Interview with Ike Dweck

This is your first headline tour. What emotions are coming up for you as The Safe With Me Tour approaches?

I’d say excitement is what I’m feeling most. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter in my career. I’ve been writing songs for close to four years now, and I’m finally getting the opportunity to perform them live and connect with fans in person. That’s what making music is all about, and I’m grateful that I’ll be doing it so soon!

Your live setup is going to be very stripped down and intimate. How did you decide on this setup?

I think there’s something special about taking a fully produced song and stripping it back to just vocals and guitar. That’s how these songs are born in the first place. They’re raw and emotional. I wanted to perform them in the purest form possible.

Are there any songs you’re especially looking forward to performing live?

I’m excited to play all of them, but there are definitely a few unreleased songs I’m especially looking forward to performing. I’ve been writing a lot lately, and even though those songs aren’t out yet, there’s something exciting about sharing them live first.

How are you preparing for the tour?

A whole lot of coffee and a whole lot of practice. I’ve basically been glued to my guitar for the past six months, just trying to get as many reps in as possible. At the same time, I’m trying to take care of myself too.

What are you most excited about for the Safe With Me Tour?

Getting to see and experience new places and meeting fans in person!

You’re releasing “The End of Me” right before your first headline tour. What made this feel like the right moment for that song?

Honestly, it was kind of coincidental. The experience that inspired the song happened pretty recently, and the song itself was written not long after. I didn’t want to sit on it for too long.

Can you describe “The End of Me” in three words?

Angsty, angsty… and angsty.

What inspired “The End of Me”?

“The End of Me” came from a very real emotional place. I tend to write from experience, even if I don’t always want to spell out every detail, and this song was definitely one of those moments.

What was the writing process like for this song?

Songwriting is a form of therapy for me, and that was definitely true with this song. I had all these bottled-up emotions eating away at me, and by the time the song was finished, I realized they’d started to loosen their grip.

What do you hope fans feel when they hear “The End of Me”?

I hope they feel understood. Even if the song came from my own experience, I want people to hear it and feel less alone in whatever they’re going through.