With his first independent releases in three years, Stephen Dawes is writing freely again, following his gut, shedding the rules, and letting the work speak for itself. 

Hometown: San Francisco

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

VMAN: What made you decide that you wanted to be a musician?

STEPHEN DAWES: I think the first moment I realized I wanted to be a musician was watching the Black Eyed Peas video for Pump It. I was around 7 years old, and my jaw was on the floor. Ever since, I’ve been writing my songs. It was the first thing in my life that I could get completely lost in. I also loved how few rules there were because I’ve never been super great at following directions.

VMAN: Which of your songs would you say is your most personal yet? Is there a personal favorite among what you have released thus far?

STEPHEN DAWES: My song “Symptoms” is by far my most personal song. It is also my favorite. Like many young artists, I wrote a lot of love songs before ever falling in love. With “Symptoms,” I wrote the chorus one night at 1 in the morning after coming home from the best date of my life. I’ve never written lyrics faster.

VMAN: You’ve just released new music—what does this moment feel like for you creatively?

STEPHEN DAWES: These are my first independent releases in 3 years, and it feels so creatively freeing. For the first time in my career, I believe each release has a direction and purpose. Every time I sit down at the piano, I feel like I can write whatever I want and then send it out into the world.

VMAN: Your approach feels refreshingly unforced. How do you stay grounded in your instincts while navigating an industry that often pushes artists toward a mold?

STEPHEN DAWES: After being signed for a few years, I realized that the only person you can trust is yourself. If you start to think other people have the answers, that’s when I’ve found my songwriting becomes uninspired. Each song has to come from your gut and if your gut leads you towards a specific direction, then it probably is the right direction. 

VMAN: Outside of music, what are you passionate about?

STEPHEN DAWES: I love reading. A few of my recent favorites are Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Recently, I’ve been diving into some poetry too and loving authors like Ocean Vuong and David Berman.

VMAN: How would you describe your style?

STEPHEN DAWES: I would like to think it’s sleek but with personality. My biggest inspirations are Mick Jagger and Alex Turner. I want it to be an ode to the 70s without ripping the time off entirely.

Stephen wears knit sweater and canvas pants FENDI | Jallisco shoe ALLEN EDMONDS X WILLY CHAVARRIA | OMEGA De Ville Trésor 40 mm OMEGA

VMAN: How do you define success?

STEPHEN DAWES: I feel success is how excited someone is to wake up and get to work in the morning, and in that sense, I feel very successful. The fact that my job is to sit at a piano and write all day is something I hope to never take for granted.

This story appears in the pages of VMAN 56: on global newsstands now!

Photography Max Tardio

Fashion Jordan Dorso

Interviews Christian Rosa

Grooming Michelle Harvey (Opus Beauty)

Casting Kev Poncé

Production Danielle Gruberger (Seduko Productions)

Lighting Technician Dominic Haydn Rawle

Cinematographer Lukas Chmiel

Production Assistant Epiphany Hulburd

Photo Assistant Nico Love

Styling Assistant Tyler Doty

Location Apex Studios