Q+A: SWAINE DELAGO

Fusing his background in chill electronic music with a more recent fascination of catchy pop, Swaine Delgado puts his own twist on laid-back tunes with his latest EP, Brushed. His soothing vocals melt seamlessly into layers of upbeat yet dreamy instrumentals, encapsulating listeners in a trance of rhythmic paradise. While Delgado creates undeniably catchy tunes through repetitive melodies, he embraces contrasting segments that tastefully bring each track to the next level. By effortlessly combining the best parts of his favorite genres, Swaine Delgado ends up with a cohesive EP that carries vibes of relaxation and excitement throughout all six of the tracks.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Delgado, discussing his sound, what he’s been listening to, and the making of Brushed.

Would you like to introduce yourself?

Hey! I’m Swaine Delgado, a songwriter/producer from Perth, Australia.

You have such a signature sound. It’s so easy-going but also upbeat and catchy. What are some factors that have influenced this sound?

I’ve always listened to and loved kinda laid back hip-hop, R&B and electronic stuff so that just comes naturally when it’s time to make the music side of things. Just in the last couple years I've become obsessed with pop melodies and pop writing so I think that plays a big factor on the catchy side of things.

I can’t stop listening to Brushed. Can you talk about your experience making this EP? What role did the Future Classic/ Dropbox residency play in its creation?

I’m so glad to hear! So I wrote “Boulevard” and “Do to me” before I flew out to do the residency with no real plans or expectations of what I was working towards. I was still very new to a lot of things, I really hadn’t done any writing outside of my little home studio so being a part of sessions with great artists in an incredible studio really inspired me, I think I wrote 14 songs in 14 days and chose the four best to accompany “Boulevard” and “Do to me” on an EP. It played a huge part in both the EP and just growth as an artist.

Do you have a favorite track on Brushed? If so, what does it mean to you?

My favourite would have to be “Dance No More” just for sentimental reasons, I hadn’t seen one of my closest friends Ralph Castelli in a couple of years after we both left Sydney around the same time. He lives in LA so it was the first time getting to see him in a while and we wrote “Dance no more” in our time in the FC Dropbox studio.

What setting do you consider this EP perfect for?

Looking out the window whilst you’re on a bus or train with headphones in.

What message would you want listeners to take away from this EP?

I’m not sure there’s a defined message from it, I just love trying to capture a mood with each song and hope everyone can enjoy it the way I enjoy making it.

Which artists would you be most excited to collaborate with?

Probably Kevin Parker or BENEE or Glass Animals or something.

What are your favorite tracks of 2021 so far?

“Dress up for you” - The Technicolors 

“Rocky” - Still Woozy

Now that the EP is out, what can fans look forward to next?

I had Brushed ready for a while and have had a lot of time to write new music waiting for the release of it so they can definitely expect more music very soon.