Dashoda announces debut EP, Dublin show with 'Sultan'

Rising electro-pop producer Dashoda has announced his highly anticipated debut EP Never Enough, which will arrive on March 15th 2023, alongside the news of a Workman’s Cellar show in Dublin.

Jackie Beverly will support him at the gig, following the release of today's collaborative single 'Sultan'. "You breathe, I breathe too / It's sad but we're in it to lose," their voices sing as one. "...we're drifting silently / We can't keep our head above the waves / Searching for another storm to blame."

Dashoda confesses his vulnerabilities during his verses, "I couldn't let you get close to me, now I don't know what I can do" as Beverly matches his raw energy in response.

The Irish talent (aka Gavin MacDermott) describes the upcoming EP's themes has being "inspired by the experience of avoidance and self-sabotage". Never Enough has hints of The Blue Nile, Talking Heads and David Lynch movies.

To herald the release of his EP next month, the musician's sultry new single ‘Sultan' has dropped, propelled forwards by dreamy synths and rain sounds.

The producer tapped Jackie Beverly to duet the track, which traces a relationship falling apart. The subject may be one of discord, but the pair’s voices sublimely complement each other.

Dashoda says of the song: “‘Sultan’ came from a place of heartbreak and the subsequent loneliness and confusion. I had this archetypal image of the ‘fallen king’ in my mind, somebody who believes they have it all in a relationship but then sees it unravel dramatically and unquestionably. The Blue Nile are my favourite band and the outro is a humble nod to their beautiful second album Hats.”

“I have been a fan of Jackie’s work for years,” he adds. “She has a delicate ear for production, a sense of calm, and a direct honesty that balanced my own frenetic energy during the writing and production of ‘Sultan’, especially when it came to refining parts and delivering the vocals. I learned so much from this experience and I am so glad we got to work on ‘Sultan’ together.”

Jackie Beverly.

Hot off the release of her 2022 EP Temporary State, Jackie co-wrote the single with Dashoda, and their distinct styles blend together to create a sound that’s soft and sweet, yet stirring.

"This was my first introduction into co-writing with someone, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to take those first steps with than Gav," Beverly notes. "'Sultan’ is the story of a love that’s beginning to dissipate and two people clinging on for dear life. As a writer, I take a lot of inspiration from nature and find it fascinating how quickly a moment can change from calm and peaceful to something more volatile. There are a lot of references to the ever-changing sea in this track which I think is the perfect metaphor for the ebb and flow of relationships.”

Dashoda set the Irish airwaves alight with his last single, ‘Looking For You’, and supported one of Ireland’s hottest exports, 49th & Main, on their Irish tour just before the new year.

Tickets for Dashoda The Workman's Cellar are on sale now for €12 incl. booking fee from Tickets.ie.

Dashoda.

Never Enough tracklist.

1. Fooling Around Again
2. Looking For You
3. Roy Orbison
4. Sultan feat. Jackie Beverly