Dayglow: "I Would Rather Make Music That Makes People Feel Good"

Texan songwriter Sloan Struble completed his debut Australian tour under the Dayglow moniker in July 2022, appearing at Splendour in the Grass and selling out shows in Sydney and Melbourne. A few months later, Struble has unleashed Dayglow’s latest album, People in Motion.

People in Motion is the third official Dayglow LP, following 2021’s Harmony House and 2018’s Fuzzybrain. Struble previously operated under the name Kindred, but the success of Dayglow’s bright, electronic-tinged indie pop music has smashed all precedent. He’s performed at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits and appeared on the network TV shows The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

People in Motion is another collection of extroverted and unashamedly positive music from Struble. Music Feeds catches up with the 23-year-old artist to talk about making music in his home studio and performing in front of many thousands of people.

Dayglow – ‘Then It All Goes Away’

Music Feeds: Covid obviously caused major disruption in the music industry. As an artist who produces music primarily in isolation, was recording People In Motion any different than previous projects?

Dayglow: For me, the process was actually exactly the same. I write, record, and produce all of my music myself in my home studio. I am actually quite used to just locking myself in my studio and working on music for hours on end, so my day to day life didn’t change that much either.

MF: Do you think that bright and optimistic music like your own can make a difference for people in dark times?

Dayglow: I definitely think people look to music to make them feel a certain way – it really is a drug in that aspect. I would personally rather make music that makes people feel good and encourages them to grow as an individual. I hear often that my music does that for others and that’s such an honour.

I don’t necessarily go into making music feeling like it has to be “happy” or “upbeat”, it’s just what naturally comes out of me.

MF: You’ve played at events as big as Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits and performed on Colbert and Fallon. Have those felt like strange experiences for someone who produces music largely in a spare room in your house?

D: It’s definitely a strange experience. There’s really no other way to put it. I mean, fame and attention for the human race has just blasted into outer space in the past 100 years and I think no one has evolved enough to understand how to handle the mania of it all. I think it’s just so bizarre but I’m here for it and having fun and I love sharing my music with others and meeting new people.

Dayglow – ‘Deep End’

MF: Having a lot of touring experience under your belt now, has that impacted how you think about writing and arranging songs?

Dayglow: Oh completely. In my mind, shows are the whole point of making music. I want to be a musician that is known for loving music. There’s so much other noise that can circle around being an artist these days and I’m not really focused on anything other than just the music, and shows are the best way to share that with people. And it’s just so fun to create a memory and experience for others to enjoy.

MF: Have you been writing while you’re on tour? Or is that a totally different headspace?

Dayglow: I write very quickly and naturally when I am home, so I don’t really feel the need to write while I’m on the road. I like to focus on what is directly in front of me and give that all of my love and attention, so for me right now, that’s just making sure this show can be the absolute best it can be.

MF: You’ve mentioned things as left-field as the soundtrack to Cheers as an influence on your own work. Are there other influences on People In Motion that might come as a surprise to people?

Dayglow: People in Motion I really tried to have no reference for. I wanted to see what would happen if I didn’t give myself any rules. I just wanted the listener to feel like dancing and to see how much fun I was having making the record.

MF: You’ve talked about the availability of music on streaming platforms as an influence on you. Do you think that having decades of music available on streaming services is having an impact on music being released now? For instance, having yacht rock as readily accessible as 2022 trap – do you see that as a plus for younger musicians and producers, in terms of the scope of reference points?

Dayglow: It is definitely daunting and so chaotic, but I think it’s amazing – it’s all out there. There will always be record labels and big companies low-key controlling and strongly shifting what people listen to, but it feels like nowadays it’s more in the hands of the people. You can really decide what is cool or not. I feel like there are five billion different versions of “cool” nowadays and that’s fine with me. I just love music and as long as I can make it and enjoy it and share it then I’m down.