Exclusive interview with 'DIALOGIC'

Dialogic, a 2021 project from singer-songwriter Tom Sykes, uses atmospheric guitar, synth, and vocals along with strong grooves to produce a unique style of neo-80s pop-rock. Prepare to be transported by lyrics from the heart, set in an epic soundscape, driven by rhythm and inspired by bands like U2, Simple Minds, and Duran Duran. Both a studio project with Tom Sykes and producer Paul Worthington, as well as a live performance project involving a four-piece band, are called Dialogic.
Dialogic’s first single, “Safe On Your Way,” features an epic neo-80s pop-rock soundscape and draws inspiration from classic bands like U2, Simple Minds, and Duran Duran.

“Safe On Your Way” is a song that expresses the poignant tension between the need to leave one’s comfort zone and do what needs to be done by leaving one’s home, either literally or metaphorically, in order to travel into the unknown. A call to hope and bravery. This is a powerful song that transports you to the core of life’s important issues. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?

DIALOGIC: Hi – I was born and grew up in the south of England, not far from London. In adult life I’ve tried all sorts of different things – Japanese student, motorcycle messenger, gardener, stage actor, property developer, therapist – to name a few!

Six years ago, my wife and I made a move, away from the familiar south, to the far north of England, next to the border with Scotland. It was at that time in my life that making music became serious for me. So, a late start!

2.Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

DIALOGIC: No formal training. Many years ago, a friend taught me basic ‘cowboy chords’ on an acoustic guitar. My rhythm guitar playing has improved, but I still stick to the basics! I love exploring sonic complexities in the studio these days, but when I start to work on a song, it’s still just me and my acoustic guitar, basic chords and riffs.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name‘DIALOGIC’?

DIALOGIC: I loved a range of bands and styles of music growing up, from rock, pop, gothic, dance, electronica to some classical. The decade which was my greatest influence was the 1980’s. There were so many different things to choose from, and my taste was broad, but I loved the epic sounds of U2, Simple Minds, and Duran Duran. Darker stuff of the same era, like The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, The Cult also made its way into my psyche.

The name Dialogic has a significance for me, stemming from my therapy days. It’s about being in open and exploratory dialogue – between the different parts of myself, and between myself and the others in my musical world, both audience and collaborators. Thinking about it now, those bands I mentioned above took me out of my world, or expanded my world. I’d like Dialogic to do the same for others, and to be able to talk about the process. Let’s stay in dialogue about the important stuff of life, and let’s see how music can help in the quest for change.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

DIALOGIC: Big soundscapes to go with the big moments in life! I am happy if any element of a song resonates with a listener, be it something in the rhythm, melody, harmony or lyric. I would describe my sound as being inspired by classic 80’s rock, with production values rooted in the present.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?
**DIALOGIC**:
I started writing my own songs about 4 years ago, and for 2 years before that I taught myself some folk and pop songs on acoustic guitar so that I could practice going to local sessions and open mics. My local music community is very supportive of new-comers having a go. A few local song-writers gave me encouragement and some tips on song-writing. The first song that I wrote was inspired by the 2018 weather event, The Beast From The East, and I called the song ‘Snowstorm in Spring.’
Amongst the local musicians, there are a few home studio recording artists, and after a while of song-writing I started to get some advice and help with setting up a home recording studio of my own. This was a great way to learn the craft of arranging songs, as well as recording and mixing them. It was a steep learning curve for me, particularly during lockdown. I was fascinated with all the different sonic possibilities I was discovering. But I also realised that to do justice to my songs and get a high professional standard, I would need to team up with a pro producer. Just when I was ready for that step, a friend introduced me to my producer, Paul Worthington. I haven’t looked back.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

DIALOGIC:

For me, the value in piece of music is in its power to move. I know that a song can move me/make me move, even when it has no particular theme of importance. And that is fine.

But my aspiration is to make powerful music which also gives focus to significant human themes. For me, as a songwriter, it is a chance to explore what matters to me deeply in life and then express it as fully as I dare. I am drawn to explore psychological areas that may be hard to talk about like grief, or anger, or desire, or wonder, or fear, or dreams. I’ve written a song on climate change called ‘Put Out the Fire’. I think it’s great if, as well as being entertaining, a song can be a political or spiritual vehicle. Sometimes the message can be full-on frontal, or sometimes it can be sideways.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

DIALOGIC:

Most of my musical experience so far is centred on playing my songs in and around my local community. That is brilliant. Like I said, I only moved to this community 6 years ago, and music has given me the chance to make some great friendships, and to participate in lots of community events. Thanks to music I have found a tribe where I belong.

Alongside that local venture, I have a new hope, and that is to gradually build a digital audience for my songs around the world. On some inner level I feel called to make studio recordings of my songs. My hope is that the ‘inner calling’ I feel corresponds to an ‘outer calling’ from some of my fellow human beings who wish to hear my songs in different parts of the world.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

DIALOGIC:

The creative process is intriguing to me. Where does it come from – my mind, One Mind? I often start with a dark soup of a dream fragment that I remember, and a riff or chord progression that seems to marry with the dream. I keep on stirring the dream and the riff, sprinkling in experimental words and vocal sounds. Maybe add a basic drum groove. See what mental images bubble up. The recipe can’t be rushed, and for a long time the ingredients of melody, harmony, rhythm, emotional expression, and narrative journey may be weaving about and indistinct. But gradually the elements come into focus and become refined. And there, at the end, what started as nothing, is a unique song with its own special power.

Most of the writing process I do by myself. It suits me best that way. When it comes to live performance, it’s a collaborative process with my band mates, coming up with the live arrangements for the songs. And in the studio, the process is totally collaborative with my producer Paul.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

DIALOGIC: Sometimes I have a wave of regret when I consider that I am coming to a music career relatively late in life. When I see some of the talented young musicians in the community going off to start an adventure at music college, I celebrate their opportunity and I think it’s great that they can embark on music careers so young – but I am sometimes painfully aware of the contrast with me. I don’t have youth on my side, in the same way as them. But I still have plenty of vitality. And I bring the benefit of my life experience to my music, along with a conviction that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all timetable for life. My journey is my journey.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

DIALOGIC: That I am choosing to devote my creative energy to music at precisely this time in my life. I can say yes, this is just the right time for me to be making and sharing music.

I often see something really fruitful in my local music community when musicians of all different ages get together to make music. Supportive energy flows between the generations. Everyone can bring something unique to the table. Music is the common denominator, a glue that keeps the community together. It’s timeless, ageless, universal.