by abby crabill
photo by emma-lee photography
Halston Dare is a dance pop artist from Houston, Texas. Halston has already begun 2021 with two holiday releases in the Billboard Top 20. She has also recently surpassed one million streams on Spotify with her previous single, "Teach Em." Halston continues to take her fans along on her musical journey by sharing her life through social media as well.
Despite the pandemic, Halston has grown as a person and artist. Halston recently released her new single, "Pinnacle," on February 12th. She wrote the single alongside acclaimed songwriter Shane Stevens. This single is sure to introduce fans to another side of Halston, while also giving them the urge to get up and dance. Halston is excited to achieve several goals in 2021, including new music and future collaborations.
You've been writing from a young age. Can you describe a little bit of your writing process for us?
Halston: “My songwriting process will seem really simple. I don’t prepare anything before I walk into the session. I don’t have anything really in my mind of what I want to write about either. I usually bring snacks and coffee if it is a morning session or, if it’s later in the day, I’ll grab food or drinks and jam out to some music before I get there. When the writing session starts, I wait for the producer to create some music as a baseline and the first thing that comes to my head that I like is what I go with for the song. The studio is such a magical place and it’s meant for creativity and brainstorming. So, I don’t like bringing in non-relative ideas into a studio before it’s actually started. I definitely have to be writing and co-producing with people that I vibe with and enjoy as a human being... Then, I start writing and by the end of the day, in about two to three hours, we have a song! After that, I spend a couple months perfecting the song and by then I am preparing it to be released.”
Several artists are finding ways to stay active throughout this pandemic, how has it affected you and your creativity process?
H: “The pandemic definitely affected me and my creativity. It put my mental health in a dark spot causing me to have no motivation to want to write or even do music for a little while. However, as the months have gone on, I have grown a lot and worked on myself. I am really excited for 2021 and have a lot of plans and goals that I really wanted to achieve in 2020 that I hope to achieve this year.”
You collaborated with the songwriter Shane Stevens on your new release, "Pinnacle." What was it like working with someone with Shane's knowledge and experience?
H: “It is always a pleasure to be able to write with Shane. I have such a good connection and chemistry with him, and he is an absolute doll!”
Tell us about the meaning behind your song, "Pinnacle!"
H: “‘Pinnacle’ is about all the juicy feelings that you have when you were at your highest peak in a beautiful relationship, or maybe, a one-night stand. Pinnacle is a song that I’ve never written before and I am glad that I am tapping into that part of my songwriting. If I want to be as transparent as possible with my fans, then I need to talk about every aspect of my love life. Pinnacle is also one of the most fun upbeat jam out songs I have ever created before! It’s sick!”
What is an important lesson that you have learned along your journey in the music industry so far?
H: “Don’t believe any promises anyone makes to you, and you cannot compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to the journeys of others without knowing their backgrounds or their struggles can really affect you in a negative way. I have spent a really long time trying hard not to compare myself to other aspiring musicians who are a lot more successful than I am, but I figured that I am on the path that I need to be on for my path. Consequently, I am exactly where I need to be in my career.”
How do you connect the social media aspect with your journey in the music industry?
H: “My most engaging platform is probably Triller and Instagram. I enjoy both of those platforms when it comes to posting; however, the platform that I use the most for my own personal use is TikTock! It’s one of the funniest and most educational apps I’ve ever used. However, I love to share my journey and my personal life on social media, so it’s fun to get to talk about it and show it online.”
What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
H: “I can’t promise any specific projects at the moment; however, I can say more music and future collabs!”