Introducing: Dilettante

We loved the melodic yet kick-ass sound of Monster by Toronto outfit Dilettante. So, we reached out to them to discover a bit more about the people behind the music, and I’ve got to say, they give great interviews!

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Could you tell us a bit about Dilettante?

We’re a five-piece power pop band from Toronto, fronted by singers Natalie Panacci and Julia Wittmann. We just released our self-titled debut record, but we’ve been together for years (previously known as For Jane).

What inspires you to write?

Writing is an irresistible itch! Inspiration can come from anywhere – I personally have a weird specific habit of writing songs about HBO TV shows – but if we look at our album, there are a lot of songs inspired by romance (Home and Bonnie), infatuation (Donna), heartbreak (Monster), self-criticism (Blue) – or even creepy male predators (Tom).

Who has the most influence on your music?

Artists like Alex Cameron and St. Vincent have had an ongoing, big influence on us. But we also grew up loving artists like Radiohead, Pulp, and Gorillaz. Lately, we’ve been leaning more and more into pop music from the 80’s, taking notes from artists like Hall & Oates, Roxy Music, and Blondie. But each band member has a pretty distinct music taste and background, so the overall influences come from all over the place (for example, our drummer Bradley Connor works with a lot of indie rock and country acts; our bass player Zack Stuckey is a trained jazz musician who often plays with funk bands).

What has been the biggest highlight of your musical career so far?

This album! Getting this project out has been a really long process and we’re over the moon to finally be showing people.

What is the most memorable gig you’ve ever played or attended?

The most memorable gig I attended was Gorillaz at the Scotiabank theatre in 2017. I’m a diehard Gorillaz fan and it was my first time seeing them. I went by myself and snuck my way to the very front… met some other nice diehards in the audience, screamed my little guts out, and just laid in the grass in blissful shock after it was all over.

What was the last album or song you listened to?

Roxy Music – Flesh and Blood. I think Same Old Scene is one of the best songs ever.

If you could support (open for) anyone, who would it be or why?

Alex Cameron. Because we love his music and want to be his friend. Actually Pulp. Because I want them to tour again!!!! And become Jarvis Cocker’s friend. I would like to learn how to dance like both Alex and Jarvis.

 What other Toronto bands or musicians do we need to be checking out now?

We have such a boppin scene here in Toronto! You should check out Julia’s other bands Breeze (fronted by Josh Korody) and Praises (fronted by Jesse Crowe). And there’s a long line of other local bands we love playing with – Rapport, Kali Horse, Nutrients, to name a few – and we’re excited to play alongside Twin Rains and Chloe Ducet at our album release show.

What’s the inspiration behind the lyrics of Monster?

Hahaha. A painful break up. A few years ago, I vented to Natalie and our close friend/ songwriter collaborator, Maks Milczarczyk, about what I was going through (and revealed some choice words I may or may not have actually said) and Maks very quickly turned my experience into a song. We massaged the lyrics to suit me a little bit better – such as squeezing “feed me to the tiger” in there – a lyric that gestures to other songs on the album, and “I’ll see you fine in another life” which subtly gestures to a Radiohead song.

What’s up next for Dilettante?

We’re scheming an EP! Should come out some time next year. For now, we’ll keep gigging this album and see if we can make it overseas to visit.

I would love to see Dilettante play in the UK! For more information on the band’s self-titled album, give them a follow on Facebook or Instagram – click here for loads more links. You can purchase Dilettante‘s music on Bandcamp.