Stefan Dando started his journey at the tail end of 2021 after the years of gigging regularly as a backing vocalist and guitarist. The death of his mother and the pandemic having killed his events business left him with a choice, keep on keeping on or follow his heart. The decision was easy. Stefan Dando was going to make her proud. So now he's writing songs for you. 'Love Doesn't Need Me' is about the turmoil Stefan felt after ending a bad relationship and wanting to reconcile but knowing it's not the right thing to do.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
I think it's my ability to work well with others. It almost doesn't matter how good you are if you can't play nice.
Who inspired you to make music?
My guitar teacher back in school. He could tell I wasn't interested in grades or formal learning so he started teaching me improvisation. That then progressed into song writing when I started improvising ideas I liked. It would be many many years before I wrote anything worthwhile however.
Your latest track is 'Love Doesn't Need Me'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I wrote this song about three years ago when I was struggling with wanting to reconcile a break up. I knew it was the wrong thing to do for both of us but I really wanted to. I demoed it that same year but it wouldn't be until I met Andre Mesa that I knew I'd met the right producer for the track. Nothing unusual really happened but we were really struggling to make the verses work. They just didn't have the right vibe until Andre suggested moving the main instrument to piano. Suddenly the whole song made sense and it all fell into place.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process is super relaxed. I'll usually star by finding some chord I like on the piano or guitar and start improvising over them. When I stumble onto an idea I like I'll start building either a verse or chorus from that. The rest just comes naturally as I can hear where the song needs to go in my head.
What is the most surprising fact you’ve learnt about yourself?
Recently I've become a very straightforward person. These days I'm just straight with what I need or feel. I never used to be like this I guess time just changed me.
Do you think that education is important?
Of course education is important. But a better question is if traditional education systems are the right thing for everyone. I'm not sure they are, everyone needs to learn but they need to learn in a way that suits their individual interests and talents.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Success is irrelevant when you die so do whatever makes you happy and don't stress traditional metrics of success. We all end up the same after all. Just don't hurt anyone or anything else and don't encroach on their happiness.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
It's just shifted the emphasis onto other streams of revenue rather than record sales. ultimately for an artist their goals remain the same. You just have to achieve them in a different way.
What do you think is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen or experienced?
The kiss my mother planted on my forehead the night before she died. The purest love I'll probably ever experience. Her face was so serene despite her suffering.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to keep releasing as much music as I can. I also plan to start performing live as much as I possibly can. If you're in London look out for me.