Conversations with Estebon Middleton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Estebon Middleton.

Hi Estebon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From as early as I can remember, music has been the singular and most consistent guiding force for me. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that my life thus far can be remembered in songs instead of memories, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

It has opened doors, and has also helped me close a few. It has given me the confidence to shout at the top of my lungs in pure elation, and has also cradled me to sleep in the most reassuring sadness. I may not have known my path growing up, but I always knew my life would be somehow interwoven with music. I actually grew up on a street called Melody Lane—the symbolism was clear!

By extreme trial and error (wailing constantly in my childhood room), I was lucky enough to discover early that I could create music of my own. And by creating music, I realized it could be used as a tool to escape and, eventually, a gateway to healing. I grew up in a coastal town in South Carolina, and the beauty of the palm trees and island breeze was often marred by a lower-class existence, domestic violence, and systemic racism. The weight of feigned optimism against extreme oppression was crippling. I’d wake up feeling like Atlas, constantly on the brink of being crushed. Yet even in those darkest hours, I’d open my notebook, write how I felt in that moment, hum a random melody in my head, and the problems of the world instantly melted away.

The experience of feeling your burdens and traumas melt away, even for three minutes, is indescribable. When I felt that for the first time, I knew I was onto something. I didn’t have a name, but this was the beginning of Daniel LaVon. His mission was to heal the world, and he has been healing me ever since.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life, smooth road? Never heard of her.

Even before I defined music as my dream, the opposition was forming from the jump. Growing up with little made it very obvious how far behind I was. I didn’t have access to instruments or tools, for example, and had to learn music from scratch. Think household items, Audacity (the free version), and basic three-part harmonies taken from Top 40. Some of my earliest music is quite laughable today, but you can still hear that drive to be more. Bigger and better.

I think that adolescent confidence made it easier to face another big bump in the road—people. Tell them your dreams, and they all start laughing, right? Or in my case, they tell you you’re not good enough, and then laugh. It’s a tale as old as time, and while it hurt in the moment, something in me never believed them. Nothing they said could replace how music made me FEEL.

Truthfully, the toughest struggle has always been reconciling my dreams with reality. As cliché as this may sound, I think every musician has to, for lack of a better phrase, face the music. I’ve now come to understand that my primary occupation may probably not be a full-time musician, and that is okay. We can’t all be major stars, and we shouldn’t. There are many freedoms that come with being an independent artist. My inspirations are unburdened. I write all my songs, make all my music, record all my vocals, and in this way, music feels like an extension of myself and is a better reflection of my life’s journey.

The realities of life may keep me humbled, but it’s also the fuel I need to continue pushing myself towards something greater.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Daniel LaVon is an Alternative R&B & Pop artist whose main mission is to heal through art. My albums are autobiographical and often address a real-life challenge, like Destination To Nowhere, a project that navigated themes of indecision amid constant change. I released that album in 2019, back when I was at a real-life crossroad of where I was going next in my life. It helped me take the next step.

I used to think that my music was too personal, but that specialization seems to be what’s making it stand out. Since releasing music on streaming services, I’ve somehow racked up over 600k streams on Spotify and 133k on Apple Music! I don’t actively promote anything (who can afford that?!), so these are people who identify with my music on some level. In 2023, my top 5 countries included Switzerland, Spain, and Greece, with the biggest spike in Lebanon—that’s wild! It’s a reminder to me that the problems are face are not unique, and together, we can overcome.

These days, I’m most proud of my next album, which is set to be released next year! It’ll have been seven long years, which is crazy to think. I needed that time to live, and I finally think I have something meaningful to say. Whereas my first album was focused on moving a little aimlessly into a new chapter, this new project is all about stability, reclamation, and power.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Authenticity. Not just to your craft, but to yourself. When you do the necessary work to find yourself and establish meaning in your life (no matter how fleeting or situational), everything else falls into place. Literally, everything you touch starts to turn into success.. Authenticity is a way of life, and once you start down that road, you’re on your way to your greater purpose!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ampl.ink/bX1j1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dlavonmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dlavonmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oCNWYwpK73hesYBBUdgcw/videos
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dlavonmusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ma5uD75dAWDFzLRLPVZS2