Darrelle London
Simplicity goes a long way nowadays in a world of musical complexity. Which is why it’s so refreshing to see a musician like Toronto’s Darrelle London bring a sweet, yet simple blend of sugary sweet melodies and a witty attitude hidden in her honest lyrics. I sat down and chatted with the singer-songwriter about break-ups, school and those delightful batches of cupcakes that were at her CD release party back in February!
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The Singing Lamb: Your CD release party was fantastic; whose idea was it for the cupcakes?
Darrelle London: I think it was Jordan-na’s [Darrelle's manager]! Then I was going to make them and my mom was like, “No! Leave it to the pros; you have enough stuff to deal with!” So she made them; she’s a trooper.
That was a lot of cupcakes!
I know! I was really a little bit surprised by the turnout; I was expecting maybe half of that so I was just like, “What is going on!” But it was so much fun.
Are you excited for your upcoming tour?
Yes, I’m so excited! I love eastern Canada. I love touring but it’s also a really good excuse to get out to the ocean and hang out in Halifax!
Are you heading west as well?
I’m just playing east right now. Jordan-na wants us to go west next time, so we’ll see. It just seems a lot more daunting; it’s that much further and I don’t know as many people out there but I should do it.
Everything’s so much more spaced-out!
So much! It’s so far to get out there but it’s really not far to get out to the east coast. It’s about a day and a half of driving; it’s very manageable.
Are there any places in particular that you’re looking forward to?
I love Halifax so I’m excited about that. They have such an amazing music scene and some really fun venues. I’m also really looking forward to the small town shows I’m playing out there because last time, I just had the best experience; the people that come out are amazing. Some of them just bring their own instruments and start jamming along or we’ll pull them out and have a jam after. It really is one of those kitchen parties that you hear about! It’s pretty surreal; it really doesn’t happen here.
We should do that here though!
We should! And they have such a supportive music community. Like, they have their own eastern Canada music charts and radio shows and music awards, it’s so awesome!
Okay, let’s get into some history. You had the opportunity to go to law school, I read. Why did you choose music as opposed to school?
I always had an interest in law but I also always had a passion for music. So when I finished undergrad, I was kind of at a crossroads. But looking back, there was really no contest. When it’s between and interest and a passion and the timing just seemed right for music, it was just something I had to do. It felt like a difficult decision at the time but it was really wasn’t because I just needed to see what happened with the music. So that’s plan A for now!
Do you ever plan on going back?
Oh, I haven’t ruled it out. My LSAT score expires in a couple of years and I don’t ever want to write it again! It was so brutal; so we’ll see. I might find myself reapplying or maybe way down the road because it’s still something I’m interested in. We’ll see!
Were there any particular schools you were interested in?
If I was going to go, I was torn between U of T and Dalhousie, which would be such completely different experiences. But these days, because I love eastern Canada so much, I would kind of lean towards Dalhousie. But I love Toronto too, so I don’t know!
I find U of T too big, campus-wise.
It’s a huge campus and I’m not a keener! I know some people are but I don’t like being swept up with anxiety and competitiveness so I don’t know if it would be the right place for me.
It’s right for some people.
It is; it’s a great school. They have some amazing professors. I think it would just depend on what I’m looking for at that time.
I feel like you get compared to artists like Regina Spektor a lot. How do you feel about that?
I think it’s really flattering; Regina’s great. When you’re thinking about your own music I don’t think you hear the similarities as much as other people do. Regina Spektor and artists like her definitely have influenced me to just sort of have fun with song writing and be more open-minded and playful and stuff like that. I think her lyrics are a lot smarter than mine! Like, I think she’s a lot more poetic and deeper, I think she’s great. So I definitely take it as a compliment.
I think all artists need someone to be compared to or use as a reference.
Oh yeah, for sure. I’m not like some of those artists in bands who try to pretend that they’re 100% unique; you know nobody is. That’s just like saying you’re not influenced by anyone, which is insane.
A lot of your songs are about break-ups, but at the same time it’s very happy and melodic. How do you feel about the juxtaposition of that when you’re writing your music?
I don’t know! I think in this CD, I don’t really think about it in terms of sad or happy because I try to approach most of the songs with some kind of humour. Even if it’s about difficult situations, I sort of took that approach to the songs that things can be complicated and people aren’t perfect but sometimes you just have to laugh at relationships. What else can you do?
That’s definitely a good approach.
They’re silly; people are silly.
Do you have a favourite break-up song?
“You Oughta Know” by Alanis! It’s amazing! She’s so bitter but she just pulls it off in that song and to me she doesn’t sound whiny like what a lot of angry, chick rock songs end up coming off as. She’s the victim but its empowering too; oh, it’s so great!
It’s an awesome song! What about your favourite break-up song of your own?
“Selfish” – it’s not really a break-up song but it sort of is. It’s about things not working out and it’s one of my favourites to play; I don’t know why. It’s just fun to play and sing; it’s one of those songs where I’m brutally honest and it just feels good. You can’t always get away with that when you’re in a conversation but when you’re singing you can get away with most things; it’s kind of liberating.
Do you think your song writing skills have improved and developed through the years?
Yes! My first demo, I cut when I was 14, I was listening to it with my dad a few weeks ago and I was like, “Please don’t ever release this or let people hear it!” Everyone starts somewhere and I definitely think I’ve grown and I think I’m still growing and changing. It’s like anything else, you get better at it and you practise and you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
You’re originally from a small town in Ontario (Acton, ON). How does it feel to be living in Toronto compared to Acton?
Awesome! I grew up on a farm, which was fantastic and my parents still have it. It’s wonderful to go home to sometimes but I think I’m a city girl at heart. I love both but there’s just so much happening here and Toronto is a fantastic city for music and arts and culture and shopping! I love the city.
Do you have a favourite place to play in the city?
In the winter, I especially love C’est What because it’s so cozy and I think they have one of the best sound systems for acoustic sets. I love the Rivoli, Supermarket…there’s a lot of those great, mid-sized venues in Toronto. They’re a lot of fun to play.
Finally, if you were a singing animal, what would you be?
If I was a singing animal, I’d be a monkey!
Awesome! Why?
They just seem to have a lot of fun! Once, I was in a zoo in Florida and I saw a mommy monkey tickling her baby monkey and the baby was actually laughing! So I’m just like, “Wow, you guys are so cool!” Nothing to do with singing but they’re pretty cool!
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For more Darrelle London:
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/darrellelondon
Website: http://www.darrellelondon.com/
Don’t forget to catch Darrelle London, along with Daryl Lamoureux and Matt Stern, at the Cameron House this Wednesday as they kick off their Canadian Invasion Singer-Songwriter Mini Tour!
