Born 1982 in Adelaide, Australia, Damien spent most of his young life fascinated with music. At the age of only five years old Damien began learning guitar and within a year astonished family members by playing whole songs fluently.
Fascination turned to obsession as Fernandez was a young boy. By 10 years old Damien was practicing guitar for hours on end every night until his mother would turn off the lights. He attributes this affinity for the instrument to his uncle, Ian Fernandez, Damien’s guitar teacher and a truly gifted musician.
“My uncle is the most ridiculous guitarist ever! Everything I play I learned from him in some way, I seriously can’t count the hours I spent watching him play and just learning and soaking it up.”
At fourteen a young Fernandez struggled with school and the frustration of being way ahead of his time musically. “I hated school! Hated it - all I wanted to do was go home and play, write songs and sing.”
Damien was accepted into a specialist music school on a scholarship but continued to struggle with classes - at times unable to pay the tuition. More problems arose when the staff realised the startling truth that Fernandez could not read music…at all. In fact he had been watching people’s hands to see the notes and playing by ear the entire year before the music director put him on the spot in front of the whole class.
“I just can’t read it, I’m happy for people who can but for me music comes from such a totally different place than where I read from in my brain that the two just don’t go together. So I changed schools, no big deal.”
By the time Damien was sixteen he was playing in a local band performing regularly in smaller venues that catered to the scene - amazing crowds with a talent far beyond his years. After doing work experience at a local recording studio he quickly realised he had a natural talent for producing and cutting rough demos for local bands, which in turn earned him studio time. The recording bug was caught!
In 2001 Damien released his first underground e.p ‘let u go.’ In 2003 he followed up with the independent releases ‘Phat Chronic, Volumes 1 & 2.’ More independent releases followed, including ‘Down 2nite E.P. (2004),’ the ‘Damien Fernandez show (2005).’ But it wasn’t until 2007 that Fernandez truly broke through with ‘The World Is Mine.’ The mixtape was the first of its kind ever – all the songs still contained original artists and hooks. Indeed this wasn’t a mixtape but the world’s first remix album. A star was born, and a nick-name that would become internationally famous…’The Remix King.’
Fernandez, also known to his fans as Six3, has shared the stage with such noteworthy artists as Lil Jon, Akon, Sean Paul, Pitbull, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Naughty by Nature, Benzino, TechN9ne, Kurrupt, Slim from the RnB group 112, The Luniz, Sisqo, and performed at private parties for Usher, DMX, Ja Rule and more.
Flash forward to the present and Damien is Australia’s hottest ARTIST/PRODUCER smashing critics and indeed the rulebooks with his groundbreaking and innovative new style.
The new album “ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOTS” is Damien’s first solo release worldwide with commercial radio support. Songs taken from the album ‘DRIVE,’ ‘MISSING PIECES,’ ‘SPACE TRAIN,’ ‘FOREVER’ and ‘SLEEPWALKER’ have exploded on the internet with thousands of downloads and numerous blogs frantically endorsing the new music.
“For along time I was making the tunes I thought I had to make. I had fun doing them but this is the first time as an artist I’ve stopped holding back. I’m making the album I would of made if I was ten years old and its amazing - everyone loves it. I think it’s cool cuz I get tough mean looking dudes hitting me up saying Forever is their favourite song or a friend telling me their mum loves missing pieces. It’s really the kind of music that doesn’t trick you into liking it cuz it sounds exactly like all your favorite songs.”
“In fact, I’ve steered in a totally different direction to ANY other urban artist. My whole album Killer Robots is all based on music principals taken from indie electro and 80’s progressive rock. I’m completely in my element now cause I’m in a creative space where I can do anything I want and trust it….cuz I’ve realized all I have to do is be me and no body can be better at that than I am......except a killer robot that looks like me”
Damien is set to tour Australia FEB-MAR 2009 stopping in all capital cities. Don’t miss your opportunity to see this unique and talented young performer in his inaugural quest to change the face of urban music forever.
