CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 079: DANIEL SHAW ON BEING DRUNK HIGH LOW
Words by Brooklyn Gibbs.
Daniel Shaw has been super busy with the release of his latest single, drunk high low and it’s accompanying music video. Futuremag Music caught up with Daniel following this release to talk about the meaning behind his single, and celebrate his new signing to Island Records Australia.
FMM: First, congrats on the release of drunk high low. How does it feel to have it out there and what has the reaction to it been like so far?
Daniel: Thank you!! It feels great to have music out there again. Feels like a life-time ago since I’ve released music and I’m very proud of what I’ve created over the past couple of years. I’m really grateful for the response to drunk high low. It’s been very positive! I love seeing all the different ways that people have been connecting to the song and what it means to them. It makes all the hard work worth it.
FMM: Drunk high low is the perfect mix of both happy and sad at the same time. It’s a very upbeat and catchy tune, but when you actually listen to the lyrics on a deeper level, it’s actually quite dark. How do you find that balance?
Daniel: I originally wrote this song to be quite dark and didn’t initially imagine it to be an upbeat feel-good tune. So, I think the balance of happy and sad was due to the fact that I wrote it with the intention of just being a sad song but then working on the song more with Jarrad Rogers and experimenting with the production of the song, the happy element started coming through a lot more.
FMM: What inspired these darker lyrics?
Daniel: I wrote this, along with many other of the songs on the EP during a hard season I went through. There was a lot of, now resolved, family tension and I had moved out of home quite suddenly. So I wrote this song about not being able to express myself and pretty much feeling like I had to drown myself in alcohol in order to feel okay. I’m not an alcoholic by any means, but for a period of time, I did drink a lot more than I should have and it wasn’t for the right reasons. It was me trying to find an escape.
FMM: When releasing music based on personal experiences such as this, how does it feel knowing the people you write these songs about, may come across them at some point?
Daniel: t’s a little nerve wracking to be honest, but I’ve got to be true to what I feel in the moment and write from whatever space I find myself in. It’s amazing how the situations I personally go through can impact so many people through the music I create from those experiences. So I usually try not to think too much about the response from the people I write about, and I try and focus more on the bigger picture and how that song may impact other people.
FMM: Drunk high low was produced by Jarrad Rogers and Robby De Sa. Why were they the perfect fit for this release?
Daniel: Jarrad first saw me busking in Bourke St Mall, so he knows where I’ve come from and the sound I’ve developed over the years. He was the first legitimate person to approach me with experience in the music industry and we clicked straight away. Working with Jarrad on this single was very easy and not forced at all. Writing with him is so natural, it doesn’t even feel like we are writing at all; we’re just having a good time and sharing our passion for music. So, he was the perfect person to produce and co-write this track with. Robby De Sa is another great guy, with plenty of experience in the industry; working with 5SOS, The Veronicas, etc. I respect and look up to him so it was an honour having him work on this track!
FMM: I love the accompanying music video for this release! The dark setting highlights some of the darker aspects of the lyrics. Tell me more about the music video!
Daniel: Thank you! Glad you like it. In the music video, there’s a negative world and a positive world. In the positive world, there’s over-sized props and everything is very colourful and “fake”. I’m the only thing in there that doesn’t fit in. The negative world is a representation of my mind with everything being quite dark and melancholic. Throughout the music video both worlds are going back and forth, hinting at a battle where I’m trying to hold on to some positivity but it’s proving to be too much.
FMM: Also, congratulations on recently signing with Island Records Australia! That’s exciting! Why is Island Records the best for for what you want to achieve in the creative industries?
Daniel: Thank you! I’m honoured to be signed to Island Records. I have a strong respect for the type of artists they sign (Dean Lewis, Matt Corby, etc.) and the history of the label. Being signed to them is a good fit for what I want to achieve as my music and vision is nurtured and supported in a great way.
FMM: Word on the street is you’re releasing an EP later this year - that’s super exciting! Could you please share more about the EP and what we can expect from it?
Daniel: Yes I am, and I’m super excited about it! This EP includes the kind of songs people would expect me to create but also has songs that might come as a surprise as I’ve experimented a fair bit and I’ve collaborated with some very talented people. As well as Jarrad Rogers and Robby De Sa, I’ve also collaborated with Andy Hopkins and Chris Collins on this EP.
FMM: I also hear there’s some pop-up shows coming up in July in Melbourne. What are you most looking forward to about these shows?
Daniel: I’ve actually already done the Pop-up show in Melbourne. It was great performing again and going back to my roots and back to where it all began for me - Bourke St Mall. I’m also excited to start putting on more shows and tour too! To stay in the loop with what I’m up to, people can follow me on their preferred social media platform!