Artistic integrity = album honesty
Muirsical Conversation with Dan Patlansky
Muirsical Conversation with Dan Patlansky
Following the broader canvas of previous album Shelter Of Bones, South African blues rock musician Dan Patlansky has pushed his musical boundaries even further on latest album Movin' On (a well-considered and highly effective mix of rock blues and slow blues, Nashville inspired Americana, some Stevie Ray inspired shuffle and even a little funk).
All of which points to Patlansky’s ever-developing maturity and expressiveness as a musician, songwriter & arranger, here in tandem with his South African band mates, drummer Andy Maritz (who co-produced the album with Patlansky) and bassist Greg Van Kerkhof.
Patlansky, Maritz & Van Kerkhof also road tested the majority of the Movin' On songs while on tour last year before recording the album; this allowed the band to refine and hone the songs into the studio versions heard on the album.
Dan Patlansky sat in with FabricationsHQ just prior to his spring UK tour to talk in detail about the album, including the background behind many of the songs; but the conversation started by going back to the decision to road test many of the songs on tour prior to heading for the studio…
Ross Muir: On your spring 2023 tour of the UK fans saw you play a set that included a lot of new songs that would feature on Movin’ On. As you said yourself at the time, you were intentionally road testing those new numbers to gauge both audience reaction and, along with Andy and Greg, your own performances, and arrangements, of the songs.
How beneficial was that road testing in terms of end results and what we now hear on Movin On?
Dan Patlansky: Honestly Ross, it was massively beneficial, to the extent that I don’t know if I’ll ever do it any other way again. I really get now why so many of the great bands of yesteryear always used to do that.
I used to wonder why so many bands’ first records were their best, or one of their best, records, but it’s because they played the songs so many times on the road! The songs became so solid, that everyone knew where they were going with them.
I’m a firm believer that you don’t really know where a song is going to go until you play it, and that’s what happened with these songs. By the time we got into the studio we had toured not just the UK but South Africa, the Netherlands, parts of Germany and bits of Eastern Europe, playing most of the songs that would end up on Movin’ On.
We were working hard on them – for example we might make arrangement changes to a song right after a gig, or talk a song through – "why are we losing the audience on this part of that song? Let’s change it here."
We’d try tweaks like that until we found what worked the best.
RM: The other bonus, of course, was Greg and Andy are your go-to rhythm buddies, so having them on the road, and in the studio, was a performance and recording win-win.
DP: That’s exactly it. I think what a lot of people don’t realise is that, as great as session musicians are – and I’ve used some incredible session guys from the UK and Germany – it doesn’t actually matter how great, because it’s more about how much time you spend together as a unit, and finding what I call that mutual pocket. Being on the same page is so important.
When you tour with session guys it takes about ten shows to get to that place and yeah, by show ten it’s really firing, but you want it to be firing from show number one, you know?
So, yes, to then go into the studio with those same guys? What an absolute pleasure that is.
In fact I have to tell you that was the easiest album to record of my entire career; it was just so natural and super-easy!
All of which points to Patlansky’s ever-developing maturity and expressiveness as a musician, songwriter & arranger, here in tandem with his South African band mates, drummer Andy Maritz (who co-produced the album with Patlansky) and bassist Greg Van Kerkhof.
Patlansky, Maritz & Van Kerkhof also road tested the majority of the Movin' On songs while on tour last year before recording the album; this allowed the band to refine and hone the songs into the studio versions heard on the album.
Dan Patlansky sat in with FabricationsHQ just prior to his spring UK tour to talk in detail about the album, including the background behind many of the songs; but the conversation started by going back to the decision to road test many of the songs on tour prior to heading for the studio…
Ross Muir: On your spring 2023 tour of the UK fans saw you play a set that included a lot of new songs that would feature on Movin’ On. As you said yourself at the time, you were intentionally road testing those new numbers to gauge both audience reaction and, along with Andy and Greg, your own performances, and arrangements, of the songs.
How beneficial was that road testing in terms of end results and what we now hear on Movin On?
