Inspired #359 - Stacey Dineen
Singer-songwriter Stacey Dineen has just released her latest single ‘Over It’.
She writes heartbreak music, pure and simple. Her songs are all-too-relatable tales of love and loss from a singer who wears her heartbreak on her sleeve. Her new single ‘Over It’ speaks to the feeling of lingering onto the last fragments of a relationship - as Stacey puts it “It’s about being over the hurt but not the person, while trying to move on.”
Originally rising to prominence as a plus size model and body positivity advocate on TV, Stacey tends to shy away from the label of ‘influencer-turned-singer’. She always aspired to be a singer first and foremost, taking influence from artists like Adele and, more recently, Mimi Webb. Stacey admires artists who stay true to themselves with their music, and that sense of honesty and relatability is crucial for her in her own songwriting.
Stacey took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music.
Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
My top three music inspirations change constantly as I get inspired by new artists every week. I get a lot of my inspiration from popular pop artists such as Tate McRae, Adele and mimi webb, but there’s a Boston artist known as Maeko that I’ve been listening to a lot, his songs remind me of mac miller and have a feel good vibe to it which I love especially coming up to summer. Adele, Tate and Mimi have very strong lyrics and melodies, I admire the way they write their music and the Cathy melodies captivate you. That’s what I want my music to do. They have such different vocal styles but all share the fact that they make addictive music that the listener can relate to, I admire that.
Is there a certain film that inspires you and why?
The Pursuit of Happiness is a movie that inspires me because it takes you on a journey that most of us can relate to, it’s about a man who’s life is falling apart and all he has is hope and his drive to succeed, which allows him to do that for himself and his son. It sends the message across that it’s never too late to start your life and it’s okay to do what you need to do to get by. It’s a great watch with a great message and let’s you know that hard times are part of life but they’re only temporary.
What city do you find the most inspiring and why?
Los Angeles! I’ve been to many cities but Los Angeles is the most inspiring, everybody there is chasing a dream and they believe in their dream. It’s the land for opportunities as they say. Everyone dreams big in a city like Los Angeles and I love that. You’ve only got one life so why not dream big? I love dreamers and Los Angeles is full of them.
Who is the most inspiring person to you and why?
The most inspiring person to me is my aunt. She came from a poor background with lots of siblings and didn’t have anything but she made an life for herself and has been working since she was 14. She’s very work driven and kind. She knows what it’s like to be without so she goes out of her way to make sure she can help others whenever she can, I admire that. She always gets up no matter what and she gets what she wants through work, I think that’s where my work ethic comes from. She is an amazing person.
What were your inspirations when writing your new track?
My past relationship was the inspiration behind “over it” it’s about being over the hurt that the break up caused but not being over the person, I wrote it a few months after a breakup while in the studio with my producer, I felt sorry for myself and was in my feelings so I told him to pull up a beat and I free-styled most of it then took notes and laid the song down, over it was born that day.
How would you like to inspire people?
I would like to inspire people to do better and to be themselves. Life can be hard and all of us are fighting secret battles that nobody knows about, it’s so important to be kind to others and treat everybody the same. I’d also like to inspire people to be who they are and chase whatever dream they have. I don’t want anyone to have regrets, chase your dream, be happy, do what you need to do.
