We sat Dan down for a chat ahead of this pretty enormous show to figure out what makes him tick. And more importantly, what he would do with a shed load of cash…
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No Mr Heartwork, we aren’t getting a cartoon Ocelot to interview you… Maybe next time[/caption]
“Before I answer any questions, I’d like to go on record by saying that I’m very disappointed that this interview wasn’t conducted by an actual ocelot. You watch Archer? Babou the Ocelot in Archer is so cute and inquisitive. That’s definitely what I had in mind for this. No worries though. I guess I can’t expect that luxury at this point in my “career”.”
Ocelot: You’re playing in Swindon twice in the space of two months…. What keeps bringing you back? Is it our charm and sophistication in this lovely corner of the world?
Heartwork: “Two words. KIERAN MOORE (of Sheer Music).
“Whenever I get word that he’s putting on another show, I’ll message him up on Facebook along the lines of “of course I’ll open this show thanks mate”. And more often than not, that actually tends to work.
“The crowds are always great in Swindon, well that whole area of the country to be fair. Wiltshire. It’s something in the cider that makes people super nice and welcoming. Some of the best hugs I’ve had are from people at those shows.”
O: Where did Heartwork come from? What made you drop “Dropout Dan” and push on to this new pasture?
H: “I look at the Dropout Dan project differently than I used to. I always shrugged it off as “ah it was just a loud, angry folk-punk kinda thing” but during the writing process of the Heartwork album, I went back and listened to the CD’s I released as Dropout Dan and a bunch of demos I had on my hard drive. I realised that the songs were actually good songs. That’s actually why the song ‘I Was Building An Empire’ has made it onto the Heartwork album.
“That was originally a song I demoed around the time I recorded the last Dropout Dan E.P, ‘Forever, Instead’. I guess my memory of my relationship with that music is a little hazy because it came to an end in such a weird period of my life. Which takes us nicely into where Heartwork came from. This “weird period” of my life was basically me experiencing panic attacks and general anxiety disorder in 2013 and coming to terms with that. I decided I needed a break from music so I put the Dropout Dan project to bed after playing a farewell show.
“Around this time though, I was having CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) and the therapist was talking about how panic manifests itself in the body. She said something along the lines of “You probably experience the brain overworking which causes the heart to speed up, then vice versa. That’s just how the brain and the heart work”. That stuck with me and I thought to myself that I was going to make a positive from the whole experience. Then music came!!”
O: Favourite track from the new album?
H: “Oh man, I don’t know. This changes from time to time. I love them all. ‘Playing Dead’ is one I’m very fond of because it makes me wince when I listen to it. Which is a good thing because the subject matter is incredibly personal, and the fact that it makes me feel uncomfortable means that I’ve conveyed the message I wanted to.
“But I think my favourite would have to be ‘The Right Thing’. My buddy B-Sydes sings on it. He actually wrote his guest lyrics then recorded them with a mutual friend Adam Boucher and then sent them to me before I had even heard a lyric or melody. It was a great surprise when I heard them. His voice suited that part of the song so perfectly. Match made in…well, the planet earth.”
(Check out Heartwork singing one of B-Sydes’ songs in Devizes last year below. A truly brilliant performance from both performers)
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je1y7W75evE[/embed]
O: Touring/ gigging in the UK at the moment…. Your thoughts?
H: Gigging…it depends where. For example; I’ve never played a good London show but in Devizes, I’ve never had a bad show. I’ve had good and bad shows in Cardiff and had a terrible show in Peterborough. It probably comes down to me at the end of the night but there’s something to be said for a good crowd.
“In the big “wheeey lads” nightlife areas of the U.K, most of the time…they don’t want to pay attention. They just want to have some beers with the boys and talk to pretty girls at the bar, not listen to some guy on stage talking about his problems. Who can blame them though. Although I don’t understand why they’d pay to get into a gig and then do just that. Ah well.”
“Touring…hmmm, honestly that word gives me the fear. I probably sound super ridonkulous saying that but seriously, the last time I toured was as Dropout Dan with B-Sydes back in 2013. The shows were great. The company was even better. But it mentally broke me. Doesn’t make sense right?! So I definitely have some hang ups about touring again.
“If I was going to, it would have to be as a support slot for an already touring band/artist. Ideally, I’d be touring with a full band lineup too. We’ll have to see. But if I happen to book a string of shows that happen in the same week or two dotted around the U.K, I guess you could call it a tour. Just don’t say that word to me and we’ll be okay.”
O: Plans for the immediate future?
H: “Well tonight I’m having a steak and my girlfriend’s dad is bringing his dog round because we’re looking after him (the dog, not the dad) for a couple of nights. Tomorrow I’m off to London for Frank Turner’s ‘Lost Evenings’ at The Roundhouse. Then not a lot. Oh yeah, my album comes out next Friday (19 May). That’s probably what you meant right?”
O: If you were offered £1 million but for one year you’d randomly turn into a Saddleback pig for an hour a month… would you take the money?
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The next Heartwork album cover?[/caption]
H: “I just googled Saddleback Pig and I was taken a(saddle)back by how big those things are. Yeah I’d do it. That’s 12 hours of your life you’d have to spend as a pig in return for £1,000,000. I’d do that. I’ve spent longer amounts of time feeling like a pig so it would be fair to have the aesthetic as well to actually justify it.”
Catch Heartwork LIVE at Level III on May 24 with Boston Manor, Casey and A Way With Words - https://www.facebook.com/events/1473283999361993/
And get ready for the debut album from Heartwork “Things I Wish I’d Said” by heading to:
