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If voices can carry you to heaven, then Dali Rose on his debut EP is an albatross sized pair of wings that let you get there faster and lighter than anyone else. On ‘Heaven’ the mystery of this nascent artists is guarded in everything but his supreme talent, a man whose vocals command attention acapella, against a Hammond keyboard or soaring in choruses over a piano (notable on the single ‘Stray’). Wanting to peel back the curtain, or gates to heaven, we reached out via stone tablets to dig into Dali Roses takes on whiskey, love, and where to catch him in Greece: 

OnesToWatch: Who is Dali?  

Dali Rose: I haven’t the slightest clue. I guess it’s everything I most love and hate about myself.

Wow what a voice, when did you go ‘wow I can sing?’ 

Honestly, I’ve only come to that realization in the last year. I worked my butt off to achieve that feeling.

Have you been to heaven? Any tips for getting there? 

Hell yeah. Two shots of whiskey and a little bit of love…that’s the golden ticket.

But seriously, whats ‘Heaven’ all about besides helping us get there? 

It’s the name of a fictional place in North Philly. It’s a ghetto that confines millions of people (the black, the brown, the poor, the disadvantaged) behind towering steel walls. What stories could come out of such a place? What types of monsters and angels would emerge?

Any collaborations or features? Who produced the EP? 

I did. A sweet Japanese man mastered the record; other than that, it’s all me. I have a couple of homies I’ve collaborated with in years prior, they actually play in my band. A project is down the pipeline with all of us soon: Kid Kuza and zgeds.

What's your dream venue / place to perform this EP in full? 

An amphitheater somewhere in southern Europe: Greece, maybe Portugal. The coast nearby, the theater is carved into the edge of a cliff. Surround sound, sweaty, drunk crowd ready for love and war.

Besides this excellent EP what else should we be on the lookout for? 

Little European tour, east coast tour (god willing)…tour across Mars, just as many shows as possible. Another EP sooner. Joint projects with the homies. Studio album soon down the road. 

What's inspiring you right now outside of music? 

The folks who wake at the buttcrack of dawn to go clean the toilets, go prepare your food, to clean the streets, haul our mountains of trash…make it back in time to their kids’ basketball game, make it back in time to prepare dinner for their family…make it back in time to bring their partners a bouquet of flowers. That’s true resilience, and I’m trying to channel it in every aspect of life right now.

Take us on a romantic date, serenaded by your new music… where do we go, what do we do ? 

We’re hitting the park…electric bike through the trail ways…kids flying kites and dogs chasing tennis balls…whole nine yards. Then we teleport to a romantic brunch. French toast and a fried chicken sandwich. Let’s go walk it off down on the riverside boardwalk. Catch a movie…new Michael B Jordan dropped, let’s go support the culture. We getting hungry again…fuck that we hitting the bar first. Gin and tonic for you, old-fashioned for me…now we’re home cooking in the crib…Trader Joe’s orange chicken stir-fried in some rice, spices and broccoli. Play my record over a glass of wine and a bowl of kettle corn for dessert.

That right there is pure joy, I mean, what else do you want? Musically who is new but making all the right moves? Who are your current OnesToWatch? 

Too many, man. But My boy Kid Kuza is incredible. Y'all go tap in with him and tell him to drop. He’s otherworldly.