Sunbathing With Daphne Jane
Written by Daphne Bryant
All images courtesy of Alyssa Schmidt
DAPHNE JANE’S DREAMY DIY SOUND IS HEARTFELT, COMFORTING AND WILDLY ADDICTIVE. the minneapolis-based artist is crafting A unique WORLD CONTOURED WITH soft, FEMININE EDGES, a place where her lovesick lyricism can sparkle and shine. WHETHER IT’S THROUGH HER RELATABLE STORYTELLING OR IDENTITY AS A QUEER FEMME, she ALWAYS FINDS UNIQUE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH HER LISTENERS. READ ALL ABOUT daphne jane’s ARTISTRY AND NEWEST SINGLE “SUNBATHE” BELOW!
Q1: HIII! It’s so awesome to be interviewing you again! How have you been since we chatted last summer? What’s new in your world?
A: Omg hiiii! I have been good! I have been working on new music and visuals over the past year and really trying to hone into my own sound. I think in a creative sphere it is very easy to start playing comparative games with your art/expression of choice, so I’ve been really trying to get out of my head and into my heart if you will.
Q2: Totally! If you could come up with a brand new genre to describe your music, what would you call it?
A: I’d maybe call it something like Dreamlog...thinking a twist on“ dialogue” or“ monologue”, plus“ log” like a diary. I have always felt like my lyrical style is very diary-entry-like with a touch of dream indie pop, so something along those lines.
Q3: That’s so cute! And oh my goodness: congratulations on the release of your latest single,“ Sunbathe”! What was the inspiration behind“ Sunbathe”?
A: Thank you!!! Inspired by Chloe Howarth’s“ Sunburn” and its religious metaphors for closeted queer yearning, I wrote“ Sunbathe.” It captures the overwhelming infatuation of queer self-discovery through connection. Using religious imagery—worship, sin, salvation—it frames intimacy as divine, portraying queer love as both sacred and forbidden.“ Sunbathe” expresses the holiness found in love that defies doctrine yet feels closest to God.
“Using religious imagery—worship, sin, salvation—it frames intimacy as divine, portraying queer love as both sacred and forbidden.‘Sunbathe’ expresses the holiness found in love that defies doctrine yet feels closest to God.”
Q4: If sunbathe, as a track, had a big three, what would be its’ sun, moon and rising?
A: Gemini Sun (curious, playful, expressive, observant, intellectual), Cancer moon (deeply intuitive, nostalgic, craving emotional connection, protective), Scorpio rising (intense, magnetic, mysterious, comes off private but craving connection).
Q5: What was the most fun part of filming the MV for“ Sunbathe”?
A: We filmed the entire music video in me & my girlfriend’s one bedroom apartment, which was actually quite insane. The crew was around 20 people so it was definitely a tight squeeze, but [it also] made for a really close crew and set. This is also the first music video that I had a fake girlfriend and had to really act, which was so fun to get to experiment with acting and also make memories with my fake music video girlfriend, which happens to be one of my close friends in real life.
Q6: Woah, you guys have the coolest apartment ever! And since we’re on the topic of videos, your visuals are always so gorgeous, nostalgic and cozy. how did you go about finding your aesthetic style?
A: Omg, this is so kind. I have always loved a good aesthetic. It sounds corny, but I feel like I have just always been drawn to specific color palettes and visuals. Having an interest and love for fashion since a very young age as well, I think I have always built off of that foundation of what naturally intrigues and excites me. When creating an aesthetic/visuals for my music, it is also something that kind of builds off of what feels natural. Writing“ Sunbathe”, I was seeing bright colors and shimmery undertones, almost modern playful vintage school-girl esc style, etc. We (my music video director Devin Phaly & I) built from the foundation up to create this world that Sunbathe could live in.
Q7: Sick! To switch gears a little bit, I’ve been seeing a lot of musicians share their opinion on the music industry & how much social media plays a role in it. What are your thoughts?
A: Oh my god, it is like everything now. Especially if you don’t come from wealth or music directly, social media is now, like, the biggest tool for exposure. It can definitely feel like a losing battle at times because of how over saturated it has all become, but at the end of the day [it] can also be a really cool way of getting your music to an audience that wants to hear it and love it, but has not been exposed to it yet. I would say I have a complex relationship with the way social media plays a role in the promotion process as a small independent artist, but at the end of the day try my personal best to view it as a tool and not get too caught up in it all.
Q8: That makes a lot of sense. What does it mean to be a queer artist right now?
A: There will always be haters of course, but honestly being a queer artist is beautiful!! I feel really seen within the community, and it is so fun to be able to create and share queer art with other queer artists or art consumers. When I first watched the entire [finished] music video, I had this overwhelming feeling of what a music video like this would have meant to me when I was 16 and grappling with my own sexuality. It feels really full circle to think that the things I create could make a young queer person feel seen in any way, that’s always the goal! I think something changed within me after watching the“ Girls like Girls” music video in high school, and if my art had even 1% of the impact that music video had one me, my job is done!!
Q9: What advice would you give to an aspiring singer-songwriter?
A: Do not get caught up in the comparison game of it all because it will ruin the authenticity within your art, which is the most important thing to hold tight!!
Q10: Absolutely! That’s great advice for any kind of artist. And finally, what are your goals and aspirations for the rest of 2025? :)
A: An album [is] on the way at the end of summer...and then [I’ll be] working on an EP for next spring that I am already so excited about. Switching up the sounds a bit for this next year, and I truly can’t wait to share all of it!
