Daulton Hopkins
Daulton Hopkins’ Spotify bio says “dont be fooled. i’m an accountant.” After listening to his music, however, it is clear that that he is a whole lot more. The singer/songwriter simply knows how to make music…extremely well. The artist infuses pop and rock elements to create his singular sound. Catchy, upbeat, and personal, Daulton’s songs have been received incredibly well. Take 2018’s “Glue” for example, a song that has amassed over one million streams since its release. His lyrics are up to par with today’s biggest names; this year’s “I’m Okay and So Are You” has perhaps the greatest example of this. The track, which currently boasts over 330k Spotify plays, is an example of how far he has come as an artist. He credits his family as the most important part of his musical journey. “My parents and family in general were really encouraging when I first took an interest in music. I would send them terribly-produced demos and they would cheer me on. My [wife] was the same way and has always been there to lift me up when my confidence is running low.” We recently spoke to the artist about his life during quarantine, a dream collaboration, and more!
How did you get started making music?
My mom was a music teacher and my dad showed me some solid 80’s/90’s bands but my identity was always rooted in sports up until the time I graduated high school. I picked up the guitar when I was 12 as a casual hobby but didn’t actually take it seriously until I was 17 or so. While pushing through my finance-economics degree in college, I realized I really enjoyed writing songs and started fiddling around in GargageBand (had no idea what I was doing). None of it really made sense but I found a guy to help produce my first song after doing his tax-return and that turned into my first EP. I then connected with a guy through Craigslist and another through an online music service website and they have since become my friends and the dudes who help with what I currently work on.
This year marks the three year anniversary of your Spotify debut. What is the biggest thing that has changed musically for you during this time?
Most people didn’t even know I sang when I released my first single so it was a bit of a surprise when finance, baseball guy drops a slow love song called “Maroon”. Since then, I’ve become a lot more comfortable with myself and my confidence as a song-writer has definitely grown.
Where do you draw inspiration from when making your music?
I go through phases of what I’m listening to and that sometimes reflects in the direction my own songs head. Overall though, M83, Radiohead, Johnny Cash and Frank Ocean are the reason I was pushed to write music in the first place.
Who are you teaming up with for a dream collaboration?
Has to be M83 or Borns if I’m feeling spacey/synthy. Maybe Gregory Alan Isakov or Radical Face if the acoustic guitar is coming out.
Are you actually an accountant? If so, how do you find the balance between making music and your 9-5 job?
I am! One of the biggest perks of my job is the flexibility and working from home. I get my work done and then flip on the tunes right after. It’s a cool gig. (Side story: During a summer in college, I did an accounting internship with what can only be compared to the company shown in the movie, "Office Space”. Inspiration was low and minimal music was made that summer. Would not recommend it.)
Talk about a real-life experience that inspired a song.
All of my songs have come from real life experiences so far. I’ve been told my communication skills need some work and that’s probably true considering I sit in a room for hours and write songs about my feelings rather than just telling people how I feel straight on. Kind of cringe I know. A decent chunk of songs have been inspired by my girlfriend and soon to be wife next month (whoa). The song “Glue” was written when I had taken an internship for music in a different city and we had to date long-distance for a year. The song is about looking towards our future selves and realizing that it was all worth it because we would end up together. And we did!
What can we catch you doing on your day off?
Pre-Covid it was a lot of concerts, restaurants, hanging in downtown Phoenix. Post-Covid has been a decent amount of staring at walls, guitar-strumming, and flipping from Amazon Prime to Netflix to Hulu and then realizing that you still haven’t picked a show and you’re done with dinner! Sarcasm aside, I’m pretty basic. Enjoy writing, Youtube, working out, and hanging with my lady.
Share a secret talent that you have.
I can throw and hit right and left-handed in baseball. My dad trained me when I was young and my grandpa made me a six-finger baseball glove so I could switch hands when pitching. It was a nice party trick.
Who do you owe your biggest thanks to?
My parents and family in general were really encouraging when I first took an interest in music. I would send them terribly-produced demos and they would cheer me on. My girlfriend was the same way and has always been there to lift me up when my confidence is running low.
What's next for Daulton Hopkins?
I have a cover that’ll be out by the end of this year that I’m really excited about. It’s acoustic-driven and a little more subdued, which is actually the direction I’ll be taking my next project. I love upbeat, vibey pop but want to take a detour for now and make a cohesive project that’s a tad more raw and unpolished. Hopefully it works!
***Note: This interview was conducted in September. Congrats to Daulton Hopkins and his wife on their marriage!**
