Meet Dennis Lloyd, the Tel Aviv Singer With 750 Million Streams

Singer-songwriter Dennis Lloyd is quickly becoming one of the most talked about rising artists, with nearly 1 billion streams on his breakthrough track “Nevermind.” Following the success of this song, he’s currently charting with a sequel titled “Never Go Back,” which chronicles his breakup in Israel and in the new vertical video, Lloyd shows fans a new perspective of the relationship. 

Take a look at our interview with Lloyd about his humble beginnings as a musician and his plans to release his debut EP this Spring. 

How did growing up in Tel Aviv impact your love for music and fuel a career as a singer-songwriter?

When I was in high school, I was not comfortable singing in front of people. I was very shy and some classmates were not very supportive. Kids can be fucking mean. When I joined the Navy, I let my guard down and introduced myself to my new friends as a singer— they were all very supportive.

In 2015 you moved to Bangkok. What led you to move to Thailand and how did Bangkok inspire you as a musician?

A year after finishing my service in the Navy, I was working as a waiter in an Italian restaurant and one day a friend called who was living in Bangkok after hearing “Snow White.” He told me I should come to Bangkok because he thought people would love my music there. I was waiting for a sign and that was it. I hung up the phone and booked a ticket to Thailand.

In 2016, your song “Nevermind” topped a number of international charts and accumulated over 750 million streams. What went into creating this track and what led you to go back and remix it?

I created “Nevermind” back in June 2016, while was in living in Thailand. My ex was traveling in Indonesia, I was scared she would meet someone else and leave me—that inspired “Nevermind.” Some time later, my mother sent me an article about a song that blew up in Europe after it was remixed. From there I thought, “Okay, I’ll try to make a remix version myself of ‘Nevermind.’” And two hours later, I had that version of “Nevermind.”

Over the past several years, you’ve toured on a number of continents and performed in dozens of cities around the world. What’s one of your most memorable experiences from touring and how has touring molded you into the artist you are today?

There are two shows that I will never forget, one in Toronto and another in Milan. I’ve never heard crowds screaming so loud in my life. I love my fans, I always remind them (and myself) that they are the reason that I’m here today. I told my team that every day, we need to spend at least 10 minutes appreciating our lives. We all feel lucky to do what we love with the people we love the most.

As this is INKED, we need to talk about tattoos. What was your first tattoo, what’s your favorite tattoo, and what is your newest tattoo?

My first tattoo is the one on my neck, 家 (Jia) in Chinese which means home. The reason I chose the neck is because I even though I can’t see it, I know it’s there. I got it done before I joined the Navy. My favorite tattoo is the one of my dogs, Bono and Luna, on my right arm. My newest piece is a barn owl under my chest. I’ll be starting to work on my back soon.

Do any of your tattoos relate to your career as a musician, if so, explain them for our readers

Yes, I have a tattoo on my fingers of the date when the legal issues preventing the release of new music were finished and I could put out music again. I will explain this further in the future.

Given the trends of musicians becoming heavily tattooed, do you have any plans to ink your face or neck?

For the sake of the health of my parents, I have to say no.

How are tattoos received in Israel and how has Israeli culture impacted your tattoo choices?

Many Israelis have tattoos, especially around Tel Aviv. There are many talented tattoo artists here and I’m glad to see this community grows. I would like to thank Mor Nahmany, my tattoo artist, for her incredible work on me.

Where do you hope to be in ten years time?

I hope to be happy as I am right now and have more dogs by my side.

What’s up next for Dennis Lloyd and what can fans expect from you in 2019?

I’m releasing an EP in April, which summarizes the time period of my previous relationship and post-breakup. “Never Go Back” is a piece of that puzzle. Following the release of my EP, I’m going to be on the road playing shows in North America, Australia, and Europe. I’m very excited about playing at Coachella and Governor’s Ball—I still find it hard to believe this is all happening sometimes.

Tour Dates

April 7, 2019 – Vancouver, BC – VENUE

April 9, 2019 – Seattle, WA – Neumos

April 11, 2019 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall

April 14, 2019 – Indio, CA – Coachella

April 15, 2019 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

April 18, 2019 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom Lounge

April 21, 2019 – Indio, CA – Coachella

May 29, 2019 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza

May 31, 2019 – New York, NY – Governors Ball

June 2, 2019 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall

June 3, 2019 – Montreal, QC – L’Astral

June 5, 2019 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

June 7, 2019 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

June 8, 2019 – Cleveland, OH – LaureLive

June 10, 2019 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Hall

June 12, 2019 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

June 16, 2019 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

June 17, 2019 – Austin, TX – The Parish

June 19, 2019 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West

June 21, 2019 – Dover, DE – Firefly Festival