Meet DD Allen: A critically acclaimed British singer-songwriter who is often compared to that of Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. But inside ‘Rebel Hero’ you’ll hear a variety of influences. The 25-minute collection has fused the authenticity of Tom Petty with innovative threads that can be likened to Iron & Wine, or even Jake Bugg.
Through the 6-song EP, Allen explores themes of nostalgia, love, and personal reckoning. Rebel Hero balances bright, feel-good harmonies with spacious guitars and deeply introspective storytelling.
We begin with the lead single, “I See You in the Dark (Alternate Version)”—An 80s-tinged anthem featuring pulsating beats, heartfelt vocals, and a soaring-and-catchy guitar solo. With its high-contrast dynamic shifts and bittersweet energy, the song could easily accompany the poignant reuniting scenes from a film… like those of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
“Born to Love You” brings a bright harmonica and expansive guitars. It invokes a 90s-esque vocal timbre. Lines like “You’re all I’m dreamin’ of / Should this be my last, you’ll know I’m thinkin’ of you” are tender, and optimistic. A tambourine enters and adds to the levity. Track 2 is not just a song, but rather, a sonic celebration of amour.
Following this warmth “Green Room” slows things down with Owl City-inspired synths that transition into a steady folk rhythm. There are cinematic piano chords, talk of dusty roads, and soldiers…This middle-of-the-EP track unfolds as if it were a sweeping score to an indie film.
“Holborn Avenue” follows its acoustic, bittersweet tones evoking the ache of a lost love. It captures the longing for a past that lingers, one that is just out barely of reach… It’s at this point in the EP that we feel emotionally heavy.
Just before we fall into the feeling, Allen picks us back up with the penultimate title track “Rebel Hero”. The song exudes anthemic uprising, the joys of youth.
The EP closes with a stripped-down piano version of “I See You in the Dark”, with a somber indie-pop sound reminiscent of that of Coldplay’s “The Scientist”. This reprise brings the EP back around, full circle; As the final piano note rings out, and fades, we feel reminiscent closure.
Q&A
The EP’s cover shows you wearing sunglasses behind the wheel of a vintage sports car. What’s the story behind it?
The cover photo happened as a result of a few random coincidences. The car’s a 1975 Corvette Stingray owned by a couple I knew to say hello to at a local bar. The guy normally arrives in a 50s Ford pickup, which we thought might work for a photo shoot vibe. When I asked if he’d be interested in loaning the car, I discovered his wife owned this stunning white Corvette called ‘Betty’. That was even better.
After striking a deal, we ended up driving to a local lake to shoot the photos. We must have taken a hundred shots in both cars and when we went through everything afterward, a windscreen shot in the Stingray stood out a mile as an EP cover. The only problem was the reflection on the windscreen was bad. So we recreated the shot in the driveway back at the base with a massive tarp over the photographer’s head. Catching my manager in the reflection of my sunglasses was a complete fluke, but it looks really cool.
Is “Holborn Avenue” a reference to the street in Cleveland, or somewhere else?
Ah, it’s not Cleveland. The song refers to Hoburne Gardens in the UK. It’s where the girl from my first serious relationship lived with her parents. I wrote the song about 10 years ago but never released it until it felt right. It’s pretty close to my heart and covers the whole time we were together. Hoburne Gardens didn’t fit the lyrics, so I changed it to Holborn Avenue, after Holborn in London.
How has the song “Rebel Hero” evolved since your earlier live performances, such as the one you did on Live Rawsound TV?
Initially, I played the song live on a Strat. But after recording the live solo version at Green Room Studios using a Gibson SG, I’ve gone over to that style. It sounds a little fatter now.
Is “Green Room” a literal green room in a house, or is it a metaphorical green room for performers?
That’s a great question. So Green Room is the name of my producer Mark Tucker’s home studio.
It’s a special place for me because that’s where I first worked with a music producer and cut demo recordings with a band. When you hear songs you’d played solo come to life as band arrangements for the first time it’s pretty overwhelming. Over the years, Mark and I have become like brothers in arms, and Green Room has become a sanctuary. It’s the only place I can truly disconnect from the world and lose myself in music.
I wrote Green Room as a personal thank you to Mark rather than a song to record. It’s a story of shared experiences and influences. ‘There’s a burning light down a dusty road’ is the steep, winding approach to the studio, which I’ve traveled many times. ‘Where soldiers of the road bloom’ is a nod to Daniel Lanois. Mark and I are massive Lanois fans, and Daniel calls musicians ‘soldiers of the road’.
I sent the home recording down to say thanks for everything, and Mark liked it so much he sent a complete arrangement back. We recorded it at Green Room a couple of months later.
What was the most intriguing idea you took from Huey Morgan’s book?
The book gave me the idea to capture the whole vital renegade spirit in a song. That’s what ‘Rebel Hero’ is about. It’s about amazing artists doing things the way they wanted because they could. Huey’s stories about artists like Cassie Elliot, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, and others are fascinating. All these artists were mavericks, truly unique. Their voices are undeniable. We’re losing that uniqueness now. There’s too much “pop by numbers”, as Huey calls it.
Finally, do you agree with Morgan’s assertion that modern music has started to lose its soul? Rebel Hero is certainly a lively EP with a beating heart of its own.
Soul is subjective, but we live in a world of increasing fast fashion, social media virality, shorter attention spans, and an economy that’s made most of us feel the pinch. It’s a fast food reality, so artists inevitably have less runway to succeed — less space to experiment and too much stress and worry about making a living. I like the old way of doing things.
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