Denis Coleman talks Tangerine, a future tour, and a new EP
We caught up with Denis Coleman ahead of his brand new release!
Denis Coleman is quickly becoming a household name, dropping singles left, right and centre and touring with some of the most popular UK acts. In his latest single, ‘Tangerine’, he’s teamed up with producer duo Billen Ted to produce a remix of his new track.
The addictive summer remix offers high-energy beats and booming basslines. It definitely belongs on a summer playlist! Just before Denis released his remix to the world on Friday, we caught up with him to talk about his exciting release.
What was the creative process behind the remix and how was it working with Billen Ted?
It was amazing! I did a writing session with them a few weeks back where I saw just how talented they were and I asked them if they would remix the track. I had only finished writing and producing the original “Tangerine” a few weeks prior, and I was so excited to see how they could take a song that was very personal to me and add their own twist. They smashed it of course and created an absolute summery banger of a remix.
What does ‘Tangerine’ mean to you?
I wrote Tangerine about breaking through the facades each of us put up to hide our true selves. I tried to capture that feeling of knowing that someone is fighting their own demons and wanting to help but realising that you still have to be patient. If you bite too soon, they might lash out. But like the tangerine which seems like an ordinary fruit with a rough skin at first, getting to know them is worth it because behind the barriers they put up, they are a genuinely sweet person.
You recently just released another song called ‘Wrong Reasons’. Were you pleased with your fans’ reaction?
Yes of course! I love my fans so much, and I was so grateful and humbled to see how many people were listening, sharing and talking to me about the song online. I was also fascinated by the number of people who could relate to it lyrically, on all levels of the song. While I wouldn’t encourage people to chase after passion, thrill or euphoria for the wrong reasons, I am glad that this song allowed me to address my conflicting emotions that had arisen during the latter stages of the pandemic — emotions that it appears were shared by many other teenagers and indeed people of all ages around the UK. I truly feel that we need escapism now more than ever, and this desire is a driving theme within Wrong Reasons and my upcoming EP as a whole.
You also wrote and directed the music video for ‘Wrong Reasons’. How did you come up with the concept? Is writing and directing your own music videos something we can expect more of?
A lot of thinking haha! I locked myself in my studio for a few hours and listened to Wrong Reasons on repeat while trying to picture various shots and images and thought through how I could design a concept that mirrored the song in the right way. Eventually I settled on the metaphor of a performance and used lighting and cinematography to make it appear as paranoid, manic and unsettling as possible.
Over the course of the video we witness the descent of the protagonist as he blindly searches for validation and excitement regardless of the consequences. It’s one of those videos I could go on about forever, explaining the roses metaphor, why the protagonist starts in one chair and ends up lost in a maze of hundreds, the significance of mirrors and tangerines, and just dive into all of my creative references and inspirations that range from Mick Jagger to Blade Runner. And yes absolutely – now that I have a taste for it I don’t plan to stop any time soon!
You’ve previously toured with the likes of The Vamps and Why Don’t We and even had your own headline tour. Can we catch you on tour again when it’s safe?
Absolutely! Touring was such a huge part of my life before the pandemic struck, and from conversations I’ve had with my fans, it’s clear that they’ve missed it just as intensely as I have. This October, I will finally go on tour again as HRVY’s special guest in Europe and the UK – after nearly a year and a half without gigs. There may also be another tour to follow that one, but I’m afraid I can’t say much beyond that…
What else can we expect from you this year?
Lots of new music! Tangerine and Wrong Reasons are the first two songs from my upcoming EP which will be released in full later this year. There may be more collaborations to come as well as live performances once the world opens up. I can’t wait to share all the art I’ve been making these past few months with you guys soon!
You heard it here first! Denis is releasing his highly anticipated second EP later this year, in October. While we look forward to that, we’ll be blasting our favourite summer tune ‘Tangerine’ for the foreseeable future!