Dominic Fike is aware of the demand that’s mounted for him to put his music online ever since he posted a batch of self-produced bedroom demos to Soundcloud in 2017, and then swiftly pulled them down. “People are mad at me. It’s like owing your friend money,” says the 22-year-old. “You can’t really talk to them about anything else until they get it.” Fike wasn’t really aware of the buzz that had accumulated nearly overnight until he finished serving a jail sentence earlier this year. While on house arrest for three months, Dominic wrote, produced, and recorded a set of songs in a friend’s bedroom, some of which would later release onDon’t Forget About Me, Demos. The demos are a rare glimpse at an artist on the precipice of ubiquity, one so specifically him, notable for his self-assured singing, dynamic instrumentation and compelling songwriting. “3 Nights” sets the tone for Don’t Forget About Me, Demos, an effortless slice of pop with a tropical bent that coasts on acoustic guitars and a Fike’s elastic, singsong flow. The rest is a composite of his influences filtered through his artistic lens: “Westcoast Collective” takes cues from Weezer, all spidery rock guitars and intermingling vocal harmonies, while “King of Everything” harnesses both the breezy beach-rock and angst of Sublime, a diarist rumination on ruling a domain when you find yourself alone.
