The rules are simple...there's a hat, this hat is filled with many questions ranging from the personal to the off beat. We pass the hat, and artists gets a chance to answer the question they choose from said hat. Fun is had by all.
We recently sat down with the one and only Dan Croll at his stop in Philly at The Foundry. Dan recently made his return earlier this year with another masterpiece in the form of Emerging Adulthood. It's been a few years since we've last heard from Dan with Sweet Disarray, needless to say we missed him and needless to say everything he touches is gold. Just listen to "One of Us" (below) and you'll see what we're talking about.
Without further ado, here's our Chat in the Hat with Dan Croll:
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What is your recording and writing process like?
My writing process is a little bit backwards to most people I think. I think most singer-songwriters probably start with lyrics and sitting down, writing on paper. Mines sat at a drum kit usually. I usually start with the rhythm section, I can’t really move on with a song unless I know it’s got a strong foundation. So I spend a lot of time on the drums, and getting a nice drum beat that I feel is good, and I get a good tempo, build it up with some percussion, and then it’s about later on top of that from the ground up. The last thing I do is lyric and melody, and usually that comes from how I feel about the rythmn. Is it’s an upbeat danceable rhythm I guess it’s usually a more positive song if I’m feeling better. Whereas if it’s a slow beat it’s reflective of how I’m feeling. I usually write sadder lyrics.
What is your favorite city you’ve toured to?
We played a gig in a place called Lucerne in Switzerland. It was like a postcard, it was unbelievable. When we got booked for the festival my mum saw it and she was like “oh you’re going to Lucerne”. I think she went there for her honeymoon or something like that and it’s the most beautiful place. I google imaged it and I was like “no way it looks like that”. And it was. It was stunning.
What is your favorite song or album right now?
There’s a couple. I really like the Lemon Twigs, their debut album. Also I really like the new LCD Soundsytem, a really good return for them.
If you could be an animal for the day what would you be?
Probably a panda. I would just get to sit down and relax for once, and just eat and not have to worry about what to eat and what to do. I’d just sit there and eat bamboo, and that sounds great.
Worst job you’ve had?
My first job was probably my worst job, I used to work at a fish and chip shop. It was the worst place, but it was the only place that would hire me, under the working age. I had one shift a week on a Saturday and my job was to do the washing up. It was pretty horrible cause it was just really greasy fish and chips and stuff like that. The worst part of it was the kabob spits and all the grease and fat would collect at the bottom and at the end of the night I’d have to clean that out.
Describe your new album with animals:
My new album sounds like dolphins, elegant cascading through the water. They’re really social and happy animals. Then they kinda go on land, evolve feet, and party a bit, have a dance and have a good life.
What would your wild west outlaw gang name be?
I think Dan translate well into Dandino? Something like that, maybe a Mexican outlaw group called The Dandinos.
What’s your best party trick?
I can probably bust out some really bad breakdancing. I don’t really have any party tricks.
Do you have any tour souvenirs?
I have a lot, mainly from fans. There’s been a lot of cool stuff that they’ve given me. One girl made me a vegetarian cookbook out of pasta. The lasagna sheets were pages, it was really cool. The recipes were really good as well.
What do you do to pass the time on the road?
I watch series. I binge watch as much tv as possible. I’ve been watching The Leftovers.
What is your guilty pleasure song?
There are a lot of those. At the moment I’ve been listening to lots of Country music. I had a big Dolly Parton phase, she does a song called “Why’d You Come in Here Looking Like That”. It’s a really camp cowboy song about him walking into a bar with his cute bum and boots. It’s lyrically really funny to sing along to, it’s a real guilty pleasure.
