Dea Doyle
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Courtney Holloway
Dea Doyle is a West London-born singer-songwriter stepping into a new chapter with her deeply personal return single, “Marina.”
What is your earliest musical memory?
Oh wow, I reckon my earliest musical memory is taking my little guitar into reception for show and tell. I think I even have a photo somewhere. The guitar looked absolutely huge on me, but clearly I was already committed to the bit.
When did you begin songwriting?
I started writing songs when I was about nine. I think the first one consisted entirely of G and E minor, so obviously I was pushing some serious musical boundaries.
I remember coming downstairs in a red dress to perform it for my mum while she recorded me on her flip phone. If I remember rightly, I storm off at the end like a true diva. The songwriting may have needed some work, but the stage presence was already there.
You have your new single ‘Marina’ out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the song?
The song is about my beautiful aunt, who passed away from cancer a few years ago. It’s funny how grief can completely turn your life upside down and force you to grow up in ways you weren’t expecting. Missing someone you loved that much is incredibly difficult, and the very least she deserved was a song.
I really wanted ‘Marina’ to capture the fact that grief isn’t just sitting around feeling devastated all the time. Sometimes you’re crying, sometimes you’re laughing about something ridiculous they did, and sometimes you’re having a completely normal day when suddenly you desperately wish you could tell them something.
I wanted the song to hold all of that, the sadness, the humour and the love. I didn’t want her memory to become something purely sad, because she wasn’t.
Where did you record the track and who produced it?
I recorded the track at Gorilla Studios with producer Sophie Ackroyd. Sophie is amazing to work with and really understands my vision, even when my explanation of that vision is basically a collection of vague adjectives and hand gestures.
With a song this vulnerable, I needed to work with someone compassionate who I really trusted, and Sophie is definitely both of those things. She made it feel like a very safe song to make.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
Probably getting my dad, who has a very thick Dublin accent, to sing harmonies on the last two choruses and repeatedly shouting at him to “sing less Irish”.
Turns out that’s not particularly useful musical direction. We still laugh about it now.
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones or recording equipment to help you get a particular sound or tone for the record?
Oh God, this is where my complete lack of technical knowledge gets exposed.
I recorded the rhythm guitar on my beautiful Tanglewood acoustic, which I got for my 15th birthday and absolutely adore.
As for microphones and recording equipment, that’s where I politely hand the question over to Sophie. I’m very much a “does that sound nice? Great!” kind of musician.
Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
My first single, ‘New Lover’, is definitely me at my happiest. It’s fun, silly and just a really good pop song. I think you can hear how much fun I was having with it.
My angriest, or probably more accurately my most frustrated, would be ‘Make a Living’. It’s about working your day job while desperately wanting your music career to take off. Sonically it doesn’t sound particularly angry, though. It’s more of an existential crisis with a pretty chorus.
And most reflective would definitely be ‘Marina’, for obvious reasons.
Was it a difficult song to write?
In some ways, yes, and in other ways, not at all. I’d attempted to write a few songs about my aunt before, but they always felt forced. I really wanted to capture both my feelings and her personality properly, so I knew it had to come naturally.
Then one day I was standing in my kitchen playing guitar and it just sort of happened, which annoyingly seems to be how most of the best songs get written.
I think the real challenge was making the song sound beautiful without making it too beautiful, if that makes sense. I wanted to leave some of the edges in, because grief isn’t particularly polished.
Do you have any further music releases planned for 2026/2027?
Yes! I’ve got two new singles in the pipeline, and I’m currently teasing my next one, ‘Meet In The Middle’, on TikTok.
It’s about long-distance love and the difficulty of choosing between the life you want and the person you want. It’s a summery song, so I should probably hurry up and release it before I have to start pretending it was always intended as an autumn track.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
I grew up in West London, so I’d probably go with: diverse, busy, vibrant, expensive and home.
Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026/2027?
I’m currently arranging a couple of gigs, so keep your eyes peeled on my socials for the dates once everything is finalised. Hopefully I’ll have some exciting ones to announce very soon.
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
Firstly, to have not played any absolute bum notes.
Secondly, to have gained at least one new fan.
If I manage both, I’d call that a very successful evening.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals or microphones?
I alternate between my Strat and my acoustic depending on my mood for that particular gig. I also always play a few songs on my keyboard, which is a full 88-key weighted one and weighs an absolute ton.
I regret buying it every single time I have to move it, but I learnt on piano, so getting as close as possible to the feel of a real piano is worth the heavy lifting. Not sure my Dad who’s my part-time roadie would agree.
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
If you’d asked me this a couple of years ago, I would have immediately said Daisy Jones & The Six. Then they went and made the TV adaptation with an amazing soundtrack.
I’m not sure I could top that now, so I might need to find another book before Hollywood comes calling. I’m sure I’ve got time.
How do you look after your voice?
I have a naturally husky voice, so it has a tendency to be a little temperamental, and I’ve definitely had my fair share of issues with it.
I steam as often as I can remember, and I use a straw for vocal warm-ups, which is something I learnt in speech therapy. I’ve also learnt the hard way that shouting over loud music on a night out is perhaps not the ideal vocal-care routine.
Unfortunately, that lesson took quite a lot of practical research.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
I love Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, Talking Heads and Carole King. I was raised listening to the best music. My mum loved Bowie and Prince, whereas my dad is more of a Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder kind of guy, so there was always something brilliant playing in our house.
I’m sure everyone already knows Talking Heads, but I recently saw David Byrne live and he was absolutely amazing. He’s in his 70s and has more energy on stage than I do. If you’re a fan and ever get the chance to see him, I’d definitely recommend it.
What makes Dea Doyle happy and what makes you unhappy?
I’m happiest when I’m buying an outfit on Vinted that I absolutely did not need, eating sushi, or sitting in the pub with my friends. Ideally all three in the same day.
I’m at my unhappiest when I’m sleep-deprived, hanging up my washing, or stuck behind an unnecessarily slow driver or walker.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Courtney Holloway
Dea Doyle’s new single ‘Marina’ is out now.
Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/track/6sGE94j2x9zSW6IMd65MPo?si=facd6504aa894b75&nd=1&dlsi=9b61e9e4e7674541
https://www.instagram.com/dea.doyle/
