Specific Alt/Indie singles can make listeners feel a variety of emotional drives. Dre Drinkard is the kind of artist that perfectly captures some of these emotional states we all endure, and he manifests music that perfectly intertwines with such moments we go through as humans. Best described as an artist who creates movie-like moments with his sound, Dre Drinkard is a Californian who is all about exploiting his expertise to bring the elucidating experience his listeners crave. Paying close attention to artists such as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, and Joji, Dre Drinkard extracts various influences from his most in-tune artists, and listeners successfully receive a harmonic collaboration of sorts.
Dre Drinkard released his wavy and organic sounding track, "Turnaround." The single introduced itself with a consistent lo-fi beat that establishes certain alternative energy. Dre Drinkard makes use of echoing styles in order to craft an almost mystified listening experience, and in doing so, he amplifies the soundscape in a vivid way. The hazy synth collection is what ultimately allows "Turnaround" to rise to the top, as the unique blend of organic sounding beats is what brings that flavourful reality. Dre Drinkard didn't fall short one bit with "Turnaround," as he conjured the perfect ambiance for any late-night thinking. All in all, "Turnaround" gave an inspirational feel, making us feel reminiscent and in a state of clarity.
"Turnaround" had that perfect kind of wavy ambiance set for listeners. What thought process went into the structure of the production, and how did you intend for your listening base to interpret "Turnaround" rhythmically?
Turnaround was made entirely on one live stream. I just started playing guitar, and recorded into a beat, and started singing comments that my fans were writing. One thing led to another and then we had a song.
What was the main essence of "Turnaround" and how were you hoping it would inspire your listeners?
Most of the lyrics in Turnaround come from a fan turned friend of mine, and veteran Jeremiah Pippin. He wrote the lyrics after going some through some tough times coming back from the war. The song marks a turning point in his life. Some of the other lyrics were perfectly placed by another fan turned friend Kasia Wrona and a friend of mine from high school.
You have a very versatile sound that draws from a variety of genre styles. How would you ultimately describe the way you shape your music? Would you categorize yourself into one specific genre?
I just make beats with whatever instruments I have available and try to write songs and sing them over the beats. I would say the genre is just modern pop music, maybe with some emo/pop-punk influence for this song. But as a producer, I produce a lot of different sounding type beats from reggae-ish to emo so it just depends on the song.
Are there any goals or milestones that you're hoping to hit by the time 2020 is over?
Nothing specific, but maybe break 100k Spotify streams and 10k listeners. Currently, I am sitting at about 75k Spotify streams and 7k monthly listeners for my first year releasing music as Dre Drinkard.
What has been keeping you inspired this year?
I live with a band that I play in called Water Tower, all the members of the band have multiple projects going on and side hustles as instrumentalists and producers so we are always creating in one house. It really helps to be around people who are as motivated as you are.