After playing at our Stone Island party a few weeks ago we feel in love with Dornik, so we caught up with him after his set at Pitchfork Paris to spend a little time with gentle and discreet new face of the neo-soul scene. Having started off drumming for Jesse Ware, Dornik had to pluck up the courage to move into the spotlight, reluctant to be centre stage. But he’s done, much too the delight of all, with his mixture neo-soul, funk and pop, he’s been drawing comparisons to Frank Ocean and the Weeknd, or even Prince and Michael Jackson.
You’re from Croydon, which has been a haven for dubstep and grime. Do you think that having grown up there has influenced your music?
Yes, it’s there somehow. I listen to lots of different music, but when grime and dubstep arrived at the beginning of the 00s I was immediately into it. I think unconsciously, Croydon has influenced the way I create music, even if it is not obvious at first listen.
You started as a drummer for Jessie Ware, what made you want to strike out on your own?
I’ve always written lyrics, played songs, recorded demos. But I lacked confidence in myself, I’d let my close friends and my family listen to them but nobody else. When I started working with Jessie, she asked me if I was doing anything other than the drumming. I made her listen to what I was working on and she asked me who it was singing on my demos. Everything started there to be honest.
It is something you always dreamed of?
Yes, I think secretly I’ve always wondered what it was like to be at the front of the stage. In my heart, I think I’ve always wanted it, but it took time to have enough confidence in myself.
How was the transition? You’re pretty shy on stage, right?
Certainly. But the more concerts I do the better I get at it. It’s definitely a transition, but I love it.
There is something timeless about your music. It’s full of references to different genres and eras but never feels nostalgic, you reinterpret those influences in a very modern way…
I grew up listening to lots of different musical genres, jazz, soul, funk, hip hop. Maybe I have just digested them and reinterpreted them unconsciously in my music.And as I love pop too, I try to create links that feel poppy. It’s very instinctive. More you listen to music, the more you become like a sponge, you become imbued with the sounds of lots of genres… And then I do things, my music evolves by itself I think.
You often get compared to Michael Jackson, how do you feel about that?
Scared! That’s a lot of pressure, but such a compliment!It’s unbelievable.
What song do you listen to before going to bed?
Africa by D’Angelo. He’s an artist who inspires me a lot.
Credits
Text Micha Barban-Dangerfield
Photography Xenia May Settel