters, which is such a heartbreaking and, unfortunately, not uncommon experience in the industry. How did that affect your relationship with your own music and your outlook on the music business as a whole? Has it changed the way you approach your career moving forward?
D: I didn’t lose them in that sense—you give them away when you sign a deal and that’s really the norm. In exchange for investment, you hand over your master copies, but in many cases you simply aren’t able to afford to create your records if you don’t. Making music is expensive both time wise and financially. I think everyone needs to be more honest about this. I mean I’m just happy I have them back, I couldn’t release anything whilst I was under contract, and I felt like I was just sitting on all this music. I’m so happy songs like Still Sober found an audience and it’s not just me singing along by myself!
VK: Has that experience empowered you to reclaim control in new ways, creatively, legally, or personally?
D: I think Tik Tok saved me! Being in control of self promotion was hard at first, I felt embarrassed but then when it started reaching people, I almost cried. People were messaging me saying how much they loved the songs and added it to their playlists. Then, my numbers changed in like a month. I went from 1k streams to 40k in about 2 months. I still find it cringey to put myself out there but I suppose cringe can’t kill?
VK: You performed the English national anthem at the Six Nations game in front of 80,000 people. What was that experience like, and what has been your most memorable performance to date?
D: That was my most memorable. What was so weird was as soon as I started performing I felt so comfortable as if I’d sung there my whole life. Adrenaline is crazy… Do you know how many people 80,000 are plus ITV viewers?? And the national rugby team?? I’m so proud I could sing for the national team and the best thing is… they WON!
VK: Looking ahead, are there areas within music that you’d like to explore more, perhaps branching out into new genres or styles?
D: I am looking to do more sync writing this year and more music for film and tv. I would love to do more of this. I’m not limited by style. I mean I started my musical life on classical piano and singing songs in the Catholic church. Haha.
VK: What can we expect from you in the near future? Are there any new releases planned for 2025?
D: I have my last song from my old deal coming out in the next few weeks and then I’m writing new music as we speak. I hope to get it out around autumn. It’s scary to write new material but if I don’t write… it will kill me, for my own sanity. I have to create.
Dédé is on Instagram and Spotify.
