23-year-old musician and producer Deyaz had barely begun secondary school when he first picked up a guitar. His older brother had moved out and headed to university, leaving behind a very old, classical guitar. Bored and left to his own devices during the summer holidays, Deyaz taught himself how to play. “I started listening to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, your typical guitar heroes, and from there I really knuckled down and found a passion for it” he explains.
By age 14, Deyaz had a good grasp of guitar and was learning piano and drums too. Shortly afterwards he landed a junior scholarship to Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and by 16, had started producing: “I started to pick up producing and apply the different instruments to make compositions. The artist stuff came as the last piece of the puzzle.”
Raised in East Ham and of Jamaican-Syrian heritage, Deyaz had a difficult decision to make during his teenage years when his parents left London for Devon. Staying behind to fend for himself in the city, he dropped out of school and began busking. “I was busking around London from 16 as a way to make an income, but also because I really enjoyed it. London has played a massive role in my whole learning experience” he says.
Though he comes with a tough outer shell, his music is surprisingly tender, intimate and emotive. His first mixtape, Why Not, was the result of a decade’s worth of self-teaching and jumps between genres in the same way he does with his own listening habits. “I listen to everything and would like to think I incorporate as many genres in my music as possible. I’m doing it genre by genre. This year for example, the aim is to put out a folk EP, then I’ll lean into a hip-hop project next, and then something more alternative. I don’t like to work in a confined way with genres.”
This year he has big plans. “The dots seem to be connecting,” he says, “hopefully this year will be full of new music and new shows too”. He’s also got a major campaign on the horizon and a new single, Bones, which lands this month too.
Below, Deyaz lists his top tracks for a Friday night in the city. You can listen to ES Magazine’s full Friday Night Playlist here.
Walking on a Dream - Empire of the Sun
“I was about 15 or 16 the first time I heard this song. It was the first track that got me into this sort of lane of music. It reminds me of good times all round, it’s probably one of my favourite songs.”
“This was one of the first songs I ever learned on bass, it got me into the instrument and I’m just a massive fan of MGMT. I think they sonically always broke out of the box of their genre. They were pioneers of the whole movement.”
Feels Like We Only Going Backwards - Tame Impala
“I’m in awe of all of Kevin Parker’s music. I’m a massive fan of his production and I try to incorporate a lot of techniques that he uses into mine.”
“What I like about this track is what I like about Gorillaz in general, their songwriting still feels like pop and relatable but also still lives in an alternative world. They’ve got the blend very well.”
“The SAINt JHN track is just an all round party track. It gets me going.”
