The Gleeman

As The Gleeman prepares to release his new mini-album You’ll Land Among The Stars, the first chapter in an ambitious trilogy of releases throughout 2026, his songs arrive as companions: reflections on memory, trust, loss and hope. 

Written across years of personal and emotional change, the record draws on the perspective of a life fully lived, shaped by resilience, family, and the determination to keep moving forward. In this candid conversation, he opens up about mental health, the healing power of songwriting, and why sharing these stories now matters more than ever.

Hi Dean, how are you?

Hmm, well, it's still January as I'm writing this and it actually must be something like the 98th January by now, so it's all just about survival. I really struggle with January for a plethora of reasons (see my song 'Summer Town' for further detail). 

Your brand new mini-album ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’ drops later this month on 30th January. What initially influenced this collection?

This mini-album is the first in a trilogy of releases coming in the first nine months of 2026, which is a fairly audacious and ambitious approach by anyone's standards! My debut album 'Something To Say' was only released in Nov '24 but the majority of that album was recorded in 2020, I had a year 'off' in 2025, well from promo and external activities anyhow, but have carried on writing and recording during that period. Toward the end of 2025 I found myself with quite a large selection of songs that I needed to get out into the world and thus the trilogy plan was born. The album offers a perfect blend of rich storytelling and emotional honesty that can only come from years of experience in both the music industry and life. 

At 54 years old, why do you think it’s important to show that creativity has no age limit and that artists' stories are worth telling?

The music industry at large continues to be obsessed with youth with regards to where it expects all the new artists to come from, but I have come across a number of artists who, like myself, have decided to follow their passion into music later in life. I hear the argument that as people age they are less inclined to discover and invest in new music from new artists, but the reality, based on my experience, is quite the opposite. The problem is that music industry fails to support and promote older new artists to older music fans that are likely to resonate with and be relevant to them. No 20 to 30 year could have written my songs, they don't have the perspective and range of experiences to draw from to have done so. 

In an era driven by rapid trends and algorithms, how do you envision ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’ serving as a platform for honesty and reflection? Additionally, how does it offer a nostalgic reminder of a time when social media numbers didn’t determine success?

The opening track reminisces and reflects on those formative and more-care free times of our youth, but the song that more personally takes me back is called 'You Are My Friend'. That is the one song on the album which hasn't come about in the last few years, it was written in the dark ages of 1991 in the land before the internet and hence before smart phones and social media ever existed, when you - shock horror - actually had to speak to other people to communicate. Technology has brought with it many positive advances but also a host of new problems to deal with. In terms of music, social media has completely changed the landscape and I think most artists I have spoken to that came through before its existence, are glad that they did. You will find the majority of musicians do not want to be content creators and a slave to online posting, but the current narrative is that it is necessary in order to connect with and engage with your audience, most just want to write, record and perform music. The difficulty now is that media land is so fractured and fragmented. Back in my youth, if you got on Radio 1 or 2 or even better, Top Of The Pops, you would reach your audience in one blow and it would be job done. No single place of exposure has that power anymore, so you have to try to be everywhere all at once, including all over social media. What is interesting, with the rise of AI, is that there are examples of generative 'artists' and 'music' that have been garnering millions of streams and climbing up the charts without a slice of social media presence, which throws that whole dogma into disarray somewhat.

Each song appears to create its own cinematic world and personal journey. The Americana-inspired reflection of "Our Teenage Years" was even co-written with your son. How did this collaboration enhance the depth and honesty of your writing, as well as its sentimental value?

Ha - it wasn't quite as 'romantic' as you might think! I was set a task as part of a course I was doing, to collaborate with someone on a song. Times were still a little 'covid-y' so I cajoled my son to assist, which he did, though somewhat under duress. The opening guitar riff I that carries through the verses is his and it is him playing it on the record. I did try to coax some lyrics out of him, due to the theme of the song and that he actually was a teenager at the time, you'd have thought it wouldn't be too much of stretch. 

The two word contribution that I got out of him had to be replaced for the radio version of the song so it would be more 'safe for radio'! I think he thinks it's cool though that a song he helped write and is playing on has been going out over the airwaves. 

From pleading for forgiveness in "Singing in the Rain," to expressing ambition in "Don't Let Me Down," and reflecting on enduring bonds in "You Are My Friend," which song are you most proud of, both personally and creatively?

I am proud of all of them personally and creatively otherwise I wouldn't be putting them out into the world, you are asking me to pick a favourite child!

You've described music as your lifelong companion. How has your emotional journey - weathering self-doubt, building a successful business career, and experiencing personal loss - shaped songs that deeply foster healing and connection?

Going through the various ups and downs that life invariably throws at all of us across the years, continues to shape who we are, how we grow as individuals, how we continue to approach life and hopefully we ultimately become stronger, better and wiser for it. In terms of shaping my songs, I've found that some of my particular life experiences have enabled me to write certain songs in direct, truthful and more thoughtful rather than dramatic ways, which seem to have been able to connect deeply and profoundly with many that have heard them and provided comfort and solace. As a song-writer that is the ultimate gratification and is what helps me to continue to wade in the murky waters of the music industry in a bid for my songs to reach a wider audience. 

You’re passionately committed to promoting inclusivity in the music business; a determined mission to dismantle the industry’s obsession with youth - ensuring mature artists can be seen and heard. To further the mission, you’ve started #MatureMusicMatters: can you share more about this initiative and its aims?

#MatureMusicMatters is a tag line and rally call for older artists and anyone who believes there should be more inclusivity and broader age representation for new artists in the music industry and something to unite behind to try to effect positive change. Age prejudice in the music industry is systemic and there are blatant examples I have come across in which older artists are disadvantaged. Age is a protected characteristic under the UK equality act and should have equal standing and focus to that of race, gender, religion, disability and others but it doesn't and is generally not even on the agenda of the DE&I initiatives within the industry. I have been getting myself in front of and meeting with various senior industry figures to try to change that.

The positive is that people are least giving me an audience and are generally empathetic with the issue and have been finding my views and examples as eye opening and thought provoking. I have made some small steps of progress, but it is not something that is going to change overnight and there is a monstrosity of a mountain to climb. If there is anyone out there who would like to voice support for the cause in any way, please reach out and get in touch. 

You are well-known for effectively combining advocacy with your music, such as raising awareness about dementia care. How do you believe music can continue to serve as a tool for exploring themes like loss, illness, and family?

We are only reasonably recently starting to fully understand the power that music has on our mental health and well-being in general (especially as we age) and it's ability to reach through to those with dementia and bring them back to their surroundings and bring peace is quite remarkable, something that I witnessed first hand with both of my parents. Music is at its most powerful when it connects with us and makes us feel something. It can lift us up, it can make us want to dance, it can make us smile. It can also make us feel sad, it can make us cry, it can console us, it can provide comfort, it can make us feel that we are not alone or that we are not the only ones feeling broken. 

If listeners should take one message from ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars,’ what would it be?

That would be the entirety of the quote by Norman Vincent Peale that the title of the album is taken from: "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars".

A reminder to all of us to think big, dream big, act big and that even if you don't achieve your ultimate goals, if you take that approach you will still end up in a good place...