This song really hits home. It is so relatable whether you're in college after a few month fling, after a break up with the girl you thought you were going to marry or shit, just a relationship that you know was a dumb ass thing to get into. Heartbreak ain't ever easy and sometimes it doesn't even matter if you are the one doing the breaking up. You want to erase the memories, leave the pain at the door and act like it never happened. The boys from Down Time put these emotions into their debut single "One Night Stand" and share their perspective on a familiar feeling which we all know too well.
Get To Know Down Time - Dawson Whitefield & Simeon Shadrix
Dawson- "For me, I had played baseball growing up and throughout high school, with the intention to play in college. I had always played guitar and performed for my church back in middle school. That was my first time ever playing in front of anybody. Definitely gave me a taste of what music can do, being able to perform and people really enjoying it. At that point I had the thought that music was something I loved to do, but I didn't have the resources to really pursue. Then I came to Jacksonville State and met Simeon. He asked if I played guitar, so it was cool to have that in common. Moving forward we would have small jam sessions, since we didn't play out of anything. As the two of us played more and started writing songs together Simeon and I thought we could make something out of it. Since making the music connection with each other, we have busted our butt to try and find places to play. For a while we couldn't get a song anywhere. It was really frustrating because I saw the potential in us and knew song- wise we were there. But we didn't have a fanbase or (at the time) any music out. Really just been truckin' along. Within the past 6 months it has picked up for us and been really cool. We have been playing just about every weekend for people."
Simeon- "Growing up I played piano, I never really took lessons, just wound up teaching myself. Same thing as Dawson, I grew up playing in church. I learned guitar about a year ago. I always liked writing songs, especially Country songs, and wanted to find a new way to be able to write down my emotions and get out what I was feeling. Then I got to Jacksonville State and met Dawson through our fraternity. We started playing together and it’s really the same story from that point on. We just kept playing and writing more and more. Music has become more than just a hobby. I used to never want to sing in front of people, but now I love it. Music has become a big inspiration for both of us in the last few years. "
An impressive debut from Down Time... From a hobby, to one day rockin' a tour of their own
These two college kids know what they are doing. This is the very start of their career and with more experience they will further perfect their craft. It's not every day you see songwriters, artists or musicians who have a clear vision of their future path. But Dawson and Simeon are as dedicated as anyone. They have a clear voice and perspective with their songwriting and have the vocals to hang with the best. With patience and time, Down Time has the potential to make big things happen. I am excited for their future. The debut single "One Night Stand" hooks you in right away with some catchy guitar riff and follows with damn good vocals. A laid back, slower approach with the song allows you to take in the emotion and feel the very real pain with every verse. In today's era of Country Music, authenticity is so important and it’s easy to tell when someone is spewing bullshit. With Down Time, that sure as hell ain't the case. Clearly, whoever broke these dudes' hearts, you really brought a heater out of them. Can't wait to see what's up next.
Inspiration Behind "One Night Stand"
Written By: Simeon Shadrix & Dawson Whitefield
Simeon- "It was about 3am. Me and my girlfriend at the time, had been arguing. I was like... it was one of those relationships where I knew it was going to end, I just had that feeling. And then I was like "man... it should have just been a one night stand". Thought that would be a cool title for a song. I wrote the first couple of lines that night. We did eventually break up. Everyone has had a relationship that shouldn't have happened, so we tied that into the song too."
Dawson- "For me, I like writing on stuff that is relevant. That is one thing cool about the both of us - we agree on “relevant”. I feel a lot of artists don't do that, sometimes people are afraid to get that deep, but I really like it. I know Simeon feels the same way about that. He came up with the idea and wrote down those first few lines. I just knew these words were relatable to so many people. We have both lived this experience. “One Night Stand” was one of the easier songs to write. It kind of just happened, versus others you sometimes have to fight to get through."
Q & A With Dawson and Simeon
Q: When did you create Down Time?
A: Dawson- "Again, like I said before, when we first started hanging out we were really just playing in our free time. We looked at creating as something we did when bored. The more we looked at it, both of us were having so much fun. We wanted to see if there was something to pursue with music and pushed it. Simeon and I both have an ear for Country Music that may be a little different for some people. Neither of us could ever fully jump into music if it wasn't the right situation. When we started taking it more seriously, we had to figure out a good name for a duo. You have Muscadine Bloodline that is also a two-man Country group. We really look up to those guys and think we write like them. A lot of credit to Muscadine Bloodline because being a duo with two guys isn't always the easiest. Me and Simeon were thinking, "what's a really solid name?" Came up with Down Time, because in our down time we like to jam, play guitar and have a good time."
Simeon- "Yeah, I thought it was pretty cool. It's a simple name, but we thought it was solid and would stick."
Q: When was the moment you knew you wanted to pursue music?
A: Simeon- "Probably my Junior year. I had a lot of things happen, so I picked up my guitar and started learning. It wasn't really anything then and the first song I wrote wasn't good, obviously. From there I found my love for music and started writing more. I never really sang in front of anybody, just by myself. When I started writing songs though, I was like "man, I really want people to hear these. I want people to be able to relate to what I'm writing". I realized that by writing, I can express a lot of things that other people won't. Doing that can help people, so for me, that was the moment I knew I wanted to pursue music."
Dawson- "I always had the idea of wanting to pursue music, but never had the proper amount of time to put into it. When we did our first show, it was this little place back in Rome, Georgia. We had all of our buddies there and played the first song we ever wrote, called "Alone". It was nice to hear one of our songs being sung back to us. I am so passionate about sharing what I love with other people."
Q: As a duo, who are some of your biggest musical influences?
A: Simeon- "At the top of my list, for sure, is Cody Johnson."
Dawson- "Also, definitely Ray Fulcher and the way he writes. Drew Parker and Kameron Marlowe, I like them a lot too."
Simeon- "The people that can write songs that not everybody is willing to. Everybody loves drinking songs and hype songs, but when you get down to it, the lines that really hit home, Drew Parker has a lot of those. I know Muscadine Bloodline is at the top of the list for both of us as well."
Dawson- "Muscadine, I don't want to call them underground, but they aren't as mainstream. Like they might not necessarily be as big as Luke Combs, but I like them just as much. The way they write and their sound is special too."
Q: What's it like balancing school and music?
A: Dawson- "At the end of the day, people have priorities. Sometimes you have to sacrifice certain things for what's more important. It isn't necessarily good, but at times I'm sacrificing school for music. Doing that doesn't hurt my feelings because I absolutely love music. Prioritizing isn't always easy, but when you are out chasing a dream, you just have to make it work."
Simeon- "Kind of the same for me. School has been put on the side lately, but I’m definitely gonna finish. It's just one of those things you have to do. Trying to balance both can be tough, but if it wasn't for school, we wouldn't be where we are today."
If you are just discovering Down Time follow them on Apple Music, Spotify & Instagram.