Dan Patlansky: Honestly Ross, it was massively beneficial, to the extent that I don’t know if I’ll ever do it any other way again. I really get now why so many of the great bands of yesteryear always used to do that.
I used to wonder why so many bands’ first records were their best, or one of their best, records, but it’s because they played the songs so many times on the road! The songs became so solid, that everyone knew where they were going with them.
I’m a firm believer that you don’t really know where a song is going to go until you play it, and that’s what happened with these songs. By the time we got into the studio we had toured not just the UK but South Africa, the Netherlands, parts of Germany and bits of Eastern Europe, playing most of the songs that would end up on Movin’ On.
We were working hard on them – for example we might make arrangement changes to a song right after a gig, or talk a song through – "why are we losing the audience on this part of that song? Let’s change it here."
We’d try tweaks like that until we found what worked the best.
RM: The other bonus, of course, was Greg and Andy are your go-to rhythm buddies, so having them on the road, and in the studio, was a performance and recording win-win.
DP: That’s exactly it. I think what a lot of people don’t realise is that, as great as session musicians are – and I’ve used some incredible session guys from the UK and Germany – it doesn’t actually matter how great, because it’s more about how much time you spend together as a unit, and finding what I call that mutual pocket. Being on the same page is so important.
When you tour with session guys it takes about ten shows to get to that place and yeah, by show ten it’s really firing, but you want it to be firing from show number one, you know?
So, yes, to then go into the studio with those same guys? What an absolute pleasure that is.
In fact I have to tell you that was the easiest album to record of my entire career; it was just so natural and super-easy!
RM: That takes us rather nicely to the album itself.
I was initially surprised by the fact the 50s rockabilly meets Stevie Ray number Red Velvet Suit opened the album and high-powered, instrumental boogie Lift Off closed it, but as it turned out they are perfectly placed – fun and pacey bookends to a multi-hued, musically and lyrically mature album themed around the introspective, personal and contemplative.
Indeed such is the musical feel between those bookends that Movin’ On sounds, to me, like the next chapter in the career of Dan Patlansky.
DP: Well I hope that is the case because this is definitely the door I wanted to open.
As I’ve said before, this is the album I’ve wanted to make for a long time; it’s the one that speaks to me the most.
To talk about what we started and finished with, all my favourite albums, the ones I grew up listening to, started with a bang and ended with a bang, and I wanted to do something similar.
Red Velvet Suit is a little tribute to my hero Stevie Ray Vaughan; I thought it was about time I did something along those lines, almost as thank you song.
And, as you know, Lift Off is actually the opening number when we play live, as it helps get the juices flowing.
But placing it first on the album just didn’t make sense for me; it kinda works as an opening track, but I thought there were better combinations, and having it right at the end works really well – so they became the bookends, as you called them.
You also mentioned the feel of the tracks between those bookends… I guess I’m very much old school, because I still love an album over a single, or singles. I know we live in world of singles, or releasing tracks from a forthcoming album here, there and everywhere but because I grew up with albums, I will always be an albums man.
And when you listen to an album, the way that album flows from track to track is such an important thing – to the extent that it can make or break an individual song – you put a song into the wrong place and that song can stand out like a sore thumb; it makes no sense to the flow of the album.
That, for me, was really important, so I spent a lot of time before this album was mastered playing this tracks in different orders to see what worked, or what didn’t.
And it’s always the one that you never imagined until you try it in a particular place! For example I never thought about putting Red Velvet Suit first until I tried it and listened to the album all the way through again.
It really made sense, to me at least, to have it first.
RM: Another aspect of the album we need to mention are the harmonies, which you’ve all clearly worked on.
That gives you yet another layer, heard to fine effect on the choruses of the introspective Who I Am.
I was initially surprised by the fact the 50s rockabilly meets Stevie Ray number Red Velvet Suit opened the album and high-powered, instrumental boogie Lift Off closed it, but as it turned out they are perfectly placed – fun and pacey bookends to a multi-hued, musically and lyrically mature album themed around the introspective, personal and contemplative.
