Thirsty Thursday Featuring D.K. Lyons

photo credit Julian Donaldson

You recently released your new single, "loveseeking," that you also wrote. Tell us about the writing process and where the idea came from. “loveseeking” was born in the middle of my second album rollout towards the end of 2023 as a little experiment to try out a bunch of new plugins I had bought. The hook had come to me on a flight back from London and the original demo was a lot more synth-pop. But I got linked up with legendary producer Bruce Lowe (Stevie Wonder, Elton John) in summer 2024 and together we gave the song a huge facelift to really bring the emotion out of it. At the time, I had been single for a long time and was really just looking for something meaningful, and it suddenly became a larger metaphor about my life in general. I tend to romanticize everything and reality just wasn’t matching up to what I expected out of life, and I was tired of it. So the sentiment of the song is to not settle for ordinary and seek out magic in any aspect of one’s life.

How was it filming the video for "loveseeking"? For better or worse, I make music videos for every single song I release. I just love expanding the world of the music and it allows me to better promote not only the singles but the album tracks as well. And after making 20 music videos for my second album and then digging into producing this new EP, my creative juices were a little low, so I came up with the idea of instead creating parodies for this new project. 2024 was a massive year for women artists, so I decided each video would pay homage to one of them. For “loveseeking,” it was obvious that we had to emulate Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” video, and we had so much fun making it. I like to say the brief to myself was “Let’s make RWS less horny but more korny,” and the end product really matches my personality well while still paying homage to the queen herself.

Is there any news for the forthcoming EP? I’m still in the process of finishing everything up, but there will be a second single called “stop” that will be released on June 27 with the full EP coming on August 22.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs? The message of my music tends to be one of hope defeating fear. I don’t pretend to be this deep, brooding songwriter by any means, but my goal is to for sure stand out from a lyrical perspective. I really spend a lot of time on the use of language, avoiding cliches, and telling proper stories with real characters, detail, and story structure. And I also pride myself on writing choruses that bring it all together and are meant to be screamed out loud in catharsis because that’s what music is all about. 

What’s the story behind your EP’s title? With the track listing of the EP being so cheeky and kitschy, I figured the EP title should follow the same route. And with the song “darling” and the hook of “stop” being “Kiss me louder!” the idea of spelling my initials with those bits just made too much sense.

What is an example of a menu you would prepare if I came over? Well, living in NYC in a small apartment, my counter and kitchen space is super limited ,so I’ve had to find ways to become efficient and creative with making food. I would say my specialty or favorite dish to make would be gnocchi. I typically make it with a fire roasted tomato, spinach, garlic and onion sauce with bacon and a garnish of red pepper flakes and fresh grated parmesan. I’ve been on a big burrata kick lately as well so would likely start with some fresh burrata with basil, tomato, and flavored oil. And then for dessert, a trip over to Van Leeuwen ice cream for one of their delicious and eclectic flavors (Buttermilk Berry Cornbread is a favorite).

Was there ever music playing in the kitchen growing up? The kitchen of my house was actually where most of my first memories of music come from. I remember running wild to songs like “Time Stands Still” by Rush or “Selling the Drama” by Live that my mom would play on our CD player as she cooked. My sister and I used to take out pots and pans and play the drums or I would play little concerts for my mom on a badminton racket just outside the kitchen. So it was definitely the epicenter of our house and where music was played when I was a child.

What is one food that most people seem to like, but you cannot stand to eat. So growing up, I HATED chocolate, peanut butter, and fish…major red flags, I know. And I grew up on Cape Cod where eating fresh fish is basically in your blood and all I could do was eat fish sticks doused in ketchup. And the chocolate thing obviously drew an incredible amount of ire, but I was turned off at a young age by the taste and then it kind of became my “thing.” But then in college I grew up, ate a Snickers bar, and my world was changed. Shortly after, I discovered sushi and never looked back. Now I will pretty much eat anything put in front of me and find enjoyment from it.

Where is your favorite place to eat in your hometown? This is going to sound so strange but my favorite burrito place in the world is on Cape Cod in my hometown of Barnstable called Burrito Bistro (or B2 as it’s known locally). The Sante Fe Burrito is my first meal any time I go home now. The sauce, the fresh tortilla, the fresh rice. Probably wouldn’t move mountains for proper food lovers, but again, my stomach functions based on sentimentality.

Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why? This is an awesome question. I love ketchup more than just about everything, so give me that Heinz sponsorship all day!

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An enchanting pop-rock anthem glistening with hope, “loveseeking” sees D.K. beginning a post-breakup journey, searching for a way back to love while exploring the desire for fulfillment in romance and in life. The music video was inspired by Chappel Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova (Magician’s Cut)” and gives fans the first taste of the thought-provoking visual concept he has developed for his forthcoming EP “Darling Kiss Louder” (out on August 22), which pays tribute to the music queens of 2024 while drawing inspiration from Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” the seven deadly sins, the Dark Ages, and the renaissance that followed, tapping into modern-day consumerism, the world of social media, and influencer culture.

“loveseeking” represents the deadly sin of greed, a theme challenged in the video’s storyline as the hero falls in love with a magician and together they take revenge on the bigots who cast shade upon magic and dreams.

Lyons is a true feminist and fierce defender of women's rights, and he has built his career on one simple mantra: “laugh + dance + cry + repeat.”