An Interview With The 80’s-Influenced Duo DYSPLAY!

Get to know Dysplay!

This 80’s-influenced pop duo released their newest single, “Dream,“ earlier this month on August 2nd.

Dysplay is comprised of Eric Scullin and Devin Hoffman, two young, accomplished musicians. Hoffman is a film and TV composer and former touring bassist for the likes of Awolnation. Scullin – vocalist for Dysplay – has co-produced and co-written with names like RZA (Wu Tang Clan, Kanye West) and Mark Needham (The Killers, Imagine Dragons). Together, Dysplay creates an infectious and unique blend of 80’s sounds in the vein of George Michael, sprinkled with modern day alt-pop akin to Empire of the Sun.

Connect With Dysplay Here:

www.instagram.com/dysplaymusic | www.facebook.com/dysplaymusic

Learn more about Dysplay in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day for you both?

We’re rehearsing for our show at The Troubadour this Saturday (8/3). Looking forward to playing a lot of new music!

Now that we are more than halfway through the year, how would you say that 2019 is treating this duo so far? What are some goals that you have for this year and how close are you to reaching them? Did you already?

We’re putting out our next single “Dream” on 8/2 along with the video shot by Gordon Yould and Sayer Kanakriyeh. We’re planning to have another single and video out by October and hopefully one more by end of the year.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this band together? Has anything surprised you about this musical journey so far? 

We met when we were 18 and began working on musical projects together, but it wasn’t until the last 2 years that we finally wrote a lot of the material that makes up the Dysplay set today.

How did you come up with your name? A computer made us choose the name Dysplay.

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you both carry yourselves in this band? 

Eric is from Newport Beach and Devin is from Miami, so I think you can hear some of the more chill coastal vibes at times. Some surf rock and Latin beats make their way in there.

Why would you say that you two work so well together? Where is one of you weak where the other is strong and vice-versa? Why does this duo work? 

At this point, we’ve made so much music together that we understand each other and each other’s tastes pretty well. Eric grew up singing and Devin grew up working in every genre, playing a lot of jazz and classical so we kind of met in the middle and made each other better.

Let’s talk about your latest track “Dream.” What was the inspiration for this song? How did it come together? How would you say that it prepares listeners for more music from you? 

Writing “Dream” was informed by a lot of things, but I think mostly it’s like a picture in your mind that you can’t erase. It’s kind of a return to a style of writing we departed from for our last singles like “Mr. Jackpots” and “Hey Charli” so it’s hard to say where the next compositions might end up style-wise. We’re liking the more uptempo feel of “Dream.” Especially live.

When do you plan on putting out more new music and a full collection of new songs? 

The next release and accompanying video will be in October. Details to come.

Where do you think you are both happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? 

We’ve spent so much time in the studio the last few years that we’re anxious to get out and share all the work onstage. But it’s a balance.

What has been a favorite show of yours to date? What do you think makes an ideal performance for this band? Where are you excited to play at next? 

Probably the most fun we’ve had at a show was actually at Cal Poly Pomona with Icona Pop. Just a really fun memorable time.

How do you think being musicians and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today? We’re lucky to do what we love every day.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how your own music is reflecting this time period? If you don’t think it is, why is that? Would you say that other musicians are making music that has been influenced by this climate? 

Another single of ours coming out very soon addresses the climate in America right now. Our song “Hey Charli” is inspired by some of our concerns about media and modern life but we tried to do it in a way where we weren’t force-feeding the listener our political views. Just offering another layer of meaning to the song if you wanted it. It’s interesting how our generation is hearing a lot less music and art that directly reflects the political and social elements of life today. I feel like more popular artists used to stand up for what they thought mattered and needed to be said.

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this duo? 

We’re big fans of Francis and the Lights. Also, we have a demo that we wrote that really needs a Don Henley feature and we’d love to have Brian Eno produce it.

Where would you love to hear your music being played? A TV show, a movie, in your favorite store, etc…? 

We want one of the Dodgers to use a Dysplay song as walk-up music.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs? 

Every song comes from a different place, which we like. It’s hard to describe an overall message without exploring the songs individually.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about your music? 

We just appreciate that we get to share our music and feel lucky to be able to do that.