A Chat with Dizmation (05.06.2020)
Joey Doyle is a singer, songwriter and artist from Dublin. He is also the man behind Dizmation asking the real questions about the technology age. His latest EP The Future Is A Bubble looks at the emergence of AI and was released earlier this year. We sat down with Joey Doyle (JD) to talk about the new EP, his music and much more!
OSR: What drew you to the music industry?
JD: I suppose I look at music as an art form more than an industry. This is my first solo EP and it was released independently so I haven’t really been involved in the industry in the broader sense. I do think there is a certain underground scene emerging recently though, which is nice to see. There’s only a fraction of mainstream radio or television etc. that I can even bear to listen to so I disregard it most of the time.
OSR: Who or what are you inspired by?
JD: A wide range of things really. I like more forms of art. I like to listen to some science podcasts also, to try and get my head around some of it. I love classical music, poetry and reading. There are a lot of things to get inspired by and it’s always nice to find new and old things that might spur some thought. Personally, I think that’s one of the main purposes of art, to spur thought in people.
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OSR: Please explain your creative process
JD: I’m always tinkering around with something, be it painting, sketching or writing songs. So I kind of like going along with the flow of where the piece of art is going usually. I love the spontaneous nature of that and then maybe, the process of refining the piece or leaving it as is. It just depends on the song itself, or whatever kind of art piece it is. I’m not much for sticking rigidly to any genre either. I just like to help facilitate where the art is going. Like some kind of receiver.
OSR: What’s an average day like for you?
JD: Usually 24 hours.
OSR: Is there a hidden meaning in any of your music?
JD: There may be, but it’s up to the listener to extract their own meaning out of it really. The good thing about music or art is that it can be looked into or it can just be taken as sounds or visuals on their own merit. They’re usually an amalgamation of thoughts and feelings all wrapped up in one.
OSR: Do you collaborate with others? What is that process?
JD: Sometimes yeah, but the majority of this EP was recorded and mixed at home with a few bits done in a studio. I hope to collaborate with some more people in the future maybe.
OSR: Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans
JD: If I get messages or emails or whatever I’ll respond to them obviously. As this is my first solo work I’m just putting it out there as best I can really. My philosophy is, if people find it and like it then that’s great. If they don’t that’s fine too. Just have an open mind.
OSR: What do you like most about this line of work? What do you like least? Why?
JD: I just like being creative in general. I find it therapeutic and stimulating. So mostly, I love the process of creating the piece and if something good comes out of that, well then that’s just a bonus.
What I least like about it is that sometimes it can feel like shouting into a vacuum, because the sheer volume of data that people are subjected to on a daily basis is so large nowadays. It can be difficult to differentiate between what’s worthwhile or to give something enough time to grow on you. Things seem to have such a short shelf life these days that art can be somewhat undervalued.
Personally, I find the things that grow on you last longer than just some momentary spike in serotonin. The transient nature of how art is consumed nowadays can be somewhat upsetting. It’s all just “What’s next?” Having said that, it can also help you find new things. Everybody can’t be 100% into everything, but it can be nice to slow things down and give things enough time too. I don’t think life is a race to the end.
OSR: Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
JD: Yeah sure, I think it’s just a matter of having the right balance of self-belief and genuine nervousness. To want to portray the songs well, but also trying to keep it free and uninhibited.
OSR: Tell me about your favourite performance venues
JD: Well, I haven’t performed these songs live yet except for some acoustic video clips so I’ll have to get back to you on that one! I just like a venue that has a good ambience to it.
OSR: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
JD: Watch your step and maybe bring a flashlight!
Thanks to Dizmation for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his Instagram and Bandcamp.
