Declan Sheehy-Moss has dedicated much of his education to music and developing his skills as a musician. At The New England Conservatory, he studied Jazz Performance, and during his high school years, he wrote songs for the New Music Ensemble. The songs he wrote for his high school ensemble went on to make his first three singles which were released once he began working in music production. Declan has produced his singles in his dorm room at the New England Conservatory, using only his computer and his imagination to create music. Most recently, he has released an EP titled, “Things Do That”, and he is currently working on a second EP scheduled for release late 2020. “Don’t Belong,” by Declan Sheehy-Moss, is a more unconventional track, spanning multiple genres and sound types. He mixes electronic, funk, Indie, and pop to create a quirky and unpredictable track that keeps listeners engaged by switching ideas constantly. The song consists of a variety of unique sounds, including synths and electronic wind instruments. It starts with a fast tempo and plays around with different speeds, an interesting and fun twist on the typical song. The lyrics are minimal and serve to accompany the musical aspects of the song where they have been edited to parallel the sounds of some of the electronic instruments. Keep your eyes peeled for Declan’s new EP later this year! Check out “Don’t Belong,” by Declan Sheehy-Moss here.
Hey Declan Sheehy-Moss! Welcome to BuzzMusic, and thank you for sharing “Don’t Belong” with us! What would you say are three things you want listeners to take away from listening to this track?
Thank you for listening! Honestly, I just want people to reach in and find the part of themselves that feels insecure or like they don’t belong in the environment they’re currently in. That’s how I was feeling when I wrote most of this song. It’s about knowing that we all have these feelings and that they will inevitably pass. A pretty simple message, but I was really trying to find the music that expressed the mood I was feeling and that wasn’t as easy.
Have you found that your Jazz Performance education has influenced your songwriting? How have you grown as an artist since you first started songwriting in junior year of high school?
For sure! I think one of the most important things about wanting to go out there and create is knowing what has been created already and how to build off that. Having a good strong base of traditional jazz knowledge has definitely given me a better idea of what I want to write and the possibilities included. I think that’s part of how I’ve grown, having only been exposed to so much music by my Junior year. Really having time to practice, listen, and reflect gives you a better understanding of how your music fits into everything and furthermore, what you want to do with it.
Who is one artist that you find yourself drawing inspiration from the most? Have you always been drawn to such a variety of genres?
Louis Cole has been one of my biggest inspirations over the last two or three years. He seems to have a way of turning generic pop chord progressions into really funky, electronic-sounding tunes with some sort of twist. He also has an emphasis on really in-time music. He’s a drummer so everything is usually super locked in. I think the genre-crossing also has a lot to do with studying Jazz, because the roots of Jazz have influence in Blues, Soul, Gospel, Funk, Fusion, and so on. By getting into to all of those genres you discover more, and from those more still, until you really just consider yourself a “music fan” and it’s hard to classify your music in a genre because it doesn’t sound like one thing. So yes, I guess I have always been drawn to music that I liked, regardless of genre.
Thank you for chatting with us today, Declan! Can you share any details about your EP that is currently in the works?
Thanks so much for having me! The songs for the next EP are pretty much done, but I want to spend a long time getting the mixes just right. It’s seeming like this one's going to be a lot softer and more in-your-feels. I’m aiming for a December 2020 release!