Q&A with Avery Dakin

On July 7, singer/songwriter Avery Dakin is releasing her debut album, Bloom - a collection of songs with themes of growth coming of age, and the pursuit of personal wellness and happiness. To celebrate the album on July 7, Avery is hosting an album release party at The Seahorse alongside LxVNDR, Lindsay Misiner and the 7th Mystic and Shay Pitts. Leading up to the album's release The Boom at Noon caught up with Avery to discuss all things Bloom.

How have you evolved as an artist since your debut EP, Settle Down ?

I think I've gained a stronger idea of what my sound is and where I can fit in the balance between Pop and R&B, which is where I always wanted my music to live. When I released Settle Down, I was viewing my songwriting as more of a hobby, and the songs really varied in genre as I was interested in exploring what worked best for me. Now I feel really at home in the warm, dreamy sounds of Bloom- it feels really authentically me.

I think I’ve also gained more maturity in my vocal delivery and songwriting. I’ve put a lot of effort into developing my vocal technique, as well as exploring and leaning into all the different facets of my songwriting style like playfulness, drama, and vulnerability. I think that really comes through in Bloom.

The main way that I have evolved artistically is that this time around, I’m not afraid of being “cringe” - I want to show up fully myself and not have any fear.

Your single Bloom serves as the title track for your upcoming album. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the song?

At face value, Bloom is a song celebrating the renewal of springtime and the childlike delight I feel every year when the warmer days finally come back. But it’s also about mental wellness, and following the flow of the seasons - maybe you can’t fully appreciate the beauty of blooming flowers without experiencing the cold and rain.

I wrote it during a pandemic shutdown, when all I had to do was exist and experience the natural world around me for the first time as an adult. That year I really noticed how, just like when I was a kid, the spring air and budding trees made me feel so much lighter and full of joy- I wanted to float up to a cloud and bounce around for a little while. It made me feel a lot of gratitude for nature, and was a reminder that things always get better if you just wait for spring to come.

What themes are recurring throughout the album? How do these themes manifest in your upcoming album? And why are those topics important to you to cover as an artist?

Bloom’s main themes are growth and coming of age. The songs on the album cover a range of topics like mental health struggles, examining past relationships that weren’t so healthy and finally mourning them, contending with romantic disappointments and fearfulness, and reflecting on what’s important- what we’re here to do.

I wanted this album to be a debut that illustrates how I’m showing up for myself in an effort to be a better person and live a better life. It’s important to me as an artist to share the vulnerable and hard things, because I think every time a person shares that part of themselves the world becomes a more compassionate and rich place.

Your band is a seven-piece. How did the band form?

My band formed in early 2021 through a mix of connections - my friend and co-producer at the time, Mark Bachynski, introduced me to my bass player, Henri Sangalang, and lead guitar player, Shawn Mullen. We had a few lineup changes, adding trombone/synth extraordinaire Dylan Hay, and trumpet/background vocal king Joel Hughes McKay, but I would say things really started to take shape when our drummer Matt Schofield came onboard. His energy, and everyone’s energy combined, just created this environment where I felt really supported and seen as an artist. From there my good friend and longtime collaborator Dan Stewart joined on as our rhythm guitarist, and that put us at 7!

Having a larger band is so worth the scheduling complications… I think beyond creating together and having such variety in musical backgrounds and experiences, it’s been so cool to have this rag-tag group of best friends who I trust and love so much. As a kid I always dreamed of having a band full of people I cared for this much, so it really is a dream come true to make music with them.

Could you share the story behind the single "Hurricane Season" and how it ties into the rest of the album?

Hurricane Season was written during Hurricane Fiona last year. I was confronted with a lot of fearfulness around intimacy and trust at the time, and having to finally uncover and unpack a lot of harm and trauma surrounding relationships from the past. I was really feeling the parallels between the stormy weather and my mental state, and it was like the storm was allowing me to feel and move through these things fully in a way I hadn't before.

In general I find the seasons and weather really inspiring and full of creative depth, and really liked how it tied into Bloom - kind of the flip side of that coin. I released Hurricane Season as my second single off the album to show those two sides - the storm as a journey of growth, shepherding me into a new feeling of unburdened lightness and "bloom"!

You have done a number of collaborations with other talented musicians, how does the local music scene and community inspire and support your musical journey?

Collaborating with artists like LxVNDR and Alex Meade, the producer of Bloom, has been so essential to me finding my artistic voice and taking chances creatively. In the context of Hurricane Season, it's not a sound I would have explored had I not been pushed to by my collaborators, and I'm so glad I did. I think marrying my and LxVDNR's sounds resulted in such an interesting and exciting song, and I'm really grateful to have had that push.

