Exclusive Interview: Dane Anthony Swan
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Every once in a while, a song comes along that doesn’t chase the algorithm, scream for attention, or drown itself in production tricks. Instead, it slows down, breathes, and invites you to do the same. The Simple Things, the latest single from Dane Anthony Swan, does just that — and it’s exactly what we didn’t know we needed.
This is Swan’s second single of 2025, and it feels like a quiet declaration of independence from the rat race. With clear synth-pop influences, tinges of singer-songwriter intimacy, and a warm blanket of nostalgia wrapped around it, The Simple Things doesn’t beg to be a hit — it just is. And honestly, that’s part of its magic.
Right out of the gate, there's something comforting about the sonic palette. The synths are mellow, the rhythm steady but unhurried. It’s the kind of song you’d expect to hear during a golden-hour drive through the countryside, windows down, thoughts swirling. There's a vintage feel here — a little ‘80s dream pop, maybe a bit of lo-fi indie — but none of it feels derivative. Swan clearly knows his influences, but he wears them like well-loved clothes, not borrowed costumes.
Lyrically, The Simple Things is a meditation. Swan invites listeners to question what success really looks like. The lyrics are straightforward, even plainspoken at times, but that’s the point. There’s no over-poeticizing or forced metaphor. It’s honest — and in a world of overproduced “authenticity,” that’s rare.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
You can feel Swan’s background as a poet come through, not necessarily in flowery lines, but in precision. He knows how to make a word land. He knows when to say less. He knows how to give a phrase room to echo. That skill — sharpened by years of literary work and performance poetry — gives the song an emotional clarity that’s hard to fake.
It’s also worth noting that The Simple Things comes from someone with a pretty diverse musical past. Swan isn’t new to this — he’s been in hip-hop circles, done slam poetry, explored dancehall reggae. That range isn’t overt in this track, but you can feel the confidence of someone who’s experimented with sound and returned to music not because he has to, but because he wants to. After nearly a decade away, this return doesn’t feel like a rebranding — it feels like a reconnection.
And maybe that’s what this song is about at its core: reconnection. To peace. To yourself. To a quieter kind of ambition. Swan isn’t judging the ones chasing millions — he’s just making space for the ones who aren’t. For the ones who are dreaming of a garden instead of a corner office. For the ones who feel overwhelmed and want to opt out, not because they’ve failed, but because they’ve chosen to value different things.
The Simple Things isn’t here to break records. It’s here to offer refuge. And in 2025, when the world still seems to move at breakneck speed, that’s more than enough.
We spoke to Dane Anthony Swan about his journey so far.
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
Do you have an interesting story from your early life that has had a significant impact on your journey creatively?
DANE: Before moving to Canada, I was raised in Bermuda, but my mom’s family were from rural Jamaica. Up until my Jamaican grandpa died (when I was 10), We spent a lot of time in Jamaica. I always felt like I was trapped in 2 worlds.
Bermuda is a tiny, but first-world nation. It’s expensive to live there, but there’s a ton of creature comforts. Then I would go visit my Jamaican family and have to wash up in a river. Despite people in Bermuda seemingly having everything, I felt like the people in Jamaica were happier.
Observations like that, the alienation I felt when I first moved to Canada and other things have imprinted the theme of searching for what “home,” means in my work.
Are there any artists that were influential to your musical journey? How have they inspired your sound as an artist?
DANE: Not really. As a kid, to keep us out of trouble, my parents put all us kids in classical music classes. As I got older, I got into the dancehall reggae scene. When I moved to Canada, I started hanging out with guys from the hip hop community. Honestly, I’m probably more influenced by the DJs I used to hang out with than the artists.
That said, artists that inspire me, artists I learned about through DJ friends include Beres Hammond, Neneh Cherry, Soul 2 Soul, Prodigy, NIN… I could go on and on. Guys like Kendrick and JID in this generation… there’s a ton. You never stop being influenced if you’re paying attention.
