Ontario Songwriter Dre Dupuis Illuminates the Start of His Self-Titled Album with "Daylight"

St. Catharines, Ontario–based singer-songwriter Dre Dupuis makes his full-length debut with a self-titled album that captures the raw immediacy of late-night creation. Recorded entirely in his laundry room on a vintage Tascam Portastudio, the record channels the spirit of DIY pioneers like Guided By Voices while pairing lo-fi textures with the warmth and honesty of intimate songwriting. Blending the punch of The Strokes with the introspective tones of Andy Shauf and the lush harmonies of The Beach Boys, Dre Dupuis offers an unfiltered snapshot of an artist rediscovering his joy in making music.

"I wanted to make a record on my own at home," Dupuis shares. "I finally decided to save up some cash, quit my job at the time, and go all in." The result is an album born from catharsis and curiosity – a late-night collection of ideas written and recorded in the quiet corners of his basement. "There's no big concept tying these songs together," he adds. "They were all written and recorded at night. Just the ramblings of a guy and his Portastudio in his laundry room."

Stream + share Dre Dupuis feat. the focus track, "Daylight," here: https://tr.ee/q3VKSDRlZS

At the heart of the album is "Daylight," the hypnotic opener and one of the first tracks written for the record. Built from sampled drums, self-recorded percussion, and live one-pass mixing, the song encapsulates Dupuis' handcrafted process and dedication to simplicity. "I wrote it last November when I bunkered down in my basement and started writing the record," he recalls. "I drank coffee late at night and didn't sleep until I had a finished song."

Cathartic and straightforward, "Daylight" feels like a deep breath after a long stretch in the dark – a fitting introduction to an album born from perseverance and self-rediscovery. "There was a point in my life where I could feel myself losing the joy of making music," Dupuis says. "It took longer than I hoped to get back here, but I had a blast writing and recording this record with the Portastudio."

With Dre Dupuis, the 30-year-old artist delivers a refreshing reminder that sometimes the best records come from the smallest rooms and that joy, once lost, can be found again in the hiss of magnetic tape.