David Diaz Shares His Feelings Of Indecisiveness On His New Single “Is Anybody There?”
Samantha Colleran, April 2022
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may be familiar with David Diaz. David recently released a new single titled “Is Anybody There?”, which was inspired by his severe indecisiveness. Prior to the release, I had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually) with David to discuss the new track and what it was like to turn such a personal feeling into something anyone can relate to. You can read the full interview below, and the song will be linked below!
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SC: Hi David!
DD: Hi!
SC: So, last time we spoke we were talking about your most recent single, “Pay To Be Happy”. Today, we’re here to discuss something new, which I will leave to you!
DD: Yes! My new single “Is Anybody There?” comes out on Friday and I’m super excited. It’s basically a song about being indecisive and not knowing if you’re making the right choices and overthinking everything. It’s all those feelings wrapped up into a three minute song.
SC: I’m really excited for everyone to hear it! I had a little sneak preview and I love it. I love that you’re carrying on the 80s sound we spoke about last time! What was the process of writing and producing this song like, and how is it different from “Pay To Be Happy”?
DD: With “Pay To Be Happy”, it was more serious in tone, the subject matter was more intense and the song itself is more intense. This song is more spacey and lighthearted. It was easier, there was less pressure to be ‘serious’. I really enjoyed the process, and I wanted to keep the 80s theme going because I find it so easy to communicate things with that sound; it brings a feeling of nostalgia and evokes emotion. This song came easier to me than “Pay To Be Happy”, which is funny. I started writing this song one year- no, two years ago actually. I stopped because I was like “I don’t know what to do or what to write about”. The idea came to me eventually and I finished it about two months ago.
SC: So exciting! I love that you’re following through on the nostalgia aspect. I feel like so many artists around the pandemic went back to older sounds, so it’s really cool to think that you were one of the first to talk openly about the sound and bring it back to the forefront of music. You sort of answered my last question, but was it challenging to come up with lyrics that describe feelings of indecisiveness? Did you experience any indecisive feelings while writing, and how did you work through them?
DD: My major thing is when I go to restaurants I can never decide what to eat, I have to ask the waiter or waitress, or my family, or whoever I’m with, because I can’t make a decision for the life of me. That’s where the song came from, I was like, “Wow, I’m so indecisive. I should write a song about that!” After I wrote “Is Anybody There?” and played it for people I asked what they thought it was about and they said “It sounds like you’re lost”, “It sounds like you’re looking for something or someone”, and then I told them it’s about me not being able to choose at a restaurant and then they got it!
Being indecisive is one of my major downfalls. Sometimes it gets the best of me. I take forever to choose between things. Even for this song, the cover art alone took forever to choose. That’s normally the longest part of the process, choosing the cover art. I sit behind my computer going “I don’t like that, I don’t like that, I don’t know what to do” and I am trying to get over it, but it’s hard. There’s a quote from one of my favorite producers, Ian Kirkpatrick, and he said “You’re never done working on something, you just decide when to stop and put it out”. I always work on songs and never think they’re good enough and I ask people for their thoughts, but I forget what I want. This whole song has been a learning experience for me.
SC: Believe me, I know your own mind can get in the way of so many things. It’s so amazing that you turned what you feel is a downfall into a work of art that people can relate to. Everybody can be indecisive at times. It’s also really funny how small moments can be so impactful. You sitting in a restaurant not being able to decide what you want turned into a song, and that’s so cool!
DD: Thank you so much!
SC: You’re welcome! I can’t wait for people to hear and relate to the song. So, jumping off of that point, what do you hope people take away from the song? Do you hope they feel some sense of community in their feelings?
DD: Yeah, you got it right there! I think with music in general, the songs that do well are typically songs people can relate to. I always have a hard time relating to songs with subject matters that are so far away from my life, I think they’re cool but don’t necessarily connect with them. I’ve always strived to make music for people to relate to. We live in a society where so many artists, brands, people, products, look so far away and untouchable and I hate that. I like artists that make you feel connected to them, like artists you can DM and you know they’ll answer or by listening to their songs you get to know them on a more personal level. That’s the main goal I have with my songs, and I want my music to reflect my feelings and experiences. Life’s too short to make songs that try to make you look cool or are just for streams, that shouldn’t be the goal. Connection, understanding, and relatability are always my top priorities when it comes to songwriting.
SC: That makes me so happy to hear. I love when artists are genuine in their music and want to push a certain message. I love the way you put it so much, it comes off so naturally and I feel like you convey your messages in such a special way. I think a lot of people will be drawn to this song and want to hear more.
