DANIEL SEAVEY IS AN INTUITIVE ARTIST. IN AN INDUSTRY OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY SUBTLE YET INTENSE PUPPETEERING, THE YOUNG SINGER BRINGS A REFRESHING PERSPECTIVE. FOR HIM, MUSIC ISN’T JUST A SKILL TO MONETISE, BUT A GIFT TO NURTURE. SEAVEY FIRST REALIZED THE IMPACT HIS MUSIC COULD HAVE ON OTHERS WHILE BUSKING ON THE STREETS OF HIS HOMETOWN, PORTLAND. EVER SINCE HIS FIRST PERFORMANCE, HE’S BEEN CHASING THAT SAME HIGH. FROM AMERICAN IDOL TO HIS TIME IN A BOY BAND, SEAVEY HAS BEEN ORBITING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE. NOW, AFTER NEARLY A DECADE IN THE GAME, HE’S RELEASING HIS SOLO DEBUT ALBUM, A PROJECT HE DESCRIBES AS THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO HIMSELF AND TO WHAT HE’S BEEN THROUGH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. WE CATCH UP WITH THE SUNNY-DISPOSITIONED SINGER ON AN EQUALLY BRIGHT LA MORNING – HE IS, AFTER ALL, ENJOYING HIS MOMENT IN THE SUN.

Left Jewellery **Dries Criel**
Right Top, pants, and shoes **Lacoste**, earrings **Dries Criel**

Hey, how’s it going?

I’m good, I’m having a silly morning, leaving an allergy appointment…

How was it? Any good news?

Well, it was good because I got some clarity, but I did just find out that I’m allergic to all the trees and grass that exist. [Laughs]

[Laughs] Well, at least you don’t discriminate… It’s so sunny in LA, I’m so jealous.

[Laughs] You said you were in London, right?

Yeah, how long have you been in LA?

Well, I’m originally from Portland, Oregon… So I’m familiar with the rain, I know all about it… I love the sun a lot more, so I’m happy to be here. I’ve been here for six years now, so I call it home at this point. But growing up in Portland was fun, it has a quirky charm, and it was super fun being an artist there.

Top **Adidas**, pants **Dasquared2**, earrings **Dries Criel**

What is the Portland music scene like?

You know, it’s funny I feel like, through my whole career, I’ve never found myself intentionally inserting myself into any situation. Things just fall out of the sky, or I just walk into them. Not to say I haven’t worked hard, but I’m thankful for everything that comes my way so I work my ass off in whatever direction I’m going. A lot of my opportunities have been this weird breadcrumb trail that I wake up to every day and follow. The first opportunity I had to play music in front of people was on the streets of Portland when I was nine years old. My dad was a pastor while I was growing up, so he managed to take the piano out of the church onto the main street in Portland. I performed like that on the street for about five years. I just fell in love with the effect music had on people. I think I understood, even at that age, that this was a gift of mine, something I wanted to protect and nurture. I will never forget the first time I was zoning out looking at the piano because I was so nervous. When I did, there were hundreds of people in the street. There’s a photo of that moment on my Instagram somewhere. My dad saw that, and he found other things for me in terms of opportunity… That’s when he found American [Idol]. We flew to San Francisco and stayed in a cheap hotel. I made it to the top nine but came out of that and thought that was the end of the road. I was trying to be realistic about it, I was applying for PacSun to have my first real job at 15. Then I got a call from my friend Jack Avery saying to me, “Do you want to come to LA and hang out with some cool guys?“ A week later, I was hanging out with these four guys, and we just made a band. Those years are some of the best memories of my life. But all good things come to an end. I felt like a fish out of water, all I knew was that I wanted to make people feel good about my music. Next thing I know, I’m opening for Benson Boone, then for Dean Lewis… I don’t know what’s going on but I’m enjoying it.

That’s very refreshing to hear, I sometimes have this feeling that the music industry works in such a calculated manner…

Yeah, I mean there’s nothing bad about forcing your way into success. That’s just not something I can do. Whether it’s a weakness or a strength, I can’t fake it. I think my approach resonates in my music. I wear my heart on my sleeve, for better and for worse.

Left Full look **Prada**
Right Jeans **Dior Men**, boxers **Erl,** jewellery **Dries Criel**

I think that translates into your work. The music you make is incredibly personal, there’s a real sense of you in the music you write. Does your art have therapeutic value to you?

