Can you tell us a bit about how Dey Say was formed and the inspiration behind your name? 

We wanted to create something fresh but also create something African. We wanted a name that represents us to the core… just a couple of African kids taking on the world with sweet songs. We have been friends for a very long time, singing at school, singing in front of Checkers and getting chased away. It was only natural for us to come together on a valentines day. 

Your music has a unique sound. How would you describe your style, and what influences have shaped it? 

At its core it’s Pop with our flair of Afro, Amapiano and R&B, which is what we grew up on. All of those Sunday cleaning sessions at home listening to Kevin Campbell played a huge role in influencing us and our music today.

What’s the creative process like for Dey Say? Do you all contribute equally to writing and producing, or does each member have a specific role? It really all depends but to sum it up, it’s a team effort. We have a wider team and A&R who guides us and helps us craft what you guys hear through the airwaves or streaming platforms.

What themes or messages do you aim to convey through your music? Just youthfulness and the chaos that it entails. We are just enjoying life and growing.

Which song are you most proud of, and can you share the story behind it? We currently have our debut single “Calling for you” out now and for us it’s been such a beautiful process and an emotional rollecestor to have it out. God really brought us here. “Calling for you” is about young love. The type of love where you overlook red flags and toxic behaviour because you want the other person so bad.

How do you approach collaborating within the group? Are there ever challenges balancing each member’s ideas and influences? Not really because we are all here for one thing, which is to be successful at doing this and we can’t stress enough how our A&R and management team really guide us and feed into us daily in staying close as brothers and focusing on the goal no matter who writes. So we are super grateful at this point to have such good people around has guiding us through the nitty gritties.

Who are some of the artists that inspire you, either individually or as a group? I think as a group we would have to say one direction for sure. Seeing them live in SA was actually our first concert which is crazy. Other than that, we are inspired by 90s & 80s R&B and a bit of drake.

What’s the most memorable performance or moment you’ve had together so far? At this point as a group, definitely hearing the master of “Calling for you” for the first time. It was super emotional for all of us. We are just some kids who love to sing and to hear us sounding so good felt so amazing and to experience this together just topped it off and confirmed that this is us! This is what we are about.

How do you envision the future of Dey Say? Are there any goals or dreams you’re working towards? 

In terms of future goals, we are working towards 3 albums with tours around Africa, India, UAE , Japan and of course the UK and most importantly, still having fun. Ultimately our goal is representing AFRICA at large.

What advice would you give to other emerging artists looking to find their sound and connect with audiences?  Well, we can’t give advice as yet but from our experience, stay in it, stay focused and hungry. Your sound is within you, you’ll find it.