☆Q&A with denn.☆

denn. on ‘rottenteeth,’ Demoitis, and Embracing Imperfection in the Creative Process

Photo taken by Eric Jacobs (@ericjacobs_)

Denn., a Connecticut-born independent artist whose music blends introspective lyrics with a distinct DIY sound, is steadily making his mark on the indie music scene. His songs delve into deeply personal themes, exploring topics like emotional struggles and relationships with an authenticity that’s hard to ignore.

I first came across denn. through his heartfelt track 'rottenteeth,' which weaves captivating layers of sound, drawing you in and inviting you to get beautifully lost in its intricate texture. The song has a raw, hypnotic quality that lingers, wrapping you in its emotional depth.

During our conversation, denn. shared insights into his creative process, explaining how inspiration often comes subconsciously from what he’s listening to at the moment—like Malcom Todd, whose music influenced 'rottenteeth.'

Denn. also revealed his unique habit of associating each song he writes with a specific color, giving listeners a window into his mind and how he visualizes music. His most recent single, 'TT,' continues this tradition, further showcasing his evolving sound. Scroll to read our conversation and learn more about denn.!

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Ale: I’m super excited to be speaking with you! Your music’s so great. What hobbies are you into right now?

denn.: Thank you! I like to skate. I play games. I listen to a lot of fucking music. Watch a lot of YouTube. I need YouTube to eat. I read a lot too. Text my friends.

Ale: So you associate your songs with colors.. If you could describe your music as a color, what would it be?

denn.: It depends, because I have two genres I do. The indie pop and r&b kind of thing and then the indie folk acoustic pop kind of thing. For the acoustic pop, I would say blue or white and then for the pop r&b inspired songs I would say orange or green. A song like “eat me” would be an orange or green and the song “boyfriend” would be a blue or white song and “TT” is an orange song.

Photo taken by Eric Jacobs (@ericjacobs_)

Ale: “rottenteeth” was a track I included in my Weekly Mix for @keeponurradar on Instagram, and I am super curious about the creative process behind it.

denn.: All of my songs are inspired subconsciously by things I listen to. During that time it was Malcom Todd. The song is basically about having an eating disorder and how that affects your relationships and the dynamics as well. I got home from work, and I was like, “I kinda wanna make a song about this,” but I didn’t want my song to be orange and anyways I made it and then shelved it for like two months and then when I heard it again I was like, “Wait, this is kinda good,” [laughs].

Ale: What was your journey like when you started creating music?

denn.: I was just bored during quarantine, so I watched some YouTube tutorials for fun. I wasn’t even thinking about releasing music. At the time, I was super into an artist named Isaac Dunbar, and he started making music when he was very young. I spent a lot of time just messing around with making music. Sometimes stuff worked and sometimes it didn’t. Like I’d move this thing here and that thing there. I ended up showing one of my friends a song, and they were like “Yo you should release this,” and I was like “I’m not gonna do that shit.”. Then I went on a trip with some online friends. We were at the airport and they were telling me like “Please release these songs” and I was like “Fuck it why not?” I went up to this man and was like “Can I use your computer” and he said yes so I used it to open up a DistroKid account and I just uploaded the song “control” from my Google Drive. I posted it on TikTok, and it just got bigger and bigger somehow.

Ale: Is TikTok how your music started getting traction? How do you approach it when posting?

denn.: Yes, 100%. The way I approach TikTok might be different from other people like labels or businesspeople. They’ll usually be like, “We need this video to blow up.” I don’t think I have that specific talent to make a video blow up, so I don’t really know. I have a numbers-based strategy where I will find a format that’s easy to replicate. I like to think of it like a factory like a million random videos will probably equal the one viral video in engagement. If I know each video gets like 200 views, I’d rather do a whole bunch of those.

Ale: One of your top songs is “eat me”. What do you think resonates the most with your audience?

denn.: I think it recalls the vibe of like Clairo and Cuco and also the content of not being enough and not having support from others and love which are all topics people deal with. It’s also nostalgic.

Ale: A lot of your songs touch on topics concerning vulnerability and emotional expression. How do you approach writing lyrics?

denn.: I don't really think too hard about it. I don't like to overcomplicate it. I was always very good at English in school. I had a poetry segment, and my teacher would submit my poems to things without telling me because he thought I was really good. I don't write lyrics too much unless I'm super inspired. Most of the time, the beat comes first and then for lyrics, I’ll sing whatever comes to mind. It’s more about the emotion I would say.

Ale: So you mentioned to me that it takes you at most 40 minutes to make an entire song. That’s impressive!

denn.: It’s because I don’t know what I’m doing, that’s why it doesn’t take too long [laughs]. I have ADHD and a short attention span. I can never come back to a song once I’m done with it. If there is something in the track that is bothering me once I listen back to it, I don’t even change it. Either I release the song how it is or I just create a brand new one. 

Ale: Wow, that’s so interesting! I know a lot of people who struggle with demoitis, but it seems like you don’t have that issue [laughs].

denn.: The first one always sounds better. You spend three million years trying to change the demo just to go back and hear the first one and be like “Damn that shit was fire.” Every. Time. That’s why I don’t do it. I don’t even bother. I make like 30 songs a day. I’m very good at ending a song if it’s not good. I don’t really care and I move on. It’s like a lottery system for me. 

Ale: What are some musical influences you have?

denn.: Glaive, Malcolm Todd, Clairo, and Sabrina Sterling. Her [Sabrina Sterling’s] song “World’s Biggest Hypocrite” was the song that made me want to release music. I listen to a lot of Fiona Apple too. Isaac Dumbar [too], especially when I was starting to learn. 

Ale: You’re releasing an EP and an album! Can you tell me a bit about that? Will you be doing any performances?

denn.: The EP will be 10 songs and the album will be 20 songs with 10 being from the EP. I get too nervous to perform. I think if I take some singing lessons and learn an instrument, then maybe. After my EP or album is out, my whole focus will be on performing. At that point like I have to play live shows. I can’t run away. 

Ale: Okay for this last part, I’m just going to ask a few quick short questions. Favorite album of all time?

denn.: Brand New Eyes by Paramore and i care so much that i dont care at all by Glaive.

Ale: Dream collaboration?

denn.: Malcolm Todd. 

Ale: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

denn.: Time control. It’s just the best power. Any other answer is just wrong. If they say flying, they are wrong. You can go forward, backwards, freeze time. Anything. It’s like the swiss army knife of superpowers. 

Ale: What about teleportation though?

denn.: Time control does the same thing. I can freeze time and walk forward three steps, it looks like a teleport.

Ale: What if you wanted to teleport to another country though? I feel teleportation is the coolest. . .

denn.: I would freeze time, hop on a plane for free and if someone catches me, I’ll freeze time and go to the bathroom and then the person will think they’re crazy like “Where did this guy go?” 

Ale: True [laughs], if you could perform at any festival, which one would you choose?

denn.: Camp Flog Gnaw.

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Make sure to follow denn. on Instagram and check out their LinkTree to keep up with their upcoming releases!!

Written by: Alejandra Moreno (@alejandrmor)

Featuring: denn. (@falaricaa)

Photos by: Eric Jacobs (@ericjacobs_) and denn. (@falaricaa)