Drive
Damien Fernandez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh oh, now I'm on the freeway
Some people tell me I should slow down
But everytime I try I just lose it
Feels like I'm in a movie with no sound
Just music
Wait around and see
But waitin around just aint like me
So I drive, get in my car, fast as I can
And I aint stopping for the red lights
I know what I want, I know who I am
And if I want it I get it so don't forget it
You take your time, I take what's mine
You make your mind, I make my life
And now I drive as fast as I want
And I never slow down
Tryna keep my head but I don't know
If there's a drug that's worse than fame
Addicted to the lights and the big show
Got me livin in the fast lane
So many places that I've gone I never even see
Through the windows of my technicolor dream
So I drive, get in my car, fast as I can
And I aint stopping for the red lights
I know what I want, you know who I am
And if I said it or did it I don't regret it
You take your time, I take what's mine
You make your mind, I make my life
And now I drive as fast as I want
And I never slow down
I do it for the love, I do it for the ladies
They love this in the club cause my beats is just so 80's
Japanese girls say that they wanna have my babies
And haters getting mad cause radio finally play me
I just do it for the lights, I just do it for the crowd
I just do it for the noise, when I do I do it loud
Do it till you get enough, till you say you had to much
I aint never gonna stop, I aint never slowing down when I drive
I drive I get in my car and I go
Oh oh, now I'm on the freeway
I don't care if you tell me to stop
Cause I never listen anyway
In Damien Fernandez's song Drive, he speaks about his love for driving fast and living life on his terms. To him, driving is a way of escape from the pressures of life and being in control of his destiny. The thrill of speeding down the freeway is compared to the feeling of being in a movie, with music as the only accompanying soundtrack. He has been advised to slow down, but he finds it hard to do so as it feels like giving up what he loves doing the most. He urges listeners to take what they want out of life, be assertive, and unapologetically pursue their desires.
The second verse talks about the addictive nature of fame and the fast life it brings. The artist compares the sensation of driving on the freeway to living in a "technicolor dream." Despite the places he has been to and the experiences he has had, he feels like he has missed out on a lot. The fame and spotlight have caused him to lose touch with reality, and it has become his addiction. With this realization, he doesn't plan on slowing down as it feels like the only way to live his life fully.
Overall, the song has a positive message of taking charge of your life and not letting others dictate how you should live. It encourages listeners to be bold, assertive, and not to shy away from pursuing their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I drive I get in my car and I go
I start driving when I get in my car
Oh oh, now I'm on the freeway
Now I'm driving on the freeway
Some people tell me I should slow down
Some people advise me to drive slower
But everytime I try I just lose it
But whenever I attempt to drive slower, I fail at it
Feels like I'm in a movie with no sound
It feels like I'm living in a silent film
Just music
Only music is heard
Roll the dice if you don't mind to
Take a risk if you don't care about the outcome
Wait around and see
Be patient and observe
But waitin around just aint like me
But I'm not someone who enjoys waiting around
So I drive, get in my car, fast as I can
Therefore, I drive as fast as possible
And I aint stopping for the red lights
And I'm not obeying traffic lights
I know what I want, I know who I am
I'm aware of my goals and my identity
And if I want it I get it so don't forget it
And if I desire something, I make it happen, so don't underestimate me
You take your time, I take what's mine
You can proceed at your own pace, but I'll grab what's mine
You make your mind, I make my life
You decide what you want to do, but I create my own destiny
And now I drive as fast as I want
And now I drive as fast as I wish
And I never slow down
And I never reduce my speed
Tryna keep my head but I don't know
Attempting to remain sane but unsure
If there's a drug that's worse than fame
If there exists a substance more harmful than fame
Addicted to the lights and the big show
Hooked on the bright lights and enormous production
Got me livin in the fast lane
Resulting in me living life recklessly
So many places that I've gone I never even see
I've traveled to many destinations but rarely observed them
Through the windows of my technicolor dream
As seen through the lens of my vivid imagination
I do it for the love, I do it for the ladies
I pursue this for the sake of passion and women's affection
They love this in the club cause my beats is just so 80's
Clubgoers appreciate my music as it has an 80's vibe to it
Japanese girls say that they wanna have my babies
Asian women express a desire to have children with me
And haters getting mad cause radio finally play me
Detractors are envious that my music is finally getting airplay
I just do it for the lights, I just do it for the crowd
I personally do it for the lights, and for the admiration of the audience
I just do it for the noise, when I do I do it loud
I simply produce noise, and when I do, it's audible from far away
Do it till you get enough, till you say you had to much
Do it until you're sated, until you determine that it's too much
I aint never gonna stop, I aint never slowing down when I drive
I'll never stop my pursuits and will never decrease my speed while driving
I don't care if you tell me to stop
I'm indifferent to any advice to cease operations
Cause I never listen anyway
As I never heed recommendations from others
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Artie
I'm from Australia, my sister showed me your songs way back when you first released them and to this day.. Still dope bro lots of love
Zoran Petrovski
Same man, memories
Abi Ansu
This song 😭😭
Ida9
Branco er altså mere troværdig i min tankegang 😂