ON THE RISE
From the opening electric guitar strum of “No Regrets Only Greatness,” one thing is clear: this song is here to motivate. With big upbeat drums and major key pop punk chords, the new single by Darryn Yates will get your body moving, while its message will have you nodding your head.
“No Regrets Only Greatness” is an anthem for everyone who knows it isn’t too late to follow your dreams. As Yates sings, with a tone reminiscent of gen-X icons like Bon Jovi or the Gin Blossoms, “I didn’t come this far just to give up now… There’s no regrets, only greatness.”
Yates’s optimism has been hard won. Two decades ago, he was a young rocker hustling to make it in the LA and Nashville music scenes. The big break didn’t come, and soon Yates moved on. A relocation to St. Louis, marriage, and three kids, and a music career was all but behind him.
But the rebellious spirit of rock & roll lived on in Darryn Yates — so much that he kept on getting fired from job after job. He hit rock bottom, struggling with depression and a feeling that there was no way forward.
Yates didn’t give up. Instead, he rebuilt his life through coaching others. In helping people with personal growth, he applied those lessons to himself, leading him back to music.
“I realized I could either stay on the dark path or fight my way back. Once I chose the fight, the music came rushing back like it had been waiting for me all along,” Yates says.
Now Yates is making up for lost time. Three singles in 2025 have quickly led to more than 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. With more ideas flowing, Yates is just getting started.
Yates’s chief collaborator on these tracks is producer Kevin W. Gates of Reach Audio in Springfield, Missouri. Gates, a specialist in the sound of 90s bands like Gin Blossoms and Barenaked Ladies, has proved an ideal partner for Yates’s retro rock vision. Together they are crafting song after song of anthemic hooks, driving guitars, and, of course, choruses ready for concertgoing crowds to scream at the top of their lungs.
As a Generation X father of three rebooting a music dream after so many years, Yates has his doubters. But he sees them as fuel. He says, “Every time someone doubts me or writes me off, that’s when I do my best work. The hate and the doubt are fuel. I want to see their jaws drop when they realize I’m not stopping. That’s what ‘No Regrets Only Greatness’ is all about.”
“No Regrets Only Greatness” is available now on all streaming platforms. More music will follow soon. Upcoming releases include a baseball-inspired rocker, “Swing for the Fences,” and an ode to all “the ones counted out,” titled “Freaks Rebels Weirdos.”
Follow Darryn Yates at the links below. Get motivated to give your dream a chance:
Official Website
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
Welcome to SOUND ADVICE, Interview’s weekly space for playlists put together by artists, collaborators, and people from all corners of our circle. Over the past few weeks, we’ve highlighted selections from Zack Fox, Danny L Harle, and Mckayla Twiggs. This latest edition spotlights British French songwriter and producer Lauren Auder, who released her second album, “Whole World as Vigil,” just last week. Created alongside Dviance and Alex Parish, the project explores the emotional layers of human relationships, from the struggles to the moments of beauty. To celebrate the release, we invited Auder to curate a playlist for us and share a few personal insights along the way.
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Where do you dance? In the bedroom.
London or France? Unfair advantage for France, being a whole country.
What song on this playlist is your guilty pleasure? I have no guilty pleasures!
What’s your favorite sound effect? Roblox “OOH” or Bathory’s horse neigh on their album Blood Fire Death.
Dream collab, dead or alive? Lou Reed, obviously.
Who do you trust most with the aux? My roommate, Cajm.
What do you pray about? More time, more rest.
Best arrondissement in Paris? 20th probably?
What song is currently on replay? “Close to the Edge” by Yes.
What album was your coming-of-age soundtrack? Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp.
Tell us a secret. I cheated my way through Latin class in secondary school.
Night or day? Day!
What is your studio session pet peeve? Weed smell :/
Which Skins character did you relate to the most? None, I’m 27!
What are you listening to as you complete this questionnaire? Space heater next to my bed, Italian lesson next door.
What does your notes app look like? Incriminating.
You just arrived at the function. What are you drinking? What are you smoking? Cheap lager or expensive red wine, a Syrah if it’s winter.
The world is ending. What are you wearing True religion jeans and a white button down, as per.
