Dane Woods chats to Dirty Pink City about his new Album

With a few singles and an EP already under his belt, Dane Woods recently released his first full album, Parts of a Whole, self-recorded over a couple of years. After performing as a drummer for numerous bands in Cape Town, Dane decided to pursue the production of his own music as a solo artist, and writes, performs and records all his own material.

The album is a brilliant collection of progressive and post-rock tracks, with a few gentle tunes, to make it a very well-rounded piece of work.

Dane also just released the video for the single, For Her. The video is shot in Cape Town on the streets of Edgemead, the suburb Dane grew up in.

I caught up with the man behind the music to chat about his new album and what he’s got planned for the rest of the year:

Hi Dane, thanks for chatting to Dirty Pink City!

Hey there! No, thank you!

Besides being a musician, who is Dane Woods?

As far as I can tell, Dane Woods is a super chilled dude. Outdoorsy, foody-type of guy.. I love camping and having an eat and a think.

Awesome! So, I see that you are a former journalist? How did you get into music?

I think the real question is, “How did music get into me?” I assume it was my upbringing. We’ve always been quite a musical family, both my parents love singing and playing guitar, and my sisters have good voices and ears for music too. From a young age I hit things rhythmically and melodies often just arrive in my head. Music is like a friend that I can rely on. Always there.

You were a drummer for many bands in Cape Town, which bands, and what made you decide to go solo?

None too well-known. But I played some cool shows and local festivals over the years when drumming for Comfort Zone, A New Hope and Signal Hill. I decided to go solo so I could compose more. I really love creating melodies and moods. There’s so much feeling in music and I love being a part of every aspect of it.

You recently released your first full album, “Parts of a Whole”. I read that you recorded the album yourself, and “in many bedrooms”, tell me about the journey?

That was due to me moving a couple of times over the years, and also swapping the studio room and bedroom when I got tired of the one. There were times when months would pass between some sessions, ’cause life gets in the way. But the journey was a good one – and I’m already looking forward to the next!

Haha! Sounds good! The album is described as “a fascinating collection of alternative, progressive and post-rock tunes”. Who or what are your influences?

There are so many influences… I love the emotion that music creates, like in movies. I can get a lot of inspiration from that. Then there’s all the artists, all of them. Led Zep, Jimi, Jack White, Deftones, The Mars Volta, the ’90s grunge scene, some solo guys like Bon Iver, even some electronic creators like Bonobo and Four Tet.. The list is long. I’m not too strict on staying within the boundaries of a genre.

The album is extremely unique and, being an independent artist, how important is it to you to “keep it real” and not make music for the “masses”, and how do you do it?

I think the most important part is to enjoy creating. It can be tough when you worry about how successful your own thing might make you, or about how people will respond. This can become a real monster in your head.. But, in the age of mass production, I would rather create something unique that connects with people who appreciate without being spoon-fed.

So, you are described as a multi-instrumentalist, how many and which instruments do you play?

I was first a drummer, but I’m pretty decent on guitar now too. I dabble in woodwinds, percussion, a dash of piano, and I can pop a smidge of bass in your face too. I also play the voice.

Where can we see you perform live next?

I won’t be performing live for a while. I’m currently working on the solo recording side of things and recently put together my first music video. You can see it here – https://youtu.be/tHN6hOf1Yag

Awesome – Will do! And where can we buy and listen to your music (please share links)?

It’s available on pretty much all main digital stores and streaming services.

Here’s a links portal – http://hyperurl.co/parts-of-a-whole

Lastly, what is your plans for the rest of 2017 and 2018?

I’m looking at putting some singles out there. I’m currently busy recording a track with a really cool, different sound. I’m also enjoying filming and editing video – so perhaps a few more music videos!

Thank you for the chat!

Thank you too! Cheers!

Parts of a Whole is available for purchase and streaming on all digital platforms: HERE

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