Daju has been making waves out of Hawai‘i, and it’s easy to see why. His sound’s smooth, real, and full of heart — something one feels right away. We kicked it with him about his come-up, his vibe, and what keeps him pushing forward. Check out our Daju interview here.
Daju On…
“LIFELINE” [single]:
Funny enough, this was one of the last tracks to be started when making the project. As with many of my songs, I came up with the melody first. A couple days before a session, I recorded a voice memo of what eventually came to be the post-chorus vocal effect.
When laying down the foundation of the song, I was going through a rough patch with someone. I wanted to channel all my feelings and speak, personally, about me and this person’s dynamic. With a little bit of that, and what I like to call artistic expression and exaggeration, “LIFELINE” was born.
“Brand New” [previous offering]:
I wanted a song that blended the old school ‘yearners’ sound with a slight, modern and minimalist sound, and I feel like I nailed it. It’d sound so crazy with a live band.
The Ones That Made It [EP]:
The Title has a double meaning. First, it’s an homage to the loved ones who stay present in your life, and gaining perspective through those enduring relationships. The other meaning is me wanting to work with people who were from Hawai’i, people I’ve built great relationships with from prior songs.
Songwriting:
94% of the time I’m going straight from instinct or feel, and I’ll allow my creative, non-over analyzing side to take lead. Usually, my catalyst and inspiration is everyday life, or something cool I read or heard in conversation. There might be a one liner written down, which I’ll build around. But, oftentimes, I’m not writing the lyrics down until the verse or chorus is structured.
Inception:
I’ve been around music my whole life. My dad was a travelling drummer back in the day, and taught me to play when I was 5 or 6. From then, I’ve always been involved with an instrument in some capacity, whether it was piano or ukulele lessons. I was also in my high school’s band and orchestra. I picked up production after college, eventually stepping into the artist / songwriter lane…and here we are.
Influence(s):
Yes, my dad has been an inspiration from early on. Just his work ethic and how he was able to put me onto bands like Earth, Wind & Fire or Zapp & Roger, ‘90’s R&B, etcetera. Can’t really place who influences the music I create, but I just enjoy cool and passionate art.
Style:
Man, my music is a whole melting pot of sound. I can’t really call myself a traditional R&B singer. One minute you’ll hear something from my island sound palette, the next it’s an alternative / R&B soul cut. I really can’t define or explain it. Just a whole bunch of feelings if I had to say something.
Music:
Take away what you take away from it. All I can do is create and share the art that brings me joy. The music speaks different to everyone, and people will form their own opinion anyways.
Collaboration Choice:
Kendrick. My favorite artist of all time! Funny enough, he and I share the same birthday, so a joke I always tell people is that I feel like we’re somehow connected. I just wanna pick his mind.
Dream Venue:
Aloha Stadium, my home-field!
R&B:
Personally, I am! There’s so many different lanes to R&B, and it’s so refreshing to hear and see that more people are pushing the envelope.
Highlight:
It’s the opportunity to showcase my sound, and music from the islands. Got to perform at TikTok earlier this year, and played two other shows in California. The saying “Hawai’i to the world” stays with me, and I’m glad to see that play out.
Typical Day:
My routine changes so often that it depends on what’s taking priority. For the past couple months, while finishing the project, I’d wake up around 7am, drink some black coffee, sit on my couch and absorb sunlight peeking through the window. Then I’d drink another coffee, go for a walk and lock myself in my studio from like 10am to 8pm.
Fans:
I’ll talk to anyone and everyone! Sometimes I don’t catch every DM on socials, but I do try. In person, I’ll always show love and make it feel like we’ve been friends for a while.
Career:
My favorite part is obviously working on music. The feeling you get, when you know you came up with something, is a high that can’t be replicated. My least favorite part is creating what feels like endless amounts of video content. I think that one is pretty self explanatory.
Advice:
Don’t follow in my footsteps, find your own groove and footing. That’s when you know it’s your own passion speaking to and leading you.
Looking Ahead:
Hopefully living somewhere in both the US and Asia.
What’s Next:
Keep working! There’s more music to be made.
Closing Thought(s):
Thank you for all the love and support, and stream The Ones That Made It.
