Blazing his way through the scene from Lake Worth, Florida, is a singer-songwriter and alternative-punk recording artist Dominic DeLaney with his gripping 9-track album, 'The Marrow In My Bones.'
Dominic DeLaney's broad musical style comprises sounds of punk, alternative, and a dash of acoustic alongside folk-like storytelling. It's expansive, to say the least, and fans from Chicago to Denver have all raved about the recording artist's thrilling live performances and ability to keep the audience engaged. Dominic DeLaney's 2021-released album, 'The Marrow In My Bones, brings that same energy and grit.'
Dominic DeLaney's debut album peels open with the intro track, "Chubby," a hearty serving of foot-stomping punk rock with a western, country, folk-like edge. The introduction takes us by surprise with pounding punk drums and Dominic DeLaney's angsty, exciting vocals that beam like the first ray of sun. The song's lively instrumentals keep us hooked with groovy guitar licks and driving rhythm guitars. All stress is relieved when reaching the glimmering hook, which comes through with the brightest synths while maintaining that gripping and exhilarating rock atmosphere.
Onto track number two, "From the Start," Dominic DeLaney opens this song on more of an emotional alternative-rock tone with radiant and expansive electric guitars alongside thrilling drum breaks and a plucky, soft acoustic guitar. As DeLaney begins pouring his warm and melodic vocals through our speakers, he asks 'P' where she's been, how she's a bitch, and claims that everything he says is from the bottom of his heart. An underlying sense of energy and relief comes with this exciting banger, perhaps a sort of acceptance to move onward and upward.
The third track, "Have My Back, " slows things down and softly opens with a soothing electric guitar that quickly transitions into an acoustic-guitar heavy verse that pounds our speakers with heavy drums and Dominic DeLaney's vibrant energy. This song takes on the theme of wondering if someone will be there for you through thick and thin, and DeLaney's portrayal of those thoughts and emotions is spot on. We love the anguish and wonder Dominic DeLaney sings with; he has this incredible way of placing the listener deep within his concepts, almost as if they're experiencing it first-hand.
Pumping up the grit and power is track number four, "Seen It All Before," which takes listeners deep into the 'crazy college tuition drug binge,' the repetitive nature of addiction, and admitting that sometimes we all get high (and we all get low too). This song has a mysteriously-sounding verse that quickly transitions into a blistering and anthemic hook to further enhance the listening experience. There's so much energy and passion within this album thus far, and Dominic DeLaney's wailing guitars, raspy vocals, and shoutouts to working at Subway make the experience worthwhile.
The album's mid-way track, "Play Hard Play Honest," opens with samples of an excited crowd alongside Dominic DeLaney's high-energy drums, familiar vocals, and punchy guitars that set the passionate tone. DeLaney later goes into those difficult emotions of playing shows and living in the moment but feeling terrified that his special someone won't be around once he's home. Although his lyrics come from an honest and emotional place, this song is drenched in drive, relentlessness, and passion for his craft. We can only imagine the experience that comes with witnessing this banger live in concert.
Reaching the album's sixth track, "Sad Songs," Dominic DeLaney takes the energy back down and opens the song with his bright acoustic guitar and minimal piano melodies. While reminiscing of younger, better days and watching life get harder, Dominic DeLaney expresses that although he's cried more than he should, sad songs just make him feel good. That lyric is vastly relatable, take it from us, and we're sure listeners will appreciate DeLaney's ability to navigate life through such meaningful lyrics that truly move mountains. This song is wildly cathartic; it's packed with release, anguish, and perseverance.
There's a recurring theme in this album that reappears on the seventh track, "My Way Home," where Dominic DeLaney touches on how he misses someone singing along to his songs while wondering if they miss him in return. This song is very uplifting; the beaming acoustic guitars alongside soft synths and driving drums never fail to pump up the party and give listeners the relief they're looking for. All in all, Dominic DeLaney is sure that he'll find his way back home; even in the darkest times where loneliness waves over like a dim shadow, there's still a light at the tunnel's end.
Another toe-tapping tune bolts through our speakers with "Pay Me (feat. Andii Styron)," which takes off with tight drum breaks and the grooviest electric guitar riffs to launch the song's energy. As Dominic DeLaney makes his way in, he energetically sings of those dreaded questions like 'did you get a job yet?' or 'did you get a car yet?' yearning to leave it all behind and never think twice. Andii Styron's added female flair gives the song a rich punk edge that oozes equal amounts of energy, stimulation, and attitude. There's so much to hear in this track, and all aspects are definitely worth listening to.
Taking us to the soul-soothing outro track, "Life On Mars," Dominic DeLaney and his tender acoustic guitar gently open this piece, singing of waiting for a chance where things get better while floating on a rock in space. As the lush piano melodies and soft electric guitars make their way in, DeLaney takes us through the first verses to end the song on this radiant and cathartic note. The instrumentals pound through our speakers on the bridge to serve us the last few ounces of energy, closing the album with profound introspection and the need for better, brighter days.
