D.K. Lyons, the indie pop-rock artist from NYC, has delivered another hit single just in time for the long days of summer. The sonically nostalgic track, “Merry Go Round”, channels the 90s vibes that many of us grew up on. The video for the song was recently released, and I got the opportunity to ask Lyons a few questions about the song, it’s video influences, and what may be next for the singer-songwriter. Check out his answers and the video for “Merry Go Round” below.
Josh: “Merry Go Round” has a wonderful late-‘90s alternative pop-rock energy that takes many of us, myself included, back to a simpler, more hopeful time in the world. What drew you tho this specific era’s sound, and who were your biggest sonic influences while building the track?
D.K. Lyons: It’s so funny you say that because that’s exactly where it takes me too. My young childhood took place in the ’90s and I often go back to TV shows, music and movies from that era because it just feels so much safer, simpler and hopeful to use your exact words. The song itself is about questioning every single thing in my life and where it’s going only to have the message be “It’s all going to be okay, there are good things coming, don’t overthink so much and enjoy the ride.” In terms of sonic influences, artists like Third Eye Blind, Vertical Horizon, Goo Goo Dolls, Sum 41 and Incubus definitely stand out. I discovered ’90s pop rock/pop punk music in the late 2000s when I was in high school, and I’ve been recently drawn back to those artists and genres as sources of inspiration as I long for that era a little bit before life became more difficult and complicated in adulthood.
Josh: The video draws inspiration from Janet Jackson’s iconic “That’s The Way Love Goes.” What inspired you to emulate that laid-back lounge aesthetic for the “Merry Go Round” video?
Lyons: I think in the same way the song draws from a ’90s feel, I wanted the video to emulate that same feeling. When I think of ’90s TV, I see a lot of sitcoms about friends just hanging out and doing anything or nothing and I wanted to capture that same feeling with this video. I knew I wanted to continue paying homage to the legendary female artists who have had influence on me and Janet’s video just spoke to me with this concept and it came together so organically. Just a simple apartment party with friends playing through the song and putting our spin on the little skits she included in the video.
Josh: Does “Merry Go Round” signal the direction of your upcoming EP “Long Overdue May Lillies?” Or are there more surprises in store sonically for the project?
Lyons: It definitely sets the stage for the full EP, as I think this is going to be the first project I’ve done where I’ve wanted to intentionally make the entire thing feel super cohesive. At the same time, my music influences range so wide that there are a lot of different genres covered, from disco to country to Afrobeats to pop punk, but all within the context of this more organic, acoustic pop vibe. And the closing track is probably my favorite song I’ve ever written, both lyrically and sonically, so I’m super excited to get the whole project finished for the world to hear.
Lyons’ next EP, Long Overdue May Lillies, is set to be released on October 16, 2026.
