Though brand new to the Leeds scene, Dorsal was an inevitable project for Dave Lancaster. Former frontman of Dharma Wild, he was left with 40 demos sitting on his computer after the group disbanded.
A year later, and a year off from music, Dorsal was created. Their first single ‘are you here’, produced by Ewan Lilly (R.Lyle), was released on the 28th September.For Dave, taking a step away from creative projects was ironically exactly what lead to the creation of this new intimate dance project.
“It was a really healthy experience…I’d been in projects and bands since I was around 15. So I got a normal job, took a lot more time for myself and my health. I felt defined to being a musician for so long it felt incredibly liberating taking the time to understand my own identity outside of music. I stopped seeing it as a career and that made music so much more interesting to me again.”
The catalyst for this new direction? The creation of ‘are you here’, which Dave describes as one of his most honest pieces of music. Created in half an hour after work one day, and then produced in a further hour a few months later, it is a raw piece of music.
“It still really stirs up the feelings of who and where I was on that day. That’s always made the song feel really special and it’s something I definitely look for in every piece of music.”
As well as being able to perfectly capture and recreate a distinct moment in Dave’s life, the single’s power is also derived from his unique creative relationship with it’s producer R.Lyle.
He seemed to immediately understand what the music needed. It’s a collaboration that could have only evolved from years of sharing music and musical experiences.
The single is the first from Dorsal’s forthcoming debut album ‘tema’, out in November, which will feature collaborations with Leeds based artists – something I certainly am excited for! Dave cites various local artists and collectives as inspirations of his, from his old Dharma Wild band mates, to the Tight Lines lot.
Needless to say, Dorsal is a prime example of the ever-evolving (but always-fantastic ) Leeds music scene.
LISTEN to ‘are you here’: