Dom McAllister is a poised young Pop/R&B singer from London - assured, talented and yet curiously humble - with a naturally soulful voice that has stunned audiences on his UK and European tours, supporting Izzy Bizu and Rationale.
Having found early fans in BBC 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova, Line of Best Fit and CLASH Magazine, Dom saw his independently released debut efforts climb high on the Spotify UK and US Viral 50 charts, as well as having been featured on prolific playlists such as Chilled Pop Hits and R&B UK.
On course to release his debut EP in 2019, which will see Dom addressing personal subject matters such as past relationships and sexuality, he will also be playing his first headline show at London’s Waiting Room on 25th June.
Unheard Gems: Welcome, Dom McAllister, to Unheard Gems. We are so excited to have the opportunity to talk with you. How are you doing today?
Dom McAllister: I’m doing well thanks! Excited about the release of 'Incense' so thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk to you.
Unheard Gems: Just so our readers can learn a bit more about you, what has been your musical origin story?
Dom McAllister: Growing up my dad basically forced fed me soul music by artist such as Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Later down the line I began listening to Destiny’s Child and Bob Marley and also heavily being influenced D’angelo and Lauryn Hill. Got started by songwriting at the age of 16 and landed a publishing deal around 19 to begin working on my project. Sounds like a quick process but it took a few years of development to be happy where I’m at vocally and songwriting wise.
Unheard Gems: I love asking just a fun question so please indulge me. If you could only use the letters of your name to describe yourself how would you describe yourself. (ex. D: daring, O: Optimist, etc).
Dom McAllister:
D: dazed
O: open
M: mad
M: messy(slightly)
C: casual
A: accepting
L: lit
L: lightweight
I: imaginative
S: silly
T: ticklish
E: expressive
R: relaxed
Unheard Gems: We got to hear your song ‘Incense’ a little bit early and it is fantastic! You really have such a distinct sound and this song really continue to build on that and show off your vocals. What is the story behind this song and what do you want listeners to take away from listening?
Dom McAllister: Thanks a lot, I’m chuffed that you like the record. The song means a lot of things. Falling over addiction, bad luck with relationships and the feeling of being stuck in limbo. Sounds dramatic but I really felt like life catapulted many obstacles at me so I used the song to essentially rant for about 3 minutes.
Unheard Gems: ‘Incense’ is the first single off of you upcoming EP “Low On A Wave” which is scheduled to release in November. What can people expect from this EP and what can they be excited about?
Dom McAllister: Well I hope people can relate to the stories in their own way. It gets pretty deep so I'm slightly nervous for people to hear it as we live in a very easy breezy state of music right now. That being said I hope they can vibe to the beats and production we’ve created so it’s not such a Debby downer! I’ve tried to merge classic with modern songwriting experimenting with mellow trap beats.
Unheard Gems: In your songs, you reference a lot of storylines around relationships and sexuality and that takes some serious comfort with being vulnerable. What makes it easier to share your personal stories and experiences as I am sure a lot what goes into your songs is a lot of raw feeling and emotion.
Dom McAllister: I didn’t really consciously decide to make it so vulnerable, it just ended up like that because I wasn’t really in a state of mind to sugarcoat anything. Even if I feel I’ll regret being that blunt with the lyrics, later on, I know that the lgbtq+ will be able to identify themselves in the tracks. But I’m hoping that everyone can relate to it. It doesn’t matter what sexuality is. That’s pretty much the point.
Unheard Gems: What are your goals for yourself over these next few months leading up to this EP and beyond that. What is next for you?
Dom McAllister: I’m hoping to do a lot more gigs, playing live makes all the hard work in the studio pay off. I’m already working on the next EP/project and I’ll hopefully have a skeleton of it by the time the first ep is out.
Unheard Gems: Just really wrapping up now, I love hearing what the artists we talk to are listening to. Who are some artists you think deserve more attention in the music industry and why?
Dom McAllister: I’m obsessively listening to Koffee and Summer Walker. A lot of great upcoming female artists are coming out with distinctive sounds and interesting melodies/toplines. Everyone should check out Izzy Bizu's and Jae Stephens' new stuff too!
Unheard Gems: Lastly, for all of our readers, where can they find you and your music and is there anything else you want to leave us with that we didn’t talk about in our questions?
Dom McAllister: You can definitely check me out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all streaming services to keep you posted on new releases throughout the year. All the links are on my website www.dommcallister.com. Well excited for everyone to hear it!!
Download Incense:
Interview by Hannah Schneider