As it nears Pride Month, we are starting to talk to more LGTBQ musicians. Dion Yorkie, based in Toronto, ON, is one of the many musicians in the LGTBQ community. Recently, Yorkie released his brand new single “Your Love” and the love pop ballad captures how his current relationship makes him feel happy and completed. ECHO had the chance to talk with Yorkie about his new single and more!
Let’s talk your new single “Your Love,” what was the creative process behind this song like? What does the song mean to you?
“Your Love” is my first single for this year. It is the product of a love story written and recorded over the first half of 2020. The song celebrates love in all its electrifying colours. Its fast beat is met by a catchy yet meaningful lyric. The melody is strikingly vibrant for “Your Love” is supposed to feel like the very truth it celebrates, love. Your love is everywhere and you have the power to let it shine. I wanted to make my own anthem about one of the most powerful and compelling forces that I have had the pleasure of experiencing with the person I love.
As a gay male in the music industry, how do you show your true colors in your lyrics?
I wrote “Dion Yorkie,” my first six song, self-titled, EP about experiences as an artist who happens to be an LGBTQ+ person. I like to highlight experience and what it has signified to be important, in my lyrics. There is a lot of unique opinions regarding gay people, most fabulous if you look in the truest of spaces. I like to think music celebrates life, and that peoples differences are to be treated with equal and dignified kindness. For instance, “Fly For Us” which, in a parallel universe, would have a pride inspired music video, speaks to equal empowerment. The lyric “I’m hoping hindsight twenty twenty will fight for us” talks about how voting and creating safe spaces in all communities is crucial in 2020. I am an artist who believes sharing true stories from the soul is inspiring.
Who are some of your musical role models?
I can’t think of any except Lorde, Taylor Swift, Lauv, Troye Sivan, Sam Smith, Lewis Capaldi, The Weeknd, Noah Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, LSD, One Republic, Conan Grey, Todrick Hall, Coldplay, Adele, and of course Lady Gaga who’s music helped me with coming out when I was in high school and 17 years old.
You also released you first EP back in 2019, what or who inspired you to get started in the music world?
I have always loved performing and music has always just felt right. I think music is healing and empowering. Everything that comes with my music is also a natural progression of my routes in producing content. Writing and recording music started as jotting down little poems and a love for singing but a few years back I became ready to explore things professionally using experience from a decade of creating and a degree in the field of social media and technological communications.
Do you have a favorite song off the album?
From the “Dion Yorkie – EP”, I smile listening back to Fluid because it was the first song where the melody came to me right away and it has created so many fond memories since. The first song I ever fully completed was “Million Miles”, and I love that one for it represents a lot of what myself and others have experienced. From creating melodies in parks (for “Fluid”) and writing the lyrics for each track, the eight songs I have released in less than a year make me excited for what’s to come.
Pride month is around the corner and obviously, sadly this year will be different in terms of celebrating, but how are you going to celebrate this pride month?
I am going to be back in the studio and I am excited to celebrate pride month with the community on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. I am constantly creating to push my limits and express myself and my art. Being proud of the brightest colours, LGBTQ+ people get the opportunity to be a voice for those in need of support. To love yourself and spread your love is as powerful as music. It’s all about people uplifting people and pushing ourselves to do better in that respect.
What have you been doing to stay creative during this quarantine?
Writing and recording music keeps me engaged creatively. I also am filming a music video this week in my apartment. I basically live in a creative space of freedom because that allows me to continue fully executing fashion looks, music, and other audio-visual content. I also love cooking vegan meals because they are delicious and different every time!
If you could set up a fan in a setting for them to listen to your music, what setting would that be?
I think a fan should be listening to my music with friends outdoors with ice cold (insert beverage of choice) drinks. Since we can’t do that right now in order to stay safe, just do what I do, look at the sky, breath in the air, the music, life and “Your Love”.
What’s one quote you’ve heard in life that you want to ECHO out to the world?
Stream my new song “Your Love” because, as Lorde once said, “Broadcast the boom boom boom boom”