Denel grew up around music. His dad was into Jazz and old school R&B, while his mom loved her boy bands. It was a melting pot of different music in his household. Going into high school, he fell in love with messing around in GarageBand and began writing and producing his own material. It built his confidence during that period to figure out music was something he wanted to pursue.
He was attracted to music, in-turn, creating and releasing music due to being influenced by the people around him. When people realised he could sing, it helped build confidence in himself to pursue this path. “I knew that I wanted to pursue music by the end of high school and that's exactly what I set out to do,” he comments.
Denel is heavily influenced by mid-2000’s R&B music. The classics of that era like Ne-Yo, Trey Songz and Chris Brown to name a few. His musical influences have evolved over the years, he comments, “To name a few on my playlists at the moment are artists like Post Malone, an artist by the name of Austin George and Tory Lanez.”
He wants to become better at his musical skills. Whether it’s writing, producing, or performing, he is always trying to become better than he was at a previous point in time. Denel thinks it’s cool to look back at his releases overtime and check out how things have progressed. It’s encouraging to see things you envision play out in real time as you grow and become a better artist overall,” he comments.
Denel’s music is a mix of pop and R&B falling into the urban category and is inspired by a lot of what he’s either been through or felt. His aim is to create music that speaks to real emotions; the depth is important to him.
His brand-new single ‘Crossroads’ is a pop and R&B infused track that has dark urban undertones, accompanied by a synth and heavy bass production that will draw the listener in from the very beginning.
The thought-provoking tune is self-produced and written by the South African born, NewZealand bred artist showcases his talents through beat-making and lyrical prowess to tell a story of unification and the need for one's own validation.
‘Crossroads’ was inspired by how Denel was feeling at a particular point in time last year. He thought he had this idea that really resonated with him in terms of growth and really discovering who he is as a person. “Realising that I didn't need to seek validation from others while also coming to terms with how important it is to be unified with others. I think that's what this song speaks to,” he comments.
Denel started messing around with bassline ideas to begin with. Progressively, the melody for the verse came to mind almost instantly. Gradually worked towards building the track up rhythmically with the kick, clap and hi-hats. The hi hats specifically are double timed triplets which he felt are a real highlight for this track. The aim was to create something that hits hard yet still maintains depth and meaning in the lyrical content.
Denel comments on ‘Crossroads’, “We’re constantly in a state of chasing the next big thing, staying validated and sometimes all of this comes at the detriment of our own selves. I think it's so important to know your identity and be comfortable with who you are. That's really what this song is all about.”
He wants listeners to take away from his music to aim to make them feel something and maybe even think about things on a deeper level. “I love playing around with thought provoking ideas that can spark changes in some way shape or form. Music is definitely a powerful tool for that,” Denel comments.
Fans can expect a music video for ‘Crossroads’ at the start of 2023, as well as new music on the way too. Watch this space!
A musical highlight for Denel was going to Los Angeles in 2015. “I got to meet some incredible people that I still keep in touch with. I learnt so much on that trip and it was cool just getting a taste of the music scene there,” he comments. He loves the collaborative culture over there as they value that which he thinks is important. “Some of the best ideas can come out of solid collabs. Especially if the chemistry is right between everyone involved in a song.”
Denel’s mission as a music artist is to inspire people in some way or another. “Inspiring change is important to me as well. With so much going on in the world, it's amazing what music can do to unite people and create pathways for change,” he comments, closing out the interview.