In the fall of 2016 we collaborated with musician Dyalla Swain from New Zealand on a video campaign for the release of our BT539i Wireless Bluetooth® Headphones. Since then our partnership with Dyalla has grown; and so has her involvement with us on video campaigns for products ranging from our Wireless Bluetooth® FitBuds and Porta Pro® Classic headphones to our BTS1 Bluetooth® Speaker. We recently sat down with Dyalla to discuss her history, her process and her thoughts on the future of music.
How did you get started in making music?
I started playing the guitar when I was 10 years old. I was in a few rock bands growing up and I was known as "the rock-chick" through out high school as I loved to put on a show when performing - I still have neck issues due to whiplash from headbanging! I started making electronic beats more recently as I was inspired by the music I heard in Casey Neistat's videos.
So you live in New Zealand, where exactly? Tell us what NZ is like!
I live in Taupo, New Zealand. It's a small city in the middle of the North Island with a huge lake. New Zealand is beautiful, full of amazing nature and relaxed people.
How did you get involved working with Koss?
I got involved with Koss through their Photographer Martin Moore. Martin used my tunes for months with his personal vlog and kept me in mind for videography jobs where he needed some music. He then started working for Koss and the rest is history! I'm very lucky for the opportunity (thank you Martin)!
If you could pick one song that you've created you are most proud of, which is it and why?
"By The Sea" is probably my favourite song I've ever made. Not just because of the way it sounds, but the fact that it was a lot of me pushing out of a comfort zone that I had been in for a while. It was received better than I could have ever predicted and made me more confident in the music that I am passionate about making.
If you weren't making music, what else would you be doing? I'd probably be working as some kind of media designer if I wasn't making music. I got a degree in design and was doing my Masters when the music really kicked off, so I quit and decided to pursue my main passion in life.
What is one thing most people don't know about you?
One thing that most people don't know about me is I'm a girl. Haha. A lot of the time people listen to my music online and assume I'm a guy because there aren't many girls out there who produce music like I do. It's flattering.
Where do you see the future of music heading?
I feel a strong 80's revival with culture at the moment, which I love so much. I think genre is a thing of the past with the endless possibilities with electronic production. It's an exciting time to be creating music, you never know what's going to be popular in a few years time!
What does music do for you?
Music has always been the biggest part of who I am. As a listener, player or creator, it has always had the ability to evoke emotion within me. I'm not a very extroverted person in terms of how I'm feeling, but I've found immense sadness and joy, heartache and hopefulness heightened through music. I feel lucky to have spent my youth in an age where it was possible to carry my music with me wherever I go, and through this; create a soundtrack to my life to help me through the hardest and happiest of times. I owe everything that I am to music, and I feel incredibly lucky that I get to wake up and make music every day.