Absolutely. For me, music has always been about fun and escape. I think people can sometimes lose sight of how much fun music can be. It’s like this wild world where you can just let go completely. The best kind of music, in my opinion, is the kind that lets you not care about anything for a moment, you know? That’s what it’s always been for me, even from the beginning. Music was my escape, as cliché as it sounds. My mom used to call it "flow". I’d get into this state where I’d lose track of time and where I was completely locked into whatever I was creating. It’s honestly such a blessing to have this understanding of music and to hear it the way I do. I feel so grateful for that gift, and I also feel a responsibility to use it in the right way, with good intentions.

It sounds like your solo work was a very personal project for you, especially compared to being in a band. Can you talk about how that transition felt?

While I was in the band, I was also making personal music on the side. The band’s music is something I love and cherish, but it’s a collective effort - I'm only one voice in the conversation. So, naturally, the messages we put out are broader. I think that’s the right approach for a group, but the music I was creating on my own was different. It was just a hobby at first, something I did purely for the love of it, without any business mindset. For example, my first solo song, Can We Pretend That We’re Good? was sitting on my computer for a year before I released it. I made it while I was still with the band, not knowing if I’d ever put it out. When the band eventually broke up, I was like, "Well, I have this song, so why not release it?" It felt like I was putting out something so personal, and I wasn’t confident it would do anything big. But seeing how it has changed my life has been unbelievably validating and exciting. It’s lit a new spark in me to chase bigger things.

Left Top and pants **Lacoste**, earrings **Dries Criel**
Right Full look **Emporio Armani**

It’s an exciting time in pop music right now, with a lot of artists who’ve been working for years finally getting recognized. How does it feel to be part of that movement?

Oh my gosh, it’s so exciting. I’m honestly honoured that you’d even place me in that category. It’s hard to put into words, but I’m just so grateful to have an opportunity to keep doing what I love. I never expected to find myself in a position where people would still talk about me in the current pop scene. I just wanted to keep making music. So for people to resonate with my work in this way, it’s really special. I feel more validated than ever that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

I read somewhere that your mom was a writer. Given how personal your work is, do you think her writing influenced your music?

Yeah, my mom writes here and there. She had a blog for a while, and she’s working on some books. I think her influence is there, not just in how I write but in who she is as a person. She’s like this beacon of light for me – a role model for how to be the best person you can be. My parents raised me well, and I think a lot of who I am is because of them. My dad, for example, was a preacher, and even if you’re not religious, there’s a lot of wisdom there. So I had this amazing upbringing that shaped me. But when it comes to music, that part definitely didn’t come from them. My dad’s nickname in high school was "Tone Deaf Jeff", he couldn’t hold a tune to save his life. And while my mom can sing, she’s so shy about it that she won’t even sing in front of me. So yeah, the musical talent kind of fell out of the sky for me.

Left Shirt, belt and pants **Givenchy**, boots **Dsquared2**, sunglasses **Jacques Marie Mage**, jewellery **Dries Criel**
Right Top and pants **Lacoste**, earrings **Dries Criel**

It seems like you’re riding a wave of momentum in your career right now. How does that feel, especially with your debut album on the horizon?

I can’t wait for people to hear what I’ve been working on. It feels so special and so authentically me, which is what I always strive for with my music. Even though I have all these cool tools and instruments at my disposal, I want to make something that genuinely resonates and feels true to who I am. I’ve been working hard to make sure this music matters and that it’s doing all the things I want it to do. It’s really exciting, and it feels like just the beginning of a long creative journey. I don’t think I’ll stop making music anytime soon, this feels like the start of something ongoing.

Without giving too much away, what would you say is the central theme or message of the album?

I’d say it’s about a boy who’s being forced by life to grow up but is holding on to all the good aspects of being young. It’s been a pretty wild five years for me, with so many stories to tell, and this album reflects that. There’s a wide range of stories and sounds, but when you put them all together, it feels like me, like Daniel. I’m excited for everyone to hear it and get to know me on that level.

I’m looking forward to it!

Thank you, Pedro. I appreciate it. And by the way, you have a great moustache, I'm so jealous.

Thanks, you should grow one too, we could match.

You know what, I might.