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Dey Say is the next up-and-coming band to watch. The Joburg quintet, comprised of Jo, Dre, Fabian, Dean and Chad, dream of the kind of global success once enjoyed by fellow boy band One Direction.
Sowetan gets to know the group.
Formed in 2022, Dey Say talk about their latest single, Better Off Without You, gracing big stages and their dream of winning a Grammy.
Sowetan: Has Dey Say arrived?
Jo: Social media has helped us. We’re gaining fans every day; more people want to know about us and there’s been a lot of word of mouth. We can feel that we’re growing.
Sowetan: What has been the most exciting thing about your music journey so far?
Jo: Performing for about 15,000 people in Kenya was the most exciting. It was one of those “we made it” moments. The way the crowd interacted with us and the energy was beautiful. We’ve performed for more than 5,000 people in South Africa, but Kenya was a different experience.
Sowetan: Your dream is for Dey Say to become SA’s One Direction. How seriously are you taking that dream?
Jo: Very seriously. One Direction is definitely the aim. We want to become the SA version of One Direction. We feel that it’s our time.
Sowetan: What are your hopes and dreams?
Jo: We want to win a Grammy one day, make a name for ourselves and continue putting SA on the map. We want to make people proud, inspire young people and give back to the communities we come from.
Sowetan: How would you describe the different personalities of the five members of Dey Say?
Jo: Dre is the joker and the peacemaker. Dean is the troublemaker, while Fabian is always late.
Sowetan: What is one habit that each member has?
Jo: When Dre plays guitar, his hands get sweaty, and he eventually gives the guitar to Chad. Chad is always forgetting lyrics. Fabian is always worried that he doesn’t look right on camera, so he’ll walk off set to fix himself.
Dre: He’s a little princess, to be honest.
Jo: Dean is always eating. No matter where we are, he’s always telling us he’s hungry.
Dre: And Jo moves his eyebrows when he sings.
Sowetan: If Dey Say was on a road trip, who would be in charge of the playlist, who would get everyone lost, and who would keep the group entertained?
Jo: We’d all be in charge of the playlist because we work on it together.
Dre: Fabian would probably get us lost.
Jo: Dean and Dre would keep everyone entertained.
Dre: Dean and I are clowns, but I’m more like a comedian.
Sowetan: Where can fans see you next?
Jo: We perform at corporate gigs, weddings and different events. Our next performance will probably be around December. We also have a car show that we’re partnering with, but we can’t say when yet.
Sowetan: What is your dream collaboration?
Jo: Definitely Tyla, that’s our dream.
Sowetan
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