Do some needed soul-searching with a bit of help from Dominic DeLaney's engaging and deeply personal 9-track album, 'The Marrow In My Bones,' now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Dominic DeLaney, and congratulations on the release of your debut album, 'The Marrow In My Bones.' When did you begin writing lyrics and executing ideas for this album? How long did it take to create?
Thank you very much! Some of these songs were written around 2018, and some were even featured on my first acoustic EP “Chubby”. I’d say about half of them came from that EP and we’re then touched up to be the full band songs they are now. The other half was written during 2019/2020. The album took a bit to be made as it was made during the lockdown of 2020. Recording remotely was a weird process that I hope to never have to repeat again! The learning curve was very sharp by necessity. It took a lot of hours figuring out how to essentially turn my living room into my personal studio, and then I would send files back and forth with my producer.
What inspired the entire album 'The Marrow In My Bones'? What led you to create it?
I think when I started playing live shows again in 2018 the natural progression led me back to songwriting. I knew I didn’t want to be a cover artist, and thankfully I’ve still never had to play “Brown Eyed Girl”, or really any song I don’t want to play thankfully. The first song that was written for the album was “Play Hard Play Honest”, also where the title “The Marrow In My Bones” comes from. The song was directly inspired by a quote Frank Turner had signed on my dad’s guitar, telling him to do just that - Play Hard, Play Honest. That hit home for me and is something I try and capture in every song I write. All of my songs are true, and tell people, myself included, who I am. As the songs started to come more frequently and I released the 'Chubby EP' I knew I wanted to pursue a full-band studio album and when the pandemic hit, the opportunity presented itself and I jumped at the chance. I’m glad I did. What was your main goal with the release of 'The Marrow In My Bones?' What impact and effect did you want the album to have?
I think the main goal for me was just to have these songs out there with their full potential realized. I love playing them solo, and still do solo shows, but there’s something about the full band arrangements that really grab me. I love the energy of playing full band shows and this gave me a great foundation to start doing that more regularly. As for impact and effect, I think I want to write songs for people like me. I know I can’t be the only one feeling the way I feel or going through the things I go through, so having that relatability in my music is very important to me. For instance, the song “Sad Songs” deals with the loss of two of my good friends due to addiction, and it’s a heartbreaking song to play, but I think it’s important. For one, I remember my friends every time I play that song; and secondly, when someone comes up and tells me they relate to that song, I know it’s touched on something they’ve had in their life, and that connection is very real and intense. I am a pretty goofy person and that comes out in my songwriting, I think. I don’t like to take myself too seriously, but I do talk about serious topics. A good example is “Chubby” where the line is “I barely eat, but I’m still chubby” - it’s a bit of a funny line, but that entire song is about my excessive drinking at that time. It’s a fun upbeat song, but the meanings are a bit more serious. I kind of like that duality. What was it like working with Andii Styron for the song "Pay Me" from 'The Marrow In My Bones?' Have you worked with her in the past?
Andii is just fantastic. She’s a great friend, and we were lucky to both sign to the same label and go through the process of figuring out how to work with them, in the middle of a global pandemic, together. The whole process of putting that song together was so natural and felt like the days of two kids just making a song in their garage. When writing the song I purposefully left a verse unwritten so that she could write her own, I didn’t want to be like “sing this, this way or it’s wrong”. I trust her musically and personally and I think she absolutely delivered. She’s an amazing musician and a very talented writer. This was the first time we got to work together on a recording but we originally met when we were both booked at a songwriter night here in Florida. When I met her and saw her perform for the first time, I knew I wanted to be friends with her and work with her in the future and I’m so glad it happened on this album. There will definitely be more collaborations in the future! Did you work with any other musicians or producers when formulating 'The Marrow In My Bones?' Who helped bring the record to life?
Firstly I have to shout out to my friend Sara Scully. She sings on the song “From The Start” but because of how the album ended up listed, it doesn’t have her name on it, which, honestly, still irks me a bit. I and Sara are good friends and have toured together and I was so happy to have her be a part of this album. My label Innerstate Music made the whole album possible. I was very nervous coming into a situation where I was working with others, especially in the context of the pandemic, everything is done by email and zoom calls, but in the end, I think we pulled it off. But I think the people who really helped this album come to fruition are the people who continually come out to my shows, send me encouraging emails, and support my art. They’ve pushed me to do this whole music thing to the best of my ability and that support system, to me, is crucial. There are way too many to name, but I hope they know how much it means to me. My goal is to create the best art that I can create, and I think this captured that. That being said, I hope to continue to grow and continue being able to create something new and interesting.