Dror's Debut: A Sonic Rebellion in 'La Vie en Dror'
WITH DROR
“The only way to guess what’s coming next is to “throw the dice and let them roll,” as Dror would have it.
Photography, Carianne Older
Words, Brandon Scott Roye
VIEW GALLERY
Crisp white tee, baggy regular wash denim, embroidered Gucci loafers paired with high socks, and subtle gold jewelry. The most proper of bad boys bops over from his neighboring apartment for breakfast with BOND OFFICIAL at Soho House Holloway to share the good news:
Dror is dropping his debut project, a mixtape fittingly entitled “Outlaw.”
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Dror, or better yet, seeing him perform live, you’ll first notice that he cannot stop smiling. His purpose has always been, from the day I met him in college to the rising star he’s become today, sharing confidence and happiness with people through music.
Carving out his lane, cleverly coined “Texas Pop,” Dror juxtaposes his childhood in Houston, studies in Austin, and new life as a rising musician in Los Angeles.
His decidedly western-meets-metropolitan mindset lives throughout the finest details of his work, from the husky timbre of his voice to his thoughtfully referential wardrobe with various cuts, materials, and adornments. Overall, his creative direction truly speaks to the core of who he is and who he aspires to become.
Bringing up the importance of “dressing for the job you want” resonated with him. He lit up from ear to ear. Rather than dressing to convince others of his self-worth, Dror intends to inspire confidence within himself each day. Whether he’s recording in the studio, performing on stage, or grabbing breakfast at Soho House, he dresses for comfort with a touch of classic, knowing that each curation represents a flip of the page in his story as a musician.
Citing the lyrics, “Hollywood’s finest diamonds and gold,” we asked who embodies this in Dror’s eyes. He instantly referenced A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, attributing their decades-long status as style icons to continuously remixing their wardrobe, taking unorthodox risks, and an unwavering display of confidence.
"Outlaw" captures a time I felt creatively daring and ambitious.
THE LOOK
Black premium wool Cowboy Hat, Cavender's; striped button down, Vintage; Black Cowboy Boots, Dror's late grandfather; western suit, Vintage.
Hearing “90s Winona, Outlaw, Cowgirl Barbie, El Matador, Chains, and McConaughey” for the first time, there’s an element of surprise throughout the listening experience. Boisterous strings, robotic deer, funky hip-hop beats, police sirens, the heavy breathing of Spanish bulls—it’s quite the musical experiment.
Focusing on the man in the mirror, Dror’s intention when writing music is to compose pump-up music that pushes himself forward in life, then share his creations with the world, hoping it will achieve the same for others.
Think of his music as a tool in your toolbox, a new lever you can pull during a tough day to turn things around. You’ll notice a balance of dark chords with a positive spin, reminding you there are two sides to every coin, no matter what you’re going through.
“90s Winona” sets the tone for the project with a guitar solo reminiscent of Carlos Santana paired with Dror’s smokey voice, “calling me upset, heart beating fast when the drugs hit.” We all know Winona Ryder to be the star of cinematic classics, including Edward Scissorhands, Little Women, and Beetlejuice. Based on the day, one might describe her as equally charismatic, complex, dark, eccentric, independent, rebellious, and vulnerable. Quite the labyrinth, which Dror is prepared to solve. Presenting the throughline of the project, he’s ready to go all-in with “the one.”
THE LOOK
Vintage tweed blazer, Corneliani; Vintage leather pants, YSL; Black tie, Clavin Klein; Button Down Shirt, Brooks Brothers; Laptop Case, Fendi
You can’t help but lean with the heavy “boom” of the piano and “clap” of the drums in Dror’s next experiment, “Outlaw”. With an increasingly grand orchestration and floating violin solo straight from a Baz Luhrmann score, the listener finds themselves in the embroidered loafers of The Great Gatsby, reaching towards a green light across the bay, far beyond “Hollywood’s diamonds and gold”. Progressing from a lighthearted-to-passionate desire for his 90s Winona, Dror separates himself from the boy next door claiming, “y’all go ahead now I’m gonna ride ‘til I find the one.”
Dror’s dating life takes off with “Cowgirl Barbie” and it seems the police sirens are closing in: “Meeting pretty women only undercover. You know who you are makin’ babies in the car. Po po gonna lock you up. You know who you are makin’ babies in the car.” Funky island beats bring the listener to a sandy beach bar with a piña colada in-hand. Taking a musical breath from the gravity of “Outlaw”, Dror reminds us that love can be effortless, messy and best of all, spontaneous.
The power of “El Matador” is felt before you press play with the song’s title illustrated in the marbling of a raw steak. With Texas Pop in full force, Dror opens with the cold, hard truth, “This is a bad night. I’m having a bad time. Let’s get in a big fight. I’m ready to go.” Surrounded by Spanish trumpets, huffing bulls, snapping whips, and rockin’ drums, Dror sings and even speaks his truth to the effect of Johnny Cash.
Dror’s latest experiment, “Chains,” was written, “only for the days when you don’t feel a thing,” as a reminder that nothing can hold you down. Opening with a groovy bass guitar akin to The Beatles’ “Come Together” and motivating boom-boom-clap, I couldn’t help but think of Matthew McConaughey’s chest-thumping “Money Chant” from The Wolf of Wall Street. A night out blasting this song will leave you “feeling sorry only in the morning.”
Sharing the first draft of our feature with Dror, he generously offered to bring us in on a secret: his next song, “McConaughey.”As synchronicity would have it, our feature referenced his scene from The Wolf of Wall Street before learning the next song’s title—a true testament to dialing in your sound and style as a musician. Take that chest-thumping beat, slow it down, and stretch it out. Lower the tone with a heavy vibrato, bouncing among the walls of a cathedral, and suddenly, you have the intro for Dror’s latest love song. Echoing the likes of Marvin Gaye with soft, crooning trumpets from the streets of New Orleans, “McConaughey” is a steamy invitation to rock and roll.
By approaching my creation process with this calmness, I have seen the idea of synchronicity come to life.
THE LOOK
Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans, Wrangler; Denim button down, DKNY; Black Satin Western Colonel Bow Tie; Panther Brixton Leather loafers, Gucci; Vintage tuxedo jacket.
Reflecting on his early career and personal growth, Dror referenced a time when self-consciousness was holding him back from wholeheartedly “going for it.”
Making strides over the years, he’s noticed the smallest of changes can signify a world of difference. For example, he used FaceTime friends for their opinions on his outfits before on-camera and on-stage engagements. Now, he enjoys crafting and evolving his style in solitude, purely focused on how he will feel rather than what people will think.
Perhaps the most relatable of all was Dror’s thoughts on dedicating his career to music. He recounted when he found it difficult to answer the simple question, “What do you do for a living?” Nearing half a million streams on Spotify, Dror finally feels comfortable, and even excited, to share that he makes music. for life.
It seems that Dror has indeed found his “ikigai,” and all we can say here at BOND OFFICIAL is that we’re “waiting patiently for the reckoning”, his inevitable debut at the VMAs.
