Interview by Gerardo Sierra
Photos by Joe Fusco
Text and translation by Aramara Corona
Inspired by the pop music of the 80’s and 90’s, Gregory Dillon is a queer artist who creates pop songs with one goal; generate a positive influence on the public. Growing up in New Hampshire and being a “farm boy”, as he refers to himself, Gregory was a shy and reserved young man who retreated into his music and his space; until he decided to go on the journey of his dreams to start creating a pop fantasy that would support kids, who like many of us, were going through a teenage years full of insecurities.
When we talked with Gregory, he expressed to us that the first big step was moving to Brooklyn, NY. Where he began to experience completely different situations than he was used to, situations that he describes as “intimidating and extreme, that he had never experienced before,” until he slowly began to be the way he wanted to be, dealing with new people, going to new places and becoming more confident.
Through lyrics that evoke a sense of nostalgia, Gregory seeks to create a unique environment for his audience, where they can be themselves and feel free to love; just as in his efforts as a public advocate for LGBTQ rights around the world, he seeks to truly connect with people and be an artist that creates a difference.
“I don’t want to change on a global scale, but on a personal level, where people start to believe in their own worth.”
Similarly, as an independent artist, Gregory has been affected by the current situation in the world, looking for how to get support and people to connect with his project, “being an independent artist, you decide what you are so it is necessary to think outside the box and focus more on the audience.”
One of the projects that wants to change the way we go through this pandemic situation is the release of his new track “Swing Swing“, after his awaited first EP “Sad Magic“, which have a conceptual aesthetic driven by blue tonalities, which, according to the artist, connect emotions and generate a complex feeling of nostalgia. These songs invite the audience to connect with specific moments in our lives and to recognize that, like Gregory, we have all gone through a long process of individual understanding before knowing our capabilities to love, being these the major inspiration for his creative process.
Through different colors, Gregory has been able to transmit to people the impact they have on our lives, affecting our mood and personality. In this case the color blue, not only generates a feeling of loneliness, but tranquility and confidence perceptible in his images.
As a result of this artistic growth, Gregory expresses that it has been a “stage that has allowed him to transcend different parts of himself” and has taught him to transition as an artist, being proof of this his future projects, where he plans to incorporate the behind the scenes of his videos and provoke a greater interaction from his audience where there is always a space of support for all.
