In diesem Interview spricht Danny, der Frontsänger der Band The Script über ihr aktuelles Album „Satellites„, das am 16. August 202 erschienen ist und gewährt tiefe Einblicke in die kreativen Prozesse, die hinter der Entstehung stehen. Besonders der Verlust seines langjährigen Freundes und Bandkollegen Mark Sheehan hat einen prägenden Einfluss auf die Musik und Texte des Albums gehabt. Danny erzählt uns, wie er diese schwierige Zeit durch die Musik verarbeitet hat, welche neuen musikalischen Einflüsse in das Album eingeflossen sind, und welche Botschaft er mit dem Album und dessen Artwork vermitteln möchte.
Frontstage Magazine: Danny, your new album is set to release on August 16, 2024. What was the main inspiration behind this album, and how did the loss of Mark Sheehan influence this creative process?
Danny: The main inspiration was tryna write my way out of a hole. Art and making music has always been the best way to deal with personal issues for me. So being as honest as I can and putting everything going on in my life into my music has been a godsend.
Frontstage Magazine: You mentioned that you started working on new songs alone in the studio in January 2024. How did this solo approach affect the music and lyrics of the album?
Danny: It didn’t really affect it at all. I’ve always written songs with people or without, so it was just the same process; get into the studio have as many cups of tea as I can before inspiration hits lol.
Frontstage Magazine: The song “Both Ways” has been released as the first single and is described as an energetic pop-funk track. What can you tell us about the creation of this song and its significance within the context of the album?
Danny: It was a song myself and Glen worked on and was the first song we thought hey we’ve really got something here. It’s energetic and optimistic which is how we’re all feeling at the moment.
Frontstage Magazine: “Gone” is a song dedicated to your late friend and bandmate Mark. What was the writing process like for this deeply personal and emotional song?
Danny: It was cathartic to say the least. Writing about something so personal takes time so you have to allow it to breath and make sure it’s saying everything you want it to say especially when it’s something so personal.
Frontstage Magazine: You’ve incorporated influences from trap and other modern genres into the new album. How did you integrate these different musical elements, and what inspired you to do so?
Danny: By using modern tech, hooking up Glen with trap hats was really fun and a big sub, you end up writing stuff that’s rock yet sounds contemporary and could be played on the radio. Everyone should try it!
Frontstage Magazine: On this album, you’ve pursued many new creative approaches, including collaborating with various songwriters and producers. How did this collaborative process impact the final product?
Danny: There was less experimentation in areas that weren’t fruitful. We’re all into different genres so sometimes we waste time on a bunch of different sounds and songs that never get used but when you’re working with other people you know exactly what you’re tryna do and they have an outside view on what we are as a band and just how much we can stretch that. They say too many cooks spoil the broth, I think too many cooks you end up with a shit load of really tasty food lol.
Frontstage Magazine: The album focuses a lot on positive and uplifting themes. Was this a conscious decision after the challenging past few years, and how did you manage to infuse this positive energy into the music
Danny: We didn’t want to start writing until we felt that way, so the optimism is coming through in the music because we’re genuinely starting to move from the dark into the light. We’re grieving in real time and publicly which is hard to deal with but it can also be a motivator when used in the right way.
Frontstage Magazine: The cover artwork of the new album features the silhouettes of the band members, including a silhouette with a hood as a tribute to Mark. What is the significance of this artwork to you, and what do you hope to convey with it?
Danny: I’ve always felt that satellites are above the earth with a great vantage point to see what’s going on in the world below. All communications go through them which is cool too. At the end of the day, we’re all just specs of dust floating through space. That’s what we were and that’s what we will be again.
The hooded silhouette is Mark as he’ll always be a part of the band so we felt it would be a nice thing to do to include him on the cover. Always there, showing us the way.
Das ganze Album, findet ihr z.B. hier.
Fotocredit: Jordan Rossi