I think community is one of the most important things we can put our energy into, and is something that kind of gets tossed to the wayside in this industry and culture that's so individualistic. But on the contrary, a hugely inspiring aspect of my musical journey was attending Nova Scotia Music Week last fall. Getting to experience not only the myriad of talent here in Nova Scotia, but also the incredibly supportive community we have, left me feeling really proud to have a seat at the table. There are a lot of artists here doing brave, meaningful, and creative things, and it's been so cool to bask in that. It's hugely inspiring.

You grew up in a creative family. How has that influenced your music and career?

The influence of growing up in a creative family has been immeasurable. From learning the ins and outs of audio editing and storytelling at a young age from my mom, a journalist and author, to piano practice on my Grandma's upright piano before Sunday family dinner - a lot of the creativity and passion I have was a gift to me from the women in my life.

I was lucky enough to get to include voice recordings of my grandma Ruth on the opening tracks of Bloom, telling this story that I love about her singing out in the fields of Saskatchewan as a girl. My mom recorded her telling stories of her life in 2010 before she passed, so it was a really special way to honour and thank her for her influence in my creativity and heart.

I also got to include my mom's voice - a conversation we had on the phone about the themes of my album- over a recording of me playing my grandma's piano. It's a really important tribute and a vehicle for storytelling on Bloom. I knew if I was going to tell the story of my journey of growth and the pursuit of wellness and happiness, it would be incomplete without a nod to these influences.

You have a composing background. What role does this play in your songwriting process?

I think my compositional background has helped me in that it has given me a reference point for the process of thoughtful and authentic creation. My degree in general was so valuable because a lot of it did focus on the creative process, and how to examine my own work in a way that is not tied to judgment, while still honouring the important emotional elements of the songwriting process.

During my composition degree and even after, my interest in songwriting manifested itself in composing song cycles, and visceral storytelling through fully instrumental works too. It allowed me to try my hand at composing and arranging for different instruments, which has empowered me greatly in the making of Bloom. For example, I wrote the arrangement for the horn parts in my song My Girls, with the help of my bandmates Dylan and Joel. It was fun to flex those muscles, and have just that much more creative input in the music.

In addition to writing and co-producing your music, you also teach music privately. Has teaching influenced your growth as an artist? If so, how?

Teaching has definitely been greatly influential in my artistic growth. I think my main takeaway time and time again is that creating is good, it doesn't really make a difference how, why, or what. My students have a massive range of musical interests, influences, skills, and processes. I love teaching them about songwriting and composing, improvising, how to practice in a productive and fulfilling way, and how to be gentle with themselves through it all. It has reinforced my values as an artist that much more.

It's been healing for me to watch these kids be curious; to try in earnest, to make mistakes, but to not be beaten down - to get back up and keep trying because they love playing music. I want to be like that too. I think it's really easy to take yourself seriously as an artist, but I'm lucky to gain the perspective through my teaching work that it's really not that serious. We're here to make art and learn from it and enjoy the process- that's it.

Your album release show for Bloom is just around the corner. What can concertgoers expect from the show?

I'm SO excited for this show! Concert-goers can expect an all-star lineup that includes LxVNDR, Lindsay Misiner and the 7th Mystic, and Shay Pitts. I'm really proud to be supported by such wonderful, thoughtful, talented, magical artists. I've been a huge fan of all three for a long time, so I'm pinching myself a little.

My set will feature all the new tunes from Bloom, plus some older and/or unreleased tracks. I can't wait to share the music in person, feed off the audience's energy, and really tell my story to a room of folks who want to experience it with me. It's going to be fun, groovy, dreamy, raw, earnest, and everything in between.

Where can people buy/listen to the album and stay up-to-date with what’s happening with you?

You'll be able to find Bloom on all streaming platforms on July 7th, as well as physical CDs for pre-order at the show, and Bandcamp.

I'm hanging around on Instagram and TikTok and my Facebook page is Avery Dakin Music. My website is averydakinmusic.com, and there you can find tickets for the release show, my self-directed music video for Bloom, live videos, and my upcoming dates!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think the only thing left to add is to highlight and thank the people who have uplifted me and my art: my producer, Alex Meade; Stephen J Paul of Moustache Mastering; LxVNDR, Lindsay Misiner, and Shay Pitts; and my bandmates and collaborators on this album- Matthew Schofield, Henri Sangalang, Shawn Mullen, Dan Stewart, Joel Hughes McKay, Dylan Hay, Tom Richards, Silvio Pupo, Ashton Wisener, Sean Weber, and Liam Ring. Special shout out to my family whose voices were included: my mom, Pauline Dakin, my grandma Ruth Main, and my sister, Laura Dakin-Clarke!

And to anyone who listens to Bloom - thank you!