PRESENTING DALLIN APPLEBAUM
LINK TO PRE-SAVE DES RES on SPOTIFY:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dallinapplebaum/des-res
Single "Des Res" will be released Sept 15th, 2022
Video for "Des Res" will be released on Sept 12th, 2022
Dallin Applebaum is an alternative songwriter with a knack for melodic piano-driven songs with a dark-humored spirit. Originally based in New York City, she moved to Nashville in early 2022. Dallin has always been drawn to music- she began playing classical piano at a young age and started singing and writing songs as a teenager. After attending college in New York, Dallin began touring with major pop artists among the likes of Ryan Star & Rachel Platten, in addition to working with recording artists such as Passion Pit, Phil Phillips, Matchbox 20 and many more. Among this success, she also won runner up for Best Folk Song in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2009. . In 2013, Dallin started an electronic rock band called SKYES, who made their way through the Brooklyn indie music scene before she chose to move into writing music on her own. During this time Dallin also wrote and produced pop songs under the alias Alise Indall. Many of Indall’s songs can be heard on TV and film, and “I’m That Girl” was featured in the promotion for the 2018 USA Women’s Olympic teams. In the process of building her new album, Grey Matters, Dallin began a songwriting club in New York as a place to get together with other songwriters and share ideas. It was through the club that she was able to create a space where she could work through and finish writing all of the songs for her album. Grey Matters, due out in January 2023, explores extremes as a means to understanding and appreciating what's between them. Dallin produced and arranged most of the record herself with the help of her husband & a few extremely talented friends.
She will continue to play shows in Nashville, New York and around the country. Until then, she will be releasing singles and music videos from the album. You can pre-save her first single, Des Res, out on Spotify and other platforms September 15th, 2022.
LYRICS:
In the endless contest of who grows fastest I sleep-walk right through the masses Working with one open eye Eat sleep play, then back in line And it would be nice to gain access To life-styles not prone to crashes But i can't seem to get it right These walls are starting to feel tight It's safe inside but the roof is leaking I bang my head against the wall, to the beat it makes And I am fine - I'm alive and I'm adapting To the sand in my eyes Cause I'm tired of waiting for empty shells that wash ashore I'm tired of paying demigods I call landlord I don't wanna borrow Or pay it off tomorrow But there's limited supply In this des res, des res Some settle for plaster, trashes No windows, rose colored glasses The lights go out but, hey, we've got matches No fresh food, but we've got stashes Or some prefer underhand tactics Pick on snails slow as molasses Socialize just to find cracks then Take their homes right off their backs and Shine a diplomatic smile Cover up the whole the damn heist And I am fine, I'm alive I'm adapting To the sand in my eyes Cause I'm tired of waiting for empty shells that wash ashore And I'm tired of paying demigods I call landlord And I don't wanna borrow Or pay it off tomorrow But there's limited supply in this Des Res Des Res I'm gonna try to get my Des Res Des Res I'm not gonna lie to get my Des Res, Des Res
What are your favorite lyrics from your latest single? "In the endless contest of who grows fastest / I sleepwalk right through the masses / working with one open eye / eat sleep play then back in line / and it would be nice to gain access / to lifestyles not prone to crashes / but I can't seem to get it right / these walls are starting to feel tight / " What kind of pull did you feel about making the single? It was the middle of covid, and BLM protests, and I think everyone (especially in cities and tight areas) felt like the walls were closing in. My then boyfriend (now husband) and I couldn't break our expensive lease, but we couldn't both work from home in a one bedroom apartment. We wanted out, we wanted to buy a home like our parents did so easily when they were our age, but we couldn't come close to affording anything desirable, especially in New York City. I remembered this Planet Earth video that showed how hermit crabs line up, in size order, to wait for new shells to move into. If there are two hermit crabs that are the same size, they have to fight over the best fitting shell. The loser can't just go back to his old shell, that's already been taken. So then he's just sitting there, exposed, vulnerable, homeless. It felt super relatable. Are all your writing sessions collaborative or do you go off on your own? Do you have a preference? I wrote all of the songs on this album alone, however, I did bring most of them to a Song Share I started in Brooklyn, pre-pandemic. I'd get together with a bunch of songwriters and we'd share the newest songs, or partial songs, & get feedback & encouragement from each other. Do you ever compare the work you bring to the table? I try not to. But there is a standard for an album, and some songs do go on to be "B-Sides". What is standard practice when it comes to if the song is really finished? A lot of it is instinctual. I have to be able to sing through the song with just me and a piano and feel good about it from start to finish. The lyrics have to make sense, but also feel good to speak and sing. The melodies have to have a really good arc, and play against the harmonic content. It's even harder for me to know when a song's production is finished, but again, I try to follow my gut. The song's message and mood should match the feel of the arrangement and instrumentation. The dynamics have to be perfect. Exceptional tone is a must. And once all that is in place, mixing. Luckily I had an amazing mix-engineer, Justin Ryan Francis, who made the whole process fun and easy. What was the goal for making the latest track? My goal for songwriting is always to create something people want to listen to. Hopefully it's relatable, entertaining, with some introspection. Usually my songs don't end up in clubs or on dance stations. There are a lot of stories in there... it's not really an album you can put on in the background. It's more for headphones or an environment conducive to listening. Challenges to the new music that no one would know about? Recording remotely is great but can also be a bitch! There are difficult logistics of sending notes and files back and forth. Also recording vocals at home is great (I get the time to do it my way, and it saves me money), however, it's hard to isolate without a soundproof room. If you listen closely you'll hear a toilet flush, a dog barking, a motorcycle going by. Favorite memory in the making of this music? The horns were the only instruments recorded in a studio in Brooklyn called Vinegar Hill Sound. We recorded an amazing trumpet solo (Nathan Koci) and layered a very beatles-y French horn and trumpet part at the end. I had written all of the parts on a little dinky MIDI keyboard trumpet sound, so it was super cool to hear that part come to life. Also, recording my husband playing guitar. It was really fun to collaborate with him. He has a lot of fun guitar toys, and it was such a joy to see him in his element. Is there anything off the table when it comes to bringing yourselves into your music? Nothing's off the table, there's just some things I haven't written about yet. Leave us on a high note! And share some good news!
There is an animated music video that features a really cute hermit crab that I'll be releasing to all of the platforms on September 12th!