Born in the farm town of Warwick, NY, Vydia’s 21-year-old eclectic phenomenon, Gus Dapperton, is dancing his way into the spotlight through his nostalgic style and mix of synths, hip-hop, and dream pop. Gus Dapperton defies the norm and is best known for his idiosyncratic style, signature bowl cut, ‘80s influenced music, and cinematic music videos. He’s been writing and producing music since junior high and has since skyrocketed to fame with 605K monthly Spotify listeners, 44K YouTube subscribers, and a total of 5.9M YouTube video views. Dapperton was featured in Vogue twice for his high fashion-filled tour wardrobe and for being an ‘on-the-rise dream pop’ musician. His most popular music video, “Prune, You Talk Funny” is off his latest EP You Think You’re a Comic and has reached over 3.6M views!
Gus Dapperton is currently showcasing his David Bowie and Dr. Seuss inspired style playing across the country on his Yellow & Such Tour but found the time to tell Vydia about his eclectic style, inspiration behind his hit video “Prune, You Talk Funny”, and more! Here’s what he had to say:
What inspired you to pursue a career in music? Was music a big part of your childhood
I have to make music in order to survive if I did not I would spontaneously combust due to the build-up of emotions festering inside of me. Yes, my parents always played music throughout the house very loudly. We were always encouraged to dance and sing.
Who has been your biggest influence?
Dr. Seuss
You first started gaining recognition for your talent in the 8th grade when you won a songwriting contest. How have you grown as creator since then?
I have practiced music every day since that moment when I was introduced to production. I have found my sound and developed enough to translate what I hear inside of my head.
Your sense of style has also developed a lot over the years. Your iconic wardrobe and signature bowl haircut have even been featured in major fashion publications like Vogue. What role does fashion play in your music?
I think my style directly coincides with my music. My sound and style are both inspired my childhood where I knew no evil and relished in pure discovery.
Your latest EP, So You Think You’re A Comic, was a complete DIY project that you wrote, produced, and released. What was this entire process like?
It is incredibly fulfilling to finalize any music that I set out to make. There was definitely a different workflow I was able to endure when making this record though. I had recently dropped out of school and had all the time in the world. Every day I woke up. Had a bagel and a coffee. Made music. Had a quesadilla. Made more music. Then went to sleep. It was the time of my life.
What’s the greatest piece of advice you have received as a creator?
Put in 10,000 hours.
What was the inspiration behind your music video “Prune, You Talk Funny”?
MDC and I aimed to create a surreal environment that you could imagine me existing in. It’s also based on true events lived by one of MDC’s best friends growing up.
As an independent creator, what drew you to use the Vydia platform to manage your video content?
To be honest, everyone who works there is very helpful and the platform is very easy to use.
What’s a funny story or fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I would hope that some people know this by now but I can’t wear socks twice in a row. Every time I take socks off I have to put a clean pair on. They have to be white mid-calf socks and they have to be 100% cotton.
This is only the beginning for Gus Dapperton and we can’t wait to see where he goes as a part of his journey. Keep up with one of Vydia and indie music’s biggest stars through his Instagram, YouTube, and more!