24-year-old multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and once-in-a-generation vocalist Jack Dean unveils his brand new single ‘Angel’ today, which marks his second release off his debut album and was co-written and produced by Mike Needle (Tom Grennan, Niall Horan, Rag’n’Bone Man). These past few years, Dean has not only made a name for himself as a songwriter and producer for other UK artists – including Eden Rain, Caity Baser, and Henry Moodie – but also by showing off his strong vocal skills online through cover videos, gaining over 30 million views across Instagram reels and TikTok. In 2022 he was taken under Jamie Scott’s (One Direction, Justin Bieber, etc.) wing, signed by his publishing company, and shortly after released his first EP. Most recently, Dean is preparing for the release of his debut album. We sat down with him to chat about his grandmother’s hidden talent, teenage fanboying over Skrillex, inspiring songwriting by the greatest, and his dream to become a timeless artist.
Music’s pull on Dean began early in life, not through a family of musicians, but rather with the influence of his grandmother. “I remember when I was younger, my Nana would play music on her keyboard,”, he recalls. “She was a really good pianist, and she had this keyboard that you could record on, which actually I now have. It fascinated me that you could record what you played and then hear it back. I think that was probably my earliest memory of being like, “Music’s kind of cool”!” Along with his Nana’s classical piano hobby, his father’s love of heavy metal laid the foundation for his deep connection to music. “We would often sing along to Metallica in the car, that was just part of my childhood,”, he remembers. At school, Dean initially aspired to become a pilot before eventually deciding on a full-time music career. “I did all my GCSEs and everything to keep on track to be a pilot. And then I suddenly got to the point where I realised that pilots are responsible for so many people’s lives. That’s a really scary position to be in! So I thought, “Okay, what else do I love?” and I love music.”
A pivotal figure in Dean’s early musical journey was none other than Skrillex. “Skrillex was my icon,”, he shares, “and probably still is. His production and songwriting are legendary. People mostly see the DJ side of him, but there’s so much creativity behind the scenes that inspired me.” But while Skrillex’s influence sparked his love for music, Dean draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists, from Jeff Buckley and Amy Winehouse to Bruno Mars and Labyrinth. “They know how to make music feel timeless. If someone ever says my music sounds timeless, then I feel like I’ve achieved something,”, he shares with a smile.
When it comes to Dean’s own songwriting, he embraces a hands-on, collaborative approach with trusted partners. He explains working with his frequent collaborator, Mike Needle, as a key part of his songwriting process: “Mike has this way of listening to what I’m saying and nodding along and going, ‘Okay, mate, you sound crazy, but let’s say it like this, and then you sound less crazy’”. Usually the pair’s songwriting process begins with jamming in the studio. “We share a spot in Richmond,”, he explains, “and we just sit in the room and jam. And if we feel like something’s going well, we feel like we’re going down an exciting route, then we just keep pushing and pushing until we’ve got something that we either love or hate the next day. And, sometimes lyrics come super fast. ‘Angel’ was such a quick process, and it was just me and him in the room. That was a really nice and special thing to share with just one other person. I think there are some rooms where there’s, like, five or six people in there, and it’s super fun, don’t get me wrong, but it gets quite a lot and quite intense. Whereas when it’s just me and Mike, it’s quite special.” Dean’s approach to songwriting is both raw and real. Whether writing about a breakup or a good week, Dean is never afraid to share his personal experiences: “My lyrics are very literal, if something’s happening in my life, I’ll write about it. And we kind of try and take inspiration from the likes of Amy [Winehouse] or Jeff Barclay, or Bob Dylan, and take inspiration from how they wrote about their situations in a way that it can apply to anyone.”
For Dean, music isn’t just about sound – it’s about visuals too, especially in this day and age. He admits to being a visual thinker and working closely with his creative director, Richard Pope, to bring his music’s imagery to life. The visual concept behind his latest release ‘Still On My Mind’, was built around a car, with everything from clothing choices to colour schemes reflecting that initial inspiration. For his upcoming single ‘Angel’, he explains the process to have been quite easy as well: “The visuals are just as important as the music now, especially with platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the first thing people see is the look before the song. It’s important to get that right.” While Dean recognises the massive role social media plays in an artist’s career nowadays, he maintains a firm stance on staying true to his art. “If you let social media dictate your music, you’re doing it wrong,”, he reflects. “Music should outlive TikTok. If we start crafting art based on what works on social media, we’re doing a disservice to the creative process.”
Dean’s focus remains on creating music that resonates. “As much as the audience is important, it’s the artist’s job to create something, put it out there, and let the people decide whether they like it or not. Looking to the future, Dean is eager for what’s to come. His new track, ‘Angel’, is his proudest achievement to date. He recalls one particularly magical moment in the creation of the song – a gospel choir recording the track. “It was a career highlight, honestly,”, he admits. “Standing in the room with a gospel choir singing your song back to you is such an overwhelming experience. I shed a tear, I can’t lie. It was magical.”
Since the release of his debut EP ‘skin & bone’, Dean has seen a significant shift in his approach to music. Back then, his main job was writing and producing for other musicians. “‘skin & bones’ very much came out of a gap, where I was like, “Okay, I’m not making this sort of music for anyone, so let me make that music”. I made all of that completely on my own, I wrote and produced it. I would write the songs on voice notes, it was a passion project. And I loved that process and those songs, but I knew that there could be more unlocked from it if the right people got involved. When people started to offer to get involved, like, when Mike Needle turned around and said, “Would you be up for writing together?”, of course, I’m going to jump to that opportunity!” What began as a personal passion project has now evolved into a full-time career. “When people like Mike came into the picture, it unlocked new levels of creativity. We’re making music now that feels next-level.” With loads of music ready for release, Dean is anticipating his next chapter. “If I could drop all 20 tracks just like that, by tomorrow, then I would, if that wasn’t just shooting myself in the foot!”, he laughs. “I would say there’s just so much incredible music, and it’s kind of a frustrating process as the artist and creator, because, we’re releasing one song now that we wrote and produced six, seven months ago, and we’re still writing songs. So I’m getting excited about song 25 and then only song two is coming out for now. It’s the frustration of the creative process and how slow it can be sometimes to get out. But I’m also just extremely grateful and excited to have such amazing people working on it! And to be able to focus on it as my full-time career.”
Reflecting on his journey so far, Dean offers a piece of advice to his younger self: “Just keep going! Whatever you do, it works, just keep going! And trust your instincts!” He explains that he’s made “some silly decisions and some mistakes” but that those became necessary lessons he had to learn along the way. “I think all of that you need to do to become your truest self. I think there were a lot of times when I was younger when I didn’t feel like I really fit into the norm, I was a gymnast musician, I was bullied in school, but that’s all part of it, you know? Just keep going and if you believe that it’s the right thing to be doing, then it’s probably the right thing to be doing! And if it feels like the wrong thing to be doing, don’t do it! I think that’s as simple and as complicated as I ever made it, and it’s served me well so far.”
Dean’s rawness and vulnerability, in not just his lyricism but also his persona, along with his emotional vocal delivery is what defines him as an artist and makes him stand out, especially at such a young age. We are excited about what the future holds for him and his career, and for Dean’s sake, we hope it will be as timeless as it is bright.
Written by Vicky Madzak
GEM Magazine 