Daphne Dro
I may be French but it is only the second time I am featuring a French artist on my blog. Her name is Daphne Dro and she recently released her debut single “Honestly, I”. Produced by Jules Darmon, the indie-pop single is about being let down by someone you care too much about. It is catchy as hell, colorful and fun.
Daphne Dro is only starting her musical journey but I’m sure you will hear a lot about her in the next few years. She is, without a doubt, a promising talent.
“Honestly, I” is now available on major streaming platforms, go check it out :)
Photo credit: Adèle
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Daphne, I’m a 21 year old singer songwriter from Paris ! My interest for music grew when I was just a kid, growing up in Florida, performing in my local broadway theater, and listening to Taylor Swift’s Fearless album on the side. I’ve loved a good show, and good lyrics since then ! I wrote my first ever song when I was 16, when I was a hardcore fan girl for all things Halsey and 5 Seconds of Summer. And I guess I never really stopped.
What did you grow up listening to?
As I said just before, Taylor Swift was kind of like my mom ! But my first ever idol was Hannah Montana ! I grew up watching Disney Channel, and being obsessed with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, The Jonas Brothers !!! I still listen to their old music every single day, it’s honestly timeless for me.
You grew up in Florida - how did it impact the music you are making today?
I feel like it has impacted my music in the biggest way it could possibly have ! I’m French, and have been back in France since 2011 but I’ve always written in English. I fell in love with poetry in 6th grade and would go to the library to write poems before school would start. All of my english teachers were phenomenal, and it has kind of stuck with me. I feel like expressing myself in English is a statement; important people from the industry in France have told me many times that if I were to be serious about my career, I should be writing in French. But that’s just not who I am.
You recently changed your artist's name to your real name - what made you want to do this change?
While trying to figure out who I really was as an artist, and who I wanted to show the world, I had a switch moment, where my artist name ‘Nympheä’ just didn’t feel right anymore. I felt like an impostor, if I wanted to be the authentic and vulnerable artist I aspired to be, then I needed to be just me, and just me should be enough.
How would you define Daphne Dro, the artist?
It’s so hard to see yourself from an outside perspective, but it’s something I’m constantly doing, and maybe I should be less worried about how I’m perceived ! I would say Daphne Dro is herself, she’s gaining confidence in her art but I honestly don’t have the introspection to actually tell you who I am. I like dogs and Taylor Swift, that’s like 99% what defines me as an artist haha !
"Honestly, I" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
This song came together so quickly, I guess it was my subconscious speaking before I could really figure out what it meant. “Honestly, I” is all about being let down by someone you care(d) too much about, someone you always put first but they could never do the same for you. It’s all that frustration built up until the breaking point where you have to cut it out, and be honest.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
It happened really fast ! During quarantine, my producer Jules Darmon sent me a guitar riff, the one you hear throughout the song, and was like « hey can you make a top line » ? So I did, and I had a full song within minutes, it was one of those magical songwriting moments. We continued to work on the production together, it took a couple weeks and now it’s out for the world !
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I love the narrative of the lyrics ! It’s all about taking back control of a situation, and it’s refreshing to write something so driven, rather than my usual sad heartbreak songs (I LOVE SAD SONGS). Also, the key change is so extra and it’s the best thing we did on the song.
What can you tell us about the music video?
I worked with Kalki Rielland, who directed the video and our wolds really collided on this one. It was my first ever shoot, and all of my ideas blossomed right in her head, and we were able to make my little imaginary high school, Honoris Prep, come to life. We even did a fake prom and that was the best part. It’s a little blast from the past, inspired by 2000s chick-flics, we really tried to embody the American high school stereotypes.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I think the hardest part is constantly having to be your own cheerleader. I’m 100% independent, my team is me myself and I, and it’s so cool to call all the shots but it’s also really challenging. Everything is on you, the pressure I put on myself is close to insane, there is so much work to be done and so many new skills to constantly be learning. The best part is when I get messages or comments about my music, when people enjoy it and relate to it, I think it’s cliche but I make music so I can speak to people’s hearts, so if it finds a little home in someone, I’m happy.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I love how everybody has a chance. Anyone can make music and that’s super cool. But it also means the industry is really saturated and it’s hard to dig yourself a little spot. But I believe that everyone can find their own audience with social media and that’s something that couldn’t be done just a couple years ago.
I would change the focus on numbers. We should focus on if our music makes people feel, that’s the most important thing. Playlists, followers, streams, should come after, or not at all. But that’s not realistic.
How's it like to live in a city like Paris as an independent artist?
I love Paris with my whole heart. It’s such a blessing to be in a city that is so rich with culture and art. I love the speed of everything, there’s always something to do and see. I don’t really know what it does for artists as I haven’t really exploited it myself because of the pandemic, but it’s a fact that opportunities are numerous and it’s something to be grateful about.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
That no feeling is too small or not important enough. I’ve struggled with big emotions my whole life, and now I can embrace it most of the time. But there’s nothing worse than feeling like what you’re experiencing isn’t « bad enough » to be upset about it. Every feeling that goes through your body is valid, and there’s a reason that it’s there.
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