1 February 2023 |
Deyaz is sensational. At just 22 years old, he is a dazzling, self-taught musical talent whose completely unique amalgamation of emotive lyrics, soaring topline melodies, complex harmonies – all underpinned by euphoric acoustic guitar – have catapulted him to the cusp of stardom.
Just last year, he released his debut EP Why Not, a poignant record that confronts raw emotion with conviction. Now he’s back with new single “I’ll Scream (All The Words)” – a melancholic track peppered with milky vocals and buttery acoustic guitar riffs.
Deyaz taught himself to play the guitar when he was just 12 (with an acoustic guitar he traded his brother a McDonald’s cheeseburger for) and later in life cut his teeth in Camden’s punk circuit as a drummer. He then began working as a sound engineer in the UK rap field, honing his skills in production and sound design. At one pivotal point, he did receive a scholarship to study at London’s esteemed Guildhall school of music, which Deyaz left behind to have a go of it alone.
He may have always lived in London, but his Jamaican and Syrian heritage spills into his sound effortlessly, while personal narratives lay down the framework. Deyaz in the past has struggled with addiction, mental health problems and was once left homeless. It was through these turbulent experiences that he discovered a unique musical depth within himself. Music became his therapy; a cathartic outlet during trying times.
Here, we caught up with exciting talent.
1. You are considered to be a self-professed “non-confined” musician, but what does this mean to you really, and why is it how you approach your work?
“Being a ‘non-confined’ musician for me is creating without any limitations, pulling ideas from all musical cultures and releasing songs that I feel are authentic to myself.”
2. Describe your sound in three words.
“Honest. Authentic. Will mess you up (sorry I know that’s more than three words!)”
3. You are constantly evolving your musical style and are never tied to one single genre or its tropes; growing up, which artists do you think helped shape your sound?
“Artists/bands that helped shape my sound growing up were Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, John Martyn, Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, MGMT, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, Kanye West, Coldplay, Basement and Citizen… The list is endless. A lot of jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny also inspired me throughout my journey learning guitar.”
4. How do you see music as therapy?
“Therapy is my outlet to let everything out with no judgement towards myself. It’s meant to be a safe space to be honest with myself. I look at writing lyrics and making music in the same way. If it’s not honest, then it isn’t therapy.”
5. What is your favourite tattoo that you have?
“It differs, but at the moment my very first tattoos on my hands are my favourite. They say “peace’’ and “love”. I think it sets the tone of how I want future tats’ to be: centred around positive affirmations.”
6. What attracted you to the UK rap scene in the first place?
“It sort of just fell into place! By that point I had educated myself on quite a few instruments and gotten into playing in bands. So, the next step for me was to utilise all those tools in one place – and that led me to producing. I grew up in East London, so the grime scene was a prominent culture for me from a young age. It also shared a punk/grunge energy, similar to the rock music I listened to.”
7. What is your most prized possession?
“The people who care about me: the ones who’d ride or die for me. Strength and happiness as well.”
8. If someone gave you a limitless credit card but only one place to spend it – where would you go?
“Hard to say. I just want to help others who are like myself when I was younger. So, maybe to a charity or something like that.”
9. Considering your latest single is called “I’ll Scream (All The Words), what was the last thing that made you want to scream (or actually scream)?
“Getting to my hotel on this tour and not having rooms set up for my crew after a six hour drive and no sleep!”
10. What’s next for Deyaz?
“A lot of music. Who knows if things will be an album or an EP, but a lot of new music and creativity is coming this year.”
Photography courtesy of Deyaz.
