Danny Malone Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 16th 2010 5:47PM by monti smith
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The phone rings. Danny Malone picks it up and a computer voice informs him that this phone call is being recorded. It's the same type of slightly stirring voice that guides you through directions as you drive wondering if that voice is single. Danny begins to laugh, and says hello. His voice and laughter carry across his wide-ranging personality, which is what his music is all about. It has a sound that swings wide of the normal folk rock and when it is backed by his talented dancers onstage, it is indeed a show to behold. As is Malone himself, as you can tell from the following interview.

Are you originally from the Austin, Texas area?

Yeah, I don't really remember anywhere I was from before Austin.

Being from here makes you pretty well prepped for the carnival coming to town with SXSW.

Yeah, I have been to it for the last four years or so. I have never played an official show at it before, so this is a first.

This is going to be your first official show at SXSW?

Well, I've always done day parties, but this is my first playing an official show. Maybe I could never afford the application fee.

What's in your survival kit for SXSW?

My survival kit? It's really no different than surviving day-to-day life. Can I talk about pot and stuff? I am sure that helps, maybe. I don't know. I'll be driving around in my two-door Volkswagen and meeting my dancers at my shows.

Sounds like your survival kit consists of Volkswagen, guitar and pot. Interestingly, that sounds like the survival kit for quite a few people in the US.

Yeah, Its not too complicated.

Well, with that guitar of yours, what kind of sound do you tend to make?

I guess I would call it progressive folk music. It's raw. That's what I hear people say. I like to think of it as folk 'n' roll. Not overproduced. It's raw. It is what I is.

Who would you describe as your musical influences?

I would say terrible relationships. My general recession from society overtime. Maybe it's genetic. Probably my father and stuff. But I don't know who has had a real hand in teaching me music. But I don't feel too influenced by other bands.

Who are bands that you listen to than?

I like Tool. I like Sigur Rós. I really like big dramatic sounds. And I love metal. I grew up playing drums in metal bands. But I always wrote folk music. But I love f---ing metal, and my favorite band is still Tool.

Tool, Sigur Rós and f---ing metal -- awesome! Now if you had a gun to your head and you had to pick Beatles or Stones, who would it be?

If I had a gun to my head and I have to pick Beatles or Stones ... hmmm. Just blow my brains out; I don't even care.

Rad! Who are you excited to see at SXSW?

There are so many ... uhmmmm: Andrew W.K. would be pretty fun to see. But I don't know. I will probably be too busy playing my shows.

Now when you go on tour, do you go solo or with a band?

Well, I play solo but I do have backup dancers. I have dance sequences in my shows. I write indie dance postmodern four-track dance sequences in my music. I have trained backup dancers. It's legit! It's going to blow up. I'm going global.

You make the music; do you choreograph the dances as well?

They help with the choreography, for sure. I am proprietary of it, but they are all trained dancers and know what they are doing.

I can't wait to see you live. It sounds interesting and mind-blowing.

I like to think it's the second.

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