If you’ve never heard the music of T.O.L.D. (which stands for The Order of Life and Death) before, the man born Dan Smith wants you to know this: his music is “a journey.”

The synthpop musician was born in the United Kingdom and came up through the ranks by playing in the underground Birmingham and London scenes as a teen. Now a Los Angeles resident (drawn by the weather, he says), he’s set to release his latest album, It's Not About The Witches, on Friday (June 17). On the album, Smith uses all his skills to give birth to wildly ambitious, grandiose tracks, juxtaposing slick synth arrangements with old-school hip-hop beats, minimal guitars and gospel choir music. He talks to Myspace about loving Bowie, Queen and Michael Jackson as a child, and how a song he wrote as a 10-year-old got on his upcoming album.

Hometown: Malvern Hills, United Kingdom

Homebase: Hollywood, CA

When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

I remember finding Queen’s Greatest Hits 2 and Michael Jackson’s Dangerous next to the CD player in the corner of the living room aged 5. I think my older brother had just started going to school so I was bored alone in the house. I discovered worlds within! I would listen to those CDs religiously every day.

But who would you say are your biggest musical influences?

2pac, Robert Smith and David Bowie

Where does the name T.O.L.D. come from?

The name found us.

Does living LA—after growing up in the UK—have any influence on your music?

That’s a tough one because I only really know what I know now. Sunlight seems to makes me create more.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

Robert Smith, Oneohtrixpointnever, Young Thug

What's the craziest thing that’s a fan has done for you?

The other week a guy came down to LA from Portland to see us play a really small show, that was pretty incredible.

Why is your album called It's Not About The Witches?

Again, the name found the record. I didn’t have a title until it was almost done, and then it just appeared at the right time. It’s an album about the search for meaning.

If you were a hashtag, what would you be?

#OM

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

It didn’t have a name, but it was the first thing I wrote on guitar aged 10. It eventually made it into the album as the outtro of Return Forever.

Do you have an awesome Myspace-related story as a musician?

I used to use Myspace when I was first starting out in music. It gave me a platform which I built into having millions of plays as a 15 year old. It allowed me to go on tour and make a living for myself as a musician. It opened my eyes to the fact that the internet really was going to be the new media. ᐧ