Interview: Manchester, UK Singer-Songwriter Dita Dakoronia Discusses Her Song "Light the Way"
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“Well I tend to get inspired by projects as a whole, it’s never just a song that comes to mind. I “conceive” a project and automatically have all the details down; sound, colour, styling, scenery. ”
Congratulations on the release of your single "Light the Way"; tell us about your creative process for its development, who produced it, and what the song represents.
Thank you! Well, the production took place in Manchester and Sheffield, I had to work with two different producers after writing it myself.
So originally the song was inspired by the League of Legends video game, but that potential was very soon written off as I found out that it’s against the company’s policy to outsource their music. Still I was very fond of the project, a song that encourages players to head to battle and not give up, the stars lighting the way to glory.
It wasn’t long before I realised “players”, “battle” ,”chains”, all those are metaphorical terms for the daily battles we all give either as individuals or as a whole-family, nation, planet.
The fight is only over when you give up and even that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s about each person’s limits I guess. A very big part of the concept owes to Greek mythology/ancient history; Greeks were unwilling to give up a battle, having to constantly fight for centuries to defend their ground. Crazy and stubborn, but pretty cool if you ask me.
What are some things that inspire your creativity when writing songs, and how would you compare the process to your experiences as a chef, in regards to creating something great from nothing?
Well I tend to get inspired by projects as a whole, it’s never just a song that comes to mind. I “conceive” a project and automatically have all the details down; sound, colour, styling, scenery.
Same with a dish, I’ll think of plating and presentation the exact moment I come up with the recipe. Songs aren’t just music, same way food is not just flavour. And, for me at least, they’re both “caught” in a single moment of inspiration, regardless of how long their completion takes.
Can we expect a music video next for "Light the Way"? If not, do you have another single on the way?
I highly doubt it. The absence of motion picture for this song is deliberate and this is because the lyrics can apply to so many different situations and can be visualised in so many ways, that I didn’t want to give it yet an identity. It could be a soundtrack to a video game, an epic movie teaser, a social awareness campaign, a sports championship promo, and so many more; I wanted to leave this open to anyone interested without “labelling ” it with my own touch.
A new single is in fact in the way, but the pandemic definitely is slowing the process down I’m afraid.
Tell us about the OpenMicUk competition and how Future Music has assisted you in your development as an artist.
Well, to put it simple, I don’t think I’d be here if it wasn’t for them. Signing up for the audition was a momentary impulse when I saw the ad. I got through a few rounds and while I didn’t make it to the finals, they offered me an Artist Development course, through which I had to push myself to write, something I had never done before and was a great challenge, given that I don’t play an instrument. But I was lucky enough to work with great producers who were capable to “hear” the songs that existed in my head, and turn them into actual tracks.
With 2020 winding down, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of the year, leading into 2021?
I think for now I’m just going to focus on “Light the Way” and its marketing process. The production of the second single and its video involves travel and will be a collaboration, something that is risky to plan due to circumstances and restrictions the pandemic has brought.
I do wish it all ends soon and we can all go back to enjoying normality, the normality we now treasure and should never take for granted again.