12-inch vinyl release.
Following the overwhelming success of “Roller Coaster,” Danny Vera’s musical career took off in a big way. The song broke all records, topped every chart, and has now been streamed nearly 100 million times on Spotify. During the turbulent COVID-19 pandemic, the Dutch public found massive comfort in the song, which earned Danny Vera, among other accolades, the number one spot on the 2020 Top 2000. Twenty years of hard work and patiently building his career finally paid off with platinum records and a sold-out Ziggo Dome. And all of that on his own terms, without compromising his vintage aesthetic.
Anyone who thinks Danny Vera is going to rest on his laurels now is mistaken, however. Music is in his blood, and blood is thicker than water. American country, blues, and rock ’n’ roll are in there and come pouring out.
His new album, *DNA*, came together in a different way than usual for Vera. “Whereas I normally take two to three years to write twenty songs, I wrote them all in just two months,” he says. “Everything just came out spontaneously, really.”
The vibe of the album is noticeably different from that of his previous record. “I quickly noticed that a different atmosphere was emerging in the songs compared to ‘The New Now.’ It was a bit more authentic, more rock ’n’ roll and blues—and that’s exactly how the songs needed to sound: as authentic as possible.”
In an era when ChatGPT can spit out complete song lyrics in a matter of seconds and every imperfection can be smoothed out in the studio, it was actually very refreshing for Danny Vera to record everything in one take. “That’s how they used to do it back in the day, and that’s exactly why it sounded so good—full of the joy of playing. The rough edges are part of it; the imperfections make it perfect.”
In the end, sixteen songs made it onto the new album. Because the songwriter didn’t want to be away from his young daughter for too long, he decided to record everything in his home base of Middelburg. The venue was the local theater, where the theater season was coming to an end, leaving time and space for recording. “I asked if I could rent it, and they said yes.” Once the recording location was secured, he had producer Frans Hagenaars come over with a mobile studio, and a truckload of old gear was gathered, such as vintage microphones and guitars.
“DNA” is an album on which Danny Vera returns to his roots, with songs that draw inspiration from the American roots music of yesteryear. No click tracks, no Auto-Tune, and no involvement from a songwriting camp. Solid tracks, ranging from classic Danny Vera ballads to fresh, up-tempo rock ’n’ roll. An album with rough edges, but above all, rock-solid music.
Includes Danny Vera’s autograph: Yes
Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Beggin’ For Trouble
2. If Only
3. Livin’ Proof
4. Domino, Rum-Cola, Cohiba
5. Like It Always Was
6. DNA
7. You Stand Beside Me
8. Sugah Rush
Side B:
1. Pullin' Me Back
2. Firefly
3. Mo Money
4. Switchblade
5. Shadow Light
6. When You're Crying
7. When The Light Shines
8. Away
Label: PMD Records
In collaboration with: Excelsior Recordings
Album No.: EXCEL