How would you describe your sound to new listeners? What do you think sets you apart?
DANE: I make music for people to listen to. This isn’t background noise. I want my listeners to think. I don’t know if that’s unique. That’s just the type of music I want to make.
What’s your creative process? Where do you normally start when it comes to writing and recording? Do the lyrics come first?
DANE: I start with an idea. I’m not picky.
For “The Simple Things,” I had a drum pattern that I had programmed. I liked my drums, but I wasn’t feeling the rest of the song. I figured out the lyrics while I was at work, and had a rough idea for the direction for the vocals. After recording a demo of my vocals I built the synth lines around that.
I’ve had songs where I pulled out my bass and started with a simple 16 bar bass line. It really doesn’t matter. If you have a single process that you always follow, that’s how you get writer’s block. The creative process should always be coming from different directions.
Have you had any challenges or adversities in your life that you feel have shaped you as an artist?
DANE: Sure. Any creative person who doesn’t come from money, or isn’t the “popular kid,” is going to have hurdles, but being creative rewards people who don’t quit.
Are there any moments or achievements from your career so far that you’re most proud of?
DANE: Sure, as a creative I’ve authored 5 published books. Do you know how crazy it is to write a book, not knowing if anyone will like it and then finding a publisher who says yes? AND they give you an advance?
For my collab with Rise Ashen, it was my first time working on a music project with a label. It was really cool to communicate with people from a record label that I admired when I was young.
Back in the day, I DJed at festivals and clubs. I performed poetry for rooms with 500+ people in attendance…
Honestly, anytime you share your art with someone who knows nothing about you and they appreciate what you’re doing it’s a moment to be proud of. Whether it’s 5 people at a bar, or 500+.
Which do you prefer, the creative process or live performance? Or do you enjoy both equally?
DANE: My return to music as a more mature person, has been a strictly recording my work and sharing it thing. Eventually I want to get back in front of people, but there’s a lot of hurdles to that now.
Try finding a stage without being a cover band these days. Venues can’t afford to take the risks that they used to.
I enjoy both. I like to think that I'm a giving live performer, but that’s not really tenable right now.
Do you as an artist require fans to fully understand your message in each song or do you encourage subjective interpretation from every listener?
DANE: I make thoughtful music that I hope my listeners think about as they listen. They’re not required to understand. No one will be graded. I just can’t make background music. I admire people who can. You can get very rich making music that fades into the background. But that’s not me.
Does the political landscape have an impact on your music, or do you keep your personal opinions separate from your work as an artist?
DANE: Of course it does. Everything is impacted by the political landscape that it is made in. For creative people, for artists, you’re either commentating about, in lock step with, or creating a distraction from your local political environment.
You’re either part of the culture or counter-culture. You are either reflecting or making work in reaction to the current environment.
Where do I fit? I make foreground art, not background. I want you to think, not blindly conform. But I also want the people who experience my work to come to their own conclusions. You might digest what I’m saying and come to a different conclusion than me. We might not agree.
That’s probably a good thing.
That in between is where we can have conversations instead of arguments and fights.
What are your future plans? Any new songs/projects on the horizon?
DANE: There’s a ton of projects.
I have an album called, “Home” that combines the style of electro-pop music I’ve been making, with my Caribbean influences. My plan is to put that out at the end of this year, or at least, start releasing songs from that project this year.
I also have a spoken word collab with my big bro, EDM producer H+ that I might finally put out.
Also, Rise Ashen and I are always talking about working on something. It would be great to collab with him again.
As far as my writing, I have a Middle Grade novel that I stopped shopping to publishers, that I want out in the world. I’m getting the itch to work on my final book of poetry. Also, I have some rough ideas for a couple novels.
It would also be cool to work on something that I could tour small venues with. I don’t know if it would be poetry or music, I don’t know if it’s even possible, but I’m starting to get the itch to go back on the road. That would be cool.
“The Simple Things” is available now on all major streaming platforms
