He may be young, but 14-year-old musician Duke Carpentier is wise beyond his years. Encapsulating his philosophy for love with his latest track “Simple,” Carpentier shows that he could be the face of pop for the next generation with his unabashedly honest pop music.
Combining a hip-hop sound with smooth vocals and a modern track, “Simple” shows there’s no need to overthink it when the sparks are there.
“It happened to pop in my head to sing about taking everything and making it more simple and easy, instead of overcomplicating things,” Carpentier tells Celeb Secrets of the song’s creative process. “Why hassle stressing when you can make everything in your life easy but still efficient? It’s really just a positive upbeat song, meant to make you release your stress and just let it go.”
Born and raised in Orange County, Duke got his start in music after his parents discovered he had talent as a toddler, so he quickly picked up the piano, guitar, and vocal lessons. Surrounded by music (and 8 younger siblings), Duke was destined to channel his carefree California lifestyle into rhythm. Things came to light when he started working with his manager, Wyatt Johnson and producer Stefan Lit (One Direction, Andy Grammer, Kygo), who helped built his social media following while giving him the opportunity to release music under Saint Lit Records and an offer to collaborate with DaBaby’s producer, SethInTheKitchen.
Celeb Secrets sits down (virtually) with the 14-year-old to talk about “Simple,” how he balances both normal life and music, and what we can expect from his new songs in 2021. Take a read at the full Q&A below and let us know what you think of “Simple” by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can keep up with Duke by giving him a follow on Instagram at @dukecarpentier.
Celeb Secrets: What first initially sparked an interest for you to pursue music professionally?
Duke Carpentier: “When I turned 10 I finally started to take music seriously as a career. I had started learning piano at age 8, but didn’t find it interesting until age 10. I then started to sing. I sang and played piano until I wanted to learn more. So I started learning guitar, and as I started playing guitar I began making my own music. And I’ve been learning ever since.”
CS: Who are some artists that inspire your music?
DC: “I have many artists that I can name who inspire me. From the 60’s, 70’s, 80’, etc. Paul McCartney, John Legend, Elton John, Charlie Puth, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Juice WRLD.”
CS: You have a new single out right now called “Simple” – can you talk to us about the song and maybe the backstory behind making it?
DC: “There wasn’t a whole lot to it. As we sat down thinking of song ideas, it happened to pop in my head to sing about taking everything and making it more simple and easy, instead of overcomplicating things. Why hassle stressing when you can make everything in your life easy but still efficient? It’s really just a positive upbeat song, meant to make you release your stress and just let it go.”
CS: You’re currently working with Stefan Lit, who is known for producing songs for One Direction, Andy Grammer and Kygo. How did the two of you connect and what have you learned from working with him?
DC: “My manager, Wyatt Jonhson, introduced me to him. They’ve been friends for a little while and Wyatt thought it would be a good idea if we collaborated and wrote some songs. So far, it has been a total score. I love working with Stef. He’s such a cool guy and he can produce and write songs really well!”
CS: We know that there is more music on the way — can you talk to us more about what’s to come?
DC: “There’s definitely more to come, whether you like vibey songs or you want to dance, I’ll have it for ya! Just stay tuned.”
CS: You are so young, yet poised to really take over the music industry by storm in the coming years. How do you balance being both a normal kid and your budding music career?
DC: “It really isn’t hard if you love what you do. To be honest, music is part of my norm. I feel the same whether I’m skateboarding, or doing music. I still get my family time at the beach or on bike rides. But when I’m not doing those things. I’m doing music.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, can you share a secret or fun fact about yourself that both our readers and your fans wouldn’t know about you?
DC: “For a more general fact, I love surfing. I’ve always loved being in the water. It’s another environment I can enjoy as an escape from my house or in the studio. Some more trivial facts, I like reading, I like to climb trees and do parkour.”
