By Vee D
London singer Dakota (Sophie Elton) shines with legendary Italian DJ / producer Alex Gaudino on lushly feel-good tune All I Think Of Is You, out now via Ultra. Sophie Elton, known by her stage name, Dakota, best known for singing on Jonas Blue’s tropical house version of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 single ‘Fast Car’.
What was the first album you bought?
I’m a 90s kid, so I feel like there was a lot of cool and different music happening when I was growing up, although the answer here is probably something like S Club 7, I had older sisters so from a really young age I was listening to TLC, Whitney Houston, Artful Dodger. I can remember “borrowing” the Its all about the stragglers album and returning it pretty used and scratched! But I can definitely can see how all of that influenced me now.
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations and why?
I have such a mixed group of artists that inspire me, I started off as a lead guitarist, so from the age of about 14 discovering artists like BB King, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac really opened my mind into a whole new world of music.
What are some non-musical inspirations that motivate your music?
I think for everyone this year we have had to take inspiration from so many different things that would normally pass us by, and also realize that they’re all around us. I love to run, so that helps me zone out, over lockdown I really took the time out to read again too, I read Dolly Parton’s book for lyrics which was obviously amazing, and got stuck into some poetry too.
Tell us about your new single ‘All I Think Of Is You’ with Alex Gaudino?
I started All I think of is You on a really sunny day in Brighton overlooking the beach, it’s a great feel-good song for summer, to me I think it’s about letting go of inhibitions and just saying how you feel. I think we are all craving that sense of being out dancing with our friends and letting our hair down and I really hope this song brings people that feeling even if you’re in your kitchen dancing away in your pajamas!
What have you got lined up for 2021?
I feel really excited for 2021, this year gave me a lot of time to focus on writing and building new material, I feel so lucky I was still able collaborate with amazing producers all over the world too. I’m hoping to release another body of work very soon.
©FM
