NEW QUESTIONS, SAME SHAMELESSLY INQUISITIVE PREMISE! In this edition of “Ten Questions,” we welcome the new year by delving into the world of emerging artist, Dom Deshawn to get to know Deshawn’s musical aspirations, superpowers he wishes he had, as well as the cutting-edge web3 technologies he is currently experimenting with! Buckle up!
- If you could have any superpower, but it had to be related to music, what would it be?
Whew, that’s a great question! I think it would be the ability to become an elite producer. I’ve always wanted to get into the production side of things, but my patience in learning has been terrible. I’ll learn one day, though.
2. What is the most personal or meaningful song or piece you have created, and why does it hold such significance to you?
Hmmm… This is a tough one because I have a lot of very personal records, but the first one that came to mind is “Autumn Prologue”. That song was recorded at such a pivotal time of my life and in many ways kicked off the recording process of my album, Maintainin’. The song addresses some rough times in 2020, like a recent breakup, medical problems with family, and more. It was also bringing that song into Web3, currently, there is the music video and performance video available on Zora.
3. What new web3 tools are you experimenting with and what do you enjoy most about it?
One thing I’m eyeing is the Lens protocol. I’ve been excited about the social media apps that are being built and since it’s early, it’s easier to cut through the noise and build. I feel I can tell my story differently there and make a bigger connection and gain supporters.
4. How do you see web3 technologies shaping the future of music industry?
I feel it can help fill in some gaps for an artist, especially on the indie side of things. It won’t be the cure for all problems, but one hurdle many of us face is funding. I believe it will become easier for an artist to be able to use Web3 tools to not only gain a significant amount for their work but also leverage connections they make with collectors. A lot of times with data we can see where a supporter is area-wise, but no real way to make direct contact with them. Helping to further build the fan-to-artist connection and cutting out the middle person will shift a lot of industry standards.
5. Where are you located & what’s the best meal in your city?
So, I’m from Columbus, OH, and the best food spot here? I won’t say the best, but one of my personal favorites is this place called Club 185. It’s not even a club [laughs], just a dive bar with pretty damn good food and drinks for cheap. I usually order this fire steak & egg Philly sub.
6. What book are you reading currently?
I will openly admit I’m not reading a book right now, BUT I’m trying to dive into the newest edition of All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald S. Passman.
7. In your opinion, what’s the best way to roll out a song or album?
This is a good one because I don’t think there’s one right to go about a rollout. I do feel like there are a few things every artist should try to convey, then mold the rest to what works for that person/their brand. The biggest thing is looking at it as a story and how to connect the listener to what story you want to tell. My album, Maintainin’ was coming on the heels of me quitting my 9–5 and pursuing music full-time. I did teaser videos talking about this huge step in my life and wrote detailed posts expressing why I did this, making a music video of the intro, etc. I think it did a good job of showing people where I was currently in life and wanting to hear more of these stories within the actual music.
The biggest thing is looking at it as a story and how to connect the listener to what story you want to tell.
8. What’s the craziest or most unexpected thing that’s inspired a song?
Outside of music, I have a ton of hobbies and things I’m interested in. One of those things is pro wrestling. So, there was this infamous promo with Shawn Michaels back in the 90s where he gave up his championship and went into a speech about losing his smile. I’ve never heard that clip in a song, so it was on the back of my mind to use it for SOMETHING. Luckily in 2020, I was working on a song and the themes were very much me trying to regain my happiness, so I decided to call it “Smilez” and used that clip throughout the song.
9. What advice would you give someone entering into web3?
The first piece of advice isn’t tech related, but just being an authentic person. For me, I walked in very humble and just being myself. The connections I was able to make were essential in not only my learning but also in the networking side of things as well. After that also dive a little deeper and learn some things on the tech side of things. At least the basics like what are gas fees, what is a DAO, some of the commonly used crypto, wallets, and things like that.
10. Projects of yours we should know about?
As I mentioned earlier, I’m really about to spend some time using Lens, one of the big things I want to do. Also, using platforms like the402 more. I currently have some work on Zora and music licensing available on Dequency. For my new album I’m working on, I do want to do some drops with that, to fund a lot of the things on the backend I want to do. You can expect some of the songs on Dequency as well!
