From "Colder" to Clarity: Dane’s Reinvention Through Grief

There are moments when music shifts from being a craft to a lifeline—when it's no longer about creativity, but survival. That’s where Dane found himself. Known early in his career under the moniker “Young Gunna,” he made noise with his track “Colder,” which landed features on BBC Radio 1, Lyrical Lemonade, and COMPLEX. Now, he's stepping forward with his real name and his real story.

Dane’s new self-produced project, JASON, is his most personal work to date—a deeply emotional album written in the wake of his father’s suicide in 2023. It's not a pivot, it's a transformation: from viral moments and catchy melodies to reflective songwriting and emotional depth.

Redefining What Music Means

Dane’s journey began in high school with a USB mic and Audacity. From those humble roots, he’s built a name as both a musician and a content creator, racking up over 180,000 followers and producing records like Tobi Lou’s 2023 hit “Hold Me Close.” But nothing in his discography cuts as deep as JASON.

“Before, it was about creating for fun,” he says. “But this... this was survival.” Each track was born in late-night moments, with Dane texting song ideas to himself just to make sense of the grief. One of the project’s standouts, “Time Move Faster,” captures the heart of that feeling: the desire to outrun pain but the fear of losing memories as time goes on.

From Producer to Poet

While Dane is known for his melodic production style—often compared to artists like Post Malone and TheKidLaroi—JASON leans into raw, stripped-back sounds. His use of samples, strings, and melancholic tones gives weight to the lyrics, letting his words sit front and center.

“I wanted the production to sound like how I felt,” Dane explains. And he meant it. This isn’t just a flex of musical chops—it’s a reflection of a life forever changed. The vulnerability in JASON marks a moment where art becomes more than expression. It becomes necessary.