Dane Caston on his world travels, and new EP "Thank you FATHER."

Today we check in with artist Dane Caston. I recently listened to his "Thank you FATHER." EP which was super dope and extremely different, especially for it being his first one. But with that being said, I wanted to get to know more about the man behind the art. Tap in and see.

Check out the full interview below:

Walk us through your background- Tell us more about you and your music

I’m an artist who’s using their ideas & creativity to inspire positive change around the world. Back in 2015 I decided to go live my best life by backpacking through Southeast Asia over the course of 2 whole years. While traveling I became even more in tuned with my creativity & one day my wife asked me “if your parents ever gave you a gift would you tell them you didn’t want it?” Immediately after, I knew in that moment God was using her to speak to me. I thought to myself, “Who am I to tell God that I didn’t want to use the gift he gave me?” When I got back to the states I met up with my boy Kenneth Paryo (KP) & we decided to make a song. 1 song turned into 2 & then 2 songs turned into an entire project. In one short year, I’ve released my first EP called Thank You FATHER. In addition, I dropped 2 music videos & done over 40 shows! To be honest, I’m still in shock. Nonetheless I’m extremely grateful, yet still hungry! I’m aware that I have had great accomplishments thus far, but I still have a long way to go! I’m currently preparing to leave the country & go backpack again. I’ll be visiting west Africa & a few countries in Europe. I’m excited to share my music with more people & gain more inspiration for new music! Be sure follow me & my nonprofit, World Peace Connection, to watch how this journey unfolds during our time Africa & Europe over the next 3 months!

What inspires you?

What inspires me is the love of God, executing my ideas & traveling. Back in 2015 I made a vow to myself to live out what inspires me the most about life & living everyday that i’m blessed to see. This vow lead me to pursue dream in music & co-found my nonprofit World Peace Connection. I believe that when people identify their inspiration they are discovering their inner peace. I’m convinced that if we learn to serve one another by putting social action behind our inspiration - we will take a huge step towards achieving World Peace.

What are some of the obstacles you've faced and how has it made you better?

As a new artist, I have found myself facing many obstacles. Although they're frustrating & can sometimes be overwhelming, I believe overcoming them is apart of the development of an artist. Lately the most challenging things for me are 1. Growing a fanbase 2. Finding balance with being an artist, running a nonprofit & having a regular job 3. Self Doubt. With these challenges it has made me better because it made me lean in deeper with God. I can’t do it on my own, but a lot of times I get caught up trying to listen to my mind to figure things out, which doesn’t allow me to clearly hear what my spirit is saying. Now i’m listening to my spirit more & taking intentional strides to work more efficiently. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still struggling with these things, but I have to remind myself that as I keep progressing forward, i’m inevitably getting better. I have to trust that this all part of the process. So these obstacles have made me better because now I’m learning how to trust God more, trust me more & trust the process.

What is your 5 year plan for your music and for yourself?

By 2024 I plan to be living off of my music. I hope to have grown my fan base to the point that I can take care of me & my family. My goal is to use my music to leverage more doors of opportunity to be open & partnerships to be created, so I can inspire more people. If I inspire more people & they decide to put action behind it, then we all create more positive change around the world. It’s more than just music for me. I want people to hear my music & it speaks to the leader in them! They feel good & inspired enough that they decide within themselves to be better. In 5 years I’ll be 34, so I know I’ll be an even better version of myself. Especially because by this time I’ll be father of at least 1 kid. Fatherhood in is one of the biggest things i’m personally looking forward to in the next 5 years!

What do you want people to takeaway from your music?

After people listen to my music, I want them to be able to experience true peace & their spirits be uplifted! No matter how they felt before they pressed play, my aim is for them to be in an even higher state by time the song is over. I need every person who encounters my music to witness the elevation of their true selves in that moment. Like I said earlier I want people to feel good. I want people to feel inspired. Be so uplifted from the music that you chose to go out and be the best version of yourself. I believe the best way to be that better version of you starts with how you treat others. I recently listened to a speech by one of my favorite leaders, Pharrell Williams & he said “ The only way you can make life better for yourself is to make life better for others.” I want people to know that anything is possible, even World Peace, but it begins with collectively possessing inner peace so we can all have an outer peace.

And lastly,

Where can people find your music?

You can find my music on all streaming platforms here.

Instagram: @DaneCaston

Thanks for the sit down Dane. Many Blessings on your next trip, and may you continue to impact the world!