Gus Dapperton has always been obsessed with creating new worlds. It's been part of his passion since he started writing songs with Garageband, a creative mindset that eventually yielded two independent albums of original alt-pop. Now signed to Warner Records, Dapperton goes even further on his new project Henge, diving into bold detail and haunting songwriting to conjure a twilight world that hovers permanently between sunset and sunrise throughout the 11 shifting songs.
"Manhattanhenge happens in New York when the sun is perfectly positioned between the buildings and it looks like a solstice," the artist and producer says of his cryptic album title. "I came up with the concept of someone entering this underworld when the sun goes down and trying to get home before sunrise - or risk getting stuck in a time warp." The back-and-forth between nocturnal exuberance and sun-drenched safety resonates with Dapperton in post-pandemic America.
"A big part of my life after COVID is embracing the world again," says the 26-year-old. "I've always been an introvert, but now I get an adrenaline rush when I'm around people." Although there is a clear thematic thread, Dapperton wants listeners to go on their own journey. "I write songs that you can take out of context and enjoy individually, but there's a story you could follow if you wanted to."
Dapperton's love of building soundscapes has deep roots. The Warwick, New York, native didn't grow up in a traditionally musical family, but there was always something on the radio. As much as he loved music, he didn't think he'd ever make his own: "I tried to play guitar," he recalls. "It didn't really work out." An eighth-grade music class changed that. The students had an assignment to create a song in GarageBand - and Dapperton had found his instrument.
Dapperton spent the rest of high school making beats. By the time he got to college, his confidence had blossomed. "I started learning instruments and singing," he says. While attending Drexel University, he played gigs in Philadelphia and ventured to New York City with only his "computer, an MPD pad and a guitar." He soon dropped out of college and released a series of independent EPs, as well as the highly acclaimed albums Where Polly People Go to Read and Orca. With the buzz building, a feel-good feature was to be his breakthrough.
"Supalonely," a collaboration with New Zealand singer-songwriter BENEE, went viral during the 2020 lockdown, reaching more than a billion streams en route to a double-platinum hit. "It gave me and other indie artists credibility," he says. "It showed that alt-pop songs can be a huge success." Dapperton signed with Warner Records in 2022 and immediately began work on Henge.