Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Dove.
Hi Dina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi! I am Dina Dove! I am a rock musician originally from Columbus, Ohio. I moved here in 2019 to attend UCLA as a Music History and Industry major. During the pandemic, I moved to Nashville to work at Blackbird Recording Studio as a studio intern assisting in setting up and tearing down sessions which is where I learned about the recording process in a professional setting. I ended up graduating a year early, earning my Bachelor’s degree in only 3 years, which has allowed me to be able to pursue music full-time since graduating!
I have always been a big fan of rock music. I would wake up at 5 am to watch MTV and VH1 instead of cartoons before school, and when I was 7 years old, my dad bought the video game RockBand. That was game over for me. I only wanted to do that for the rest of my life, and ever since, I have been writing music and playing electric guitar.
I recently finished recording the last of my EP single release cycle that is rock, punk, and disco inspired and it’s all mermaid themed! I am so excited to be putting it out finally as they are all songs I’ve been sitting on for a while. Plus, I am putting together a whole new show set to go along with it. I can’t wait to share it with everyone soon!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The pandemic was very difficult for me. My whole life, I always wanted to live in LA. Coming from a suburb in Columbus, Ohio, I would always see how beautiful and fun LA was. (Baywatch really solidified that impression for me) so when I was accepted to UCLA, I was so excited because I knew I finally did it.
I was only a few months into my Freshman year when the pandemic started and UCLA shut down. I was forced to move back to Ohio and I felt like all my progress was lost. I felt so isolated and alone because was in a different timezone taking classes until 2 am, lost my new California friends, my boyfriend at the time broke up with me because of distance, and I was unable to spend time with family because I had classes online. Not fun. So I used it as inspiration to write and motivation to find new opportunities. I figured maybe I could try to take advantage of being able to move somewhere cool while in school, so I picked Nashville. I just had to find an excuse to move. I created a list of at least 30 recording studios, ranked them from where I wanted to work most to least, and cold-called them, starting at the bottom of the list (so when I got to the top, I was a pro). Every single place said no, hung up on me, or told me to stop trying and not bother calling other places. The last place I called was Blackbird Recording Studio, a super famous studio in Nashville with the largest collection of vintage mics and equipment in the country (maybe even the world, who knows?) and I actually got a callback. Then an interview. Then the job. When I tell you I just got in the car and drove down there, I mean it. I packed my hatchback with everything I could fit and drove down, I didn’t even have an apartment figured out and I had never lived alone before. Plus, I don’t know anyone there, but my blind optimism kept me going.
When I tell you that job changed my life, I mean it. I met so many artists, engineers, musicians, and producers that I learned so much from. Everything I know about recording, equipment, and the industry, I learned in real time after working there. I don’t know where I’d be if not for that position. Not only that, but I finally felt a part of a community again and back on track with my life, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When it comes to writing, I really like to focus on the lyric writing aspect of the process. I don’t want to write a “rock song”, I just want to write. I am always trying to find unique ways to articulate feelings from experiences I have. Because I am a very non-confrontational person, songwriting for me, has always been a way to empower myself to speak my mind and turn what may have been a bad experience for me, into a good one. I know that not everyone has the same experiences as me, but I hope, through my lyricism, that people will be able to apply their own experiences to my music so that it is meaningful to them too.
I am heavily inspired by artists like Taylor Swift, The Clash, The Beastie Boys, Motley Crue, No Doubt, and Blondie. I love disco and dance music, folk punk, and hyper-pop as well. I really put a lot of time and effort into the sound of my music. I’m always working with my producer on how we can make NEW sounds in rock, pop, and punk. I love genre-bending and mixing synths and elements of disco with rock.
What sets me apart from others is that I’ve always been a girly girl. I love fashion, makeup, hair, glitter, and rhinestones so much, so I love to incorporate that into my music and visuals. Most people see me and think I play folk, Americana, or pop, and I kind of love to surprise them. I feel like rock as a genre and image can be anything you want it to be. There’s no look or attitude that you have to abide by which is why I think it’s such a fun genre to evolve. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my leather pants and studs, but I also think rock can be elegant and beautiful. Shock factor and edge can come from more than just image and lyrical content. It’s shocking enough that I want to be a mermaid on stage, and I haven’t seen that before haha.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
There are two pieces of advice that have never been wrong for me:
1. The only way out is through. When things get tough, you have to stick it out when giving up is not an option, and only good things can come from getting through.
2. When things get hard, that means half of your competition just dropped out. I try not to think of difficult things as obstacles. Instead, I think of it as checkpoints for achievement.
Pricing:
- I’m playing the Whisky a Go Go on 6/5 and you can RSVP for free on my Instagram!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/dinadovemusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinadovemusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn61kYVAHYRXFHG4FKl1uMw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2lYTdCk4tJwnN3xMuMesb6?si=87NIidsRQRKRv4aOkdKOEA
Image Credits
Whisky A Go Go Photos by Camryn Bazan and Chloe Belinsky Artwork by Dina Dove Mountains photos by Julia DeWerth
