Draft:Dan Dare (Musician)

Early Life

Dan Dare (born 3rd September 1988) is a multi-platinum British songwriter and record producer. His career is noted for his versatility across various musical genres, from urban music to mainstream pop.

Career

In 2010, Dare began gaining recognition when he teamed up with urban producer ZDOT. Together, they produced the track "Bright Lights," which featured UK and US rappers Juelz Santana, Giggs, and Grime artist Wiley. The track premiered on Tim Westwood's Radio 1 rap show, marking a significant milestone in Dare's early career.

Dare's career trajectory shifted when he began collaborating with Nick Worthington and Mick Shiner of 679 Recordings, known for their work with The Streets, Plan B, Rudimental, and Example. This collaboration introduced Dare to a broader musical spectrum, moving him from pirate radio to more mainstream production.

At Major Toms, Dare worked alongside Rudimental and MNEK, contributing to the debut releases of Black Butter artist Syron, including tracks like "Here" and "Breaking." It was through MNEK that Dare met singer Becky Hill, with whom he co-wrote "Lifeless" for Drum and Bass duo Loadstar's album 'I Need The Light.'

With 679 Recordings, Dare helped produce the backing track on Marina & The Diamonds on "Teen Idle" and Charli XCX on "Just Desserts," showcasing his innovative production style. His continued success included co-writing and co-producing tracks on Irish pop artist Gavin James' number one album "Only Ticket Home." Dare also contributed to Newton Faulkner's albums "Studio Zoo," "Human Love," and "Hit The Ground Running," and teamed up with Belgian artist Selah Sue on her albums "Reason" and "Persona."

Dare maintained his presence in the urban music scene with releases such as "Murder" by Ghetts & ZDOT and "Take It Off" with WSTRN.

In 2017, under the moniker SLANG, Dare signed a record deal with Parlophone. He toured the UK and Europe, headlining stages at V Festival and Lovebox. His first release, "You Alright Yeah?," reached number one on the Spotify Viral charts. This was followed by two EPs and a mixtape featuring guest vocals from artists like Benny Banks, Ryan Keen, Corey Harper, Kelli-Leigh, Newton Faulkner, Scrufizzer, Aiden Grimshaw, and Jordan Stephens.

Dare later formed the electronic duo KOLIDESCOPES with Australian singer/producer John Courtidis, also known as YeahBoy. They signed with Mike Caren at Atlantic Records and later with Parlophone, writing tracks with artists such as Mabel, Dom Dolla, MK, Sonny Fodera, Dillon Francis, 220Kid, Mario, Sinead Harnett, and Theo Hutchcraft.

In July 2020, Dare and Courtidis wrote the global hit "Head & Heart" by Joel Corry & MNEK. The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and held the top position for six consecutive weeks. It was certified Platinum and achieved number one status in several other countries. By December 2022, "Head & Heart" had surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Recognition

Dare's achievements were further acknowledged at the BMI Awards for 'Most Performed Work' In 2020, Dare signed a significant three-year worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV.

Discography

• "Head & Heart" (2020) - Joel Corry & MNEK
• "Studio Zoo," "Human Love," and "Hit The Ground Running" (2013-2017) - Newton Faulkner
• "Teen Idle" (2012) - Marina & The Diamonds
• "Rainy" (2023) - Dillon Francis, REI AMI
• "Just Desserts" (2013) - Charli XCX, Marina & The Diamonds
• "Bright Lights" (2010) - with ZDOT, featuring Juelz Santana, Giggs, and Wiley
• Falling" (2021) - Chris Malinchak, KOLIDESCOPES
• "Holdin' On" (2015) - Selah Sue
• "Kingdom" (2021) - Selah Sue
• "Unconditional" (2022) - Dillon Francis, 220 KID, featuring Bryn Christopher
• "For Love" (2019) - THRDL!FE, Kelli-Leigh, Mario
• "Nah" (2021) - Sonny Fodera, KOLIDESCOPES, featuring Sinead Harnett
• "Be My One" (2021) - Sonny Fodera, KOLIDESCOPES, featuring Hayley May
• "Foundations" (2018) - KOLIDESCOPES, featuring Jasmine Thompson
• "When Friday Comes" (2022) - KOLIDESCOPES
• "All For You" (2020) - KOLIDESCOPES, featuring Gavin James
• "Here" and "Breaking" (2012) - Syron
• "Only Ticket Home" (2018) - Gavin James
• "Murder" (2014) - Ghetts & ZDOT
• "Take It Off" (2016) - WSTRN
• "You Alright Yeah?" (2017) - SLANG
• "I Like" (2023) - KOLIDESCOPES
• "Focus" (2018) - KOLIDESCOPES
• "Whenever You Call" (2018) - KOLIDESCOPES
• "Cokeroaches" (2017) - SLANG
• "Lifeless" (2013) - Loadstar, featuring Stephanie McCourt
• "White Lies" (2023) - KOLIDESCOPES
• "Far to Fall" (2017) - Newton Faulkner