Rock Chic: Interview with South African blues sensation Dan Patlanksy

Dan Patlansky just released his new album “Introvertigo”, the follow up to 2015’s critically acclaimed “Dear Silence Thieves” which spawned to rock radio hits 'Backbite' and 'Fetch Your Spade'. Fresh off his November 2015 UK and European tour with Joe Satriani, and recently nominated as one of Classic Rock magazine’s hotly tipped new artists of 2015, Patlansky’s last studio album, “Dear Silence Thieves” has received non-stop accolades and praise from the British press. Recently he was voted Most Promising Male Blues Artist by Blues & Soul Magazine, and only recently has he been nominated as Best International Solo Artist at the Planet Rock Radio ‘Rocks’ Awards. In addition to that, Patlansky opened for Bruce Springsteen in South Africa in front of 64,000 people at FNB Stadium.

Ahead of some UK tour dates throughout June, we caught up with him for a chat about the new album and his successes so far.
Photo credit: Sean Brand

Last time you toured the UK you supported Joe Satriani. What was that experience like?

Touring with Joe was certainly a life changing experience, a mile stone moment! I learnt a lot from him. Joe was the most consistent performer I’ve ever seen and the most humble and down to earth guy I’ve ever met.

Are you excited to perform at The Globe on Tuesday 7th June?

I think the new live show for Introvertigo is the best yet. So we get to play the full show in Cardiff. I also hope to build on the live touring we did in 2015 in the UK, which was a great start for us. The UK has been fantastic to us so far, and I hope Introvertigo is as well received as Dear Silence Thieves was.

Planet Rock radio has been very supportive of your music. Last year they play listed your singles ‘Backbite’ and ‘Fetch Your Spade’, and more recently they have added your new single ‘Stop the Messin’ to their playlist. Do you find that radio play communicates your music to new fans around the UK?

Without a doubt. Radio is still a powerful way to get your stuff out there. Planet Rock in particular have been instrumental in last year’s success and I’m very happy to have ‘Stop the Messing’’ play listed this year. I feel radio can reach places that nothing else can and it helps build the fan base and sell tickets to the shows. It’s also great when people come to shows already knowing the singles. It instills confidence in us and makes us play even harder on the night. With what I’ve seen in the way of radio in the UK, I think great music in Britain is alive and well and the scene is healthier than most places on the planet.

Congratulations on your latest album, Introvertigo, which is your eighth album in 17 years. How has your song-writing process evolved during that time?

Thank you. I think it has evolved quite a bit over the past decade. Before it was writing songs for guitar playing. Now it's a cause of just writing the best possible song I can. A song I would want to listen too.

What is the significance of the album title?

Well, I'm an introvert at heart and all the tunes were self-written. So I see it as life through the eyes of an introvert. I've experienced it quite often in my life.

The cover of Introvertigo features someone with their head in the sand while the earth burns around them. Who did you work with on the photography and what is the significance of the cover?

We worked with a company called inJozi on the cover. The man with his head in the sand symbolises the introvert. The fire on his back symbolizes the self-destructive traits we all possess.

Some people might find it contradictory that an introvert would be open to sharing his feelings and point of view to a wider audience. Did you find the song writing process for this this album to be a catharsis to your introversion?

Not at all. Expressing myself through music is easy, but with people it's far harder. Music seems simple compared to the complex human being. We all have our own preferred platforms that we express through.

How do you motivate yourself to lead a public life and maintain it?

I feel I'm am nothing without my loyal fan base, so putting myself out there is a very important thing to let them know how much I appreciate them.

This is the second album you've done with Theo Crous as producer. When did you decide that you wanted to work with Theo again and how different was the process this time?

Almost straight away. He has proved himself time and time again. The second time round with Theo was a breeze because we both knew how each other liked to work. And there was a level of trust between us. Couldn't be happier with Theo's work.

You have been voted Male Artist of the Year 2015 by Blues & Soul Magazine, 4 of 10 Best Rock Guitarists in the World by Total Guitar Magazine, as well as one of the Top 20 Blues Rock Artists by Blues Magazine. You also received a nomination for Best International Solo Artist for the Planet Rock Radio Rocks Awards. That’s quite a lot of accolades. Is the award cabinet getting full?

It's always great to end off a year with these awards. It's like rewards for a lot of hard work and miles done for 2015. Very chuffed. I think it's just actually just rewards for years and years of hard work. I think the more accolades you get the harder you must work because the pressure just gets more intense.

DAN PATLANSKY

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