DD Allen

Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan’s raw storytelling honesty, the sharp observational lyricism of MJ Lenderman, and the nostalgic echoes of Tom Petty and The War On Drugs, British songwriter DD Allen’s work is a poetic exploration of the human experience. There are inevitable comparisons to Neil Young: a soft voice with disarming vulnerability that’s somehow strong enough to carry the weight of the stories he needs to tell.

The pandemic may have resulted in a three-year health-related hiatus—but after teasing singles from his new EP Rebel Hero in 2014 and returning to sold-out shows, there’s a renewed buzz around DD Allen from a growing army of fans keen to see what’s coming next.
In the new EP, Allen’s introspective yet universally relatable expression merges themes of freedom, love, camaraderie, hope, and nostalgia into a real and raw body of work that reflects what being human truly means.

It's a record born in lockdown—lonely days and nights spent scribbling conclusions in notebooks and finding melodies in the margins. What emerges are songs filled with memories and metaphors, decorated with harmonica wails and guitar strings that remember every chord they've ever played. Songs like ‘Born To Love You’ and ‘Holborn Avenue’ prove that softness can be a strength—especially when you deliver truths that might otherwise be too sharp around the edges. Yet the fiery guitar tones in ‘Rebel Hero’ and ‘I See You In The Dark’ provide a sense that Allen sees folk and rock as different sides of the same musical coin.


"DD Allen is making the kind of music deserving of any main stage at any of the top festivals. He's a huge talent. Awesome voice and is a great songwriter. I'm anticipating big things."
Matt Spracklen (TV Judge, BBC1 Altogether Now TV, Mainly Music Pod, Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus Ambassador)

“There’s something exciting about the music of DD Allen — sort of a cross between Jake Bugg and Neil Young with a great deal of honesty in his lyrics.”
James Blunt

“Soaring vocals, a fiery guitar tone, and big choruses.”
Backseat Mafia