DD: Thank you! I was also inspired- I think I was on Instagram, and there was a trend for like a week where they posted carousel posts where they showed words that describe feelings you didn’t know had a word. That’s what I wanted this song to feel like. I just remembered that!
SC: I do remember that! That was a fun time on Instagram. You were talking about inspirations and finding meanings for the song, were there any artists or songs that inspired the sound or you tried to emulate in the lyric flow, or was it just 80s nostalgia in general?
DD: This was actually the first song I released that didn’t reference any other songs. It was 100% driven from feeling. The whole idea of being in space was the visual for me, it all came to me like a movie. I do usually listen to songs to get inspiration for the direction of the song, but for “Is Anybody There?” I didn’t listen to a single thing for inspiration, it all came out to me. That never happens to me, and it was pretty cool to have it all come out of my brain like that.
SC: That’s absolutely fantastic! Is there a certain lyric that stands out to you, or when you were writing it you had a feeling of “This is really good, I can’t wait for people to hear this line”?
DD: That’s a hard one… I would say “Are you waiting on me/ As my thoughts fade into aerosol”. That encapsulates the feeling I got when the waiter at the restaurant I was in was waiting for me to give my order. That’s where that line comes from. I wrote it in a way where it’s applicable to anyone or any situation. It’s that feeling where you feel as though everyone is watching you to make your next decision, meanwhile your mind is fading away into all these different scenarios and you start to think “If I make this decision, what will the outcome be?” That’s my favorite line, I think.
SC: Although the song touches on your own personal struggles with indecisiveness, the lyrics, as you said, are universal and can reach a wide number of people. What other meanings do you think people may attach to the song, or what other ways do you think people may relate to “Is Anybody There?”?
DD: I was listening to the song last night, which is something I do before I release a song, and I was trying to detach from the song as a creator and listen to it from a consumer perspective. I was thinking of how I might interpret the lyrics if I didn’t know the meaning, or if I hadn’t seen any posts relating to the song, and I think it can be interpreted in a number of ways. I was talking to Amanda [Do Nascimento, David’s manager] and I was saying that some people may view it from a spiritual standpoint, “Is Anybody There?” could be someone looking for a higher purpose or something like that. It could be about loneliness for some people, looking for someone to depend on and not having anyone to turn to. My songs sometimes do that, and it’s not intentional, but I think it’s really cool that my songs are so open to interpretation. I like when songs are like that, they have one meaning but people can listen to it and find their own ways of interpreting lyrics.
SC: I agree, I love when people share their own feelings about the songs. The artist may feel one thing while writing, but there’s a universal bond of “We may not see the song the same way, but we can connect to it on a certain level” and I think that makes your songs so special. You sing about things a lot of people experience, and it’s great to see how you put your own unique interpretations of situations or feelings together into songs.
DD: Thank you!
SC: Last time we sat down to talk, you said that one of the main focuses of your music and message as an artist was to shine a light on mental health and mental health struggles. Do you feel that this song is an extension of that message, and do you feel that your passion for shedding light on mental health awareness adds another layer of depth to the track?
DD: Yeah! I think this song definitely could touch on mental health based on the fact that indecisiveness can be a small quirk, which I think in my case it is, to something that can be more obsessive and go beyond a small quirk. I remember this one person I went to college with, we were in philosophy class and he was talking about how he has a fear of not making the right decision to the point where he couldn’t do anything. He had to see a therapist for it, and at that point it was a fear of life. It’s like with anything, it starts small, but if you let it get out of control it can turn into the worst thing. It can be anything from eating sugar to making decisions. I think this song definitely has a connection to mental health and being in touch with yourself and your feelings.
For indecision, with mine at least, it’s based on outward opinions. I pride myself on not caring what people think, but there’s always those small instances where I need to go outside myself and think “I don’t trust my opinion, I need to ask someone else”. That’s something I need to work on so my mental health isn’t impacted negatively. I think “Is Anybody There?” definitely fits in that category of mental health, and it reminds people that you can be indecisive but at the end of the day you need to work on making your own decisions and being comfortable with choosing things, and trusting ourselves to make the ‘right’ decision, whatever that means for the person or situation. At the end of the day, the lesson behind the song is to be comfortable with yourself and making decisions.
SC: I love how much you’ve shared about the song, I appreciate everything you’ve said, and once again I can’t wait for people to listen to it! It’s been an absolute pleasure speaking with you again.
DD: Thank you so much, Sam!
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You can listen to “Is Anybody There?” now on Apple Music, Spotify or any other streaming service you may use. Be sure to follow David on Instagram to stay in the know about new music! Congratulations on the release David!