Indeed such is the musical feel between those bookends that Movin’ On sounds, to me, like the next chapter in the career of Dan Patlansky.
DP: Well I hope that is the case because this is definitely the door I wanted to open.
As I’ve said before, this is the album I’ve wanted to make for a long time; it’s the one that speaks to me the most.
To talk about what we started and finished with, all my favourite albums, the ones I grew up listening to, started with a bang and ended with a bang, and I wanted to do something similar.
Red Velvet Suit is a little tribute to my hero Stevie Ray Vaughan; I thought it was about time I did something along those lines, almost as thank you song.
And, as you know, Lift Off is actually the opening number when we play live, as it helps get the juices flowing.
But placing it first on the album just didn’t make sense for me; it kinda works as an opening track, but I thought there were better combinations, and having it right at the end works really well – so they became the bookends, as you called them.
You also mentioned the feel of the tracks between those bookends… I guess I’m very much old school, because I still love an album over a single, or singles. I know we live in world of singles, or releasing tracks from a forthcoming album here, there and everywhere but because I grew up with albums, I will always be an albums man.
And when you listen to an album, the way that album flows from track to track is such an important thing – to the extent that it can make or break an individual song – you put a song into the wrong place and that song can stand out like a sore thumb; it makes no sense to the flow of the album.
That, for me, was really important, so I spent a lot of time before this album was mastered playing this tracks in different orders to see what worked, or what didn’t.
And it’s always the one that you never imagined until you try it in a particular place! For example I never thought about putting Red Velvet Suit first until I tried it and listened to the album all the way through again.
It really made sense, to me at least, to have it first.
RM: Another aspect of the album we need to mention are the harmonies, which you’ve all clearly worked on.
That gives you yet another layer, heard to fine effect on the choruses of the introspective Who I Am.
RM: The downtempo title track is another that benefits from great harmonies. Movin’ On doesn’t shift out of first gear but as I said in review of the album it doesn’t have to, such is the lovely America vibe and Andy and Greg’s simple but highly effective rhythmic pocket. Gorgeous song.
DP: Thank you, Ross. What’s crazy about Movin’ On is, as you hinted at, that for the most part it’s two-chord wonder; the most basic form of music arrangement.
Now, there was that temptation to say "OK, let’s make every chorus massive once we get there" but we really only did that on the final chorus, and that’s really just taking your first gear up to the one-and-a-half gear, because I kinda felt exactly the same way about the song as you do – it’s the kind of song that doesn’t need any bells, whistles or fanciness.
And that really speaks to the whole album for me – I wanted something that represented what I do live.
Most of the album is trio, with some basic organ on certain parts, but all that does is colour some sections up. It’s not a necessity for the songs, but it helps make the album versions a little more three dimensional.
And getting back to Movin’ On, that‘s how we do it live, too, as you know; we never smash it up to maximum volume at any point. And now that the set itself has settled, it really does deserve its spot in the set; it makes for a lovely moment because it has a different energy for us as players, and a completely different vibe for the audience.
It's almost like you’re getting to rest your ears for a little bit, and that allows you to get something else from the song.
RM: You mentioned Stevie Ray Vaughan earlier and the nod via Red Velvet Suit – I have to say though there is not so much a nod as a revered tip of the buckle trimmed gambler’s hat to Stevie Ray on the big Texas shuffle On My Way, right down to the near-homage solos. That has to be intentional…
DP: Oh, big time. That goes back to my whole mindset for this album, where – and be that to my detriment at the end of the day – right from the onset I was not going to make an album, or write songs, or arrange them in such a way, that had any particular thing in mind.
In other words there was no OK, I’m going to write a song that can get playlisted on this particular radio station, or I’m gonna write a song that will appeal to that particular audience.
Every other album I’ve done there was always a bit of that kind of mindset, or a producer saying "it’s important you do this, or you need to do that."
This time I simply wanted to do an album that I’m proud of. I get that Movin’ On is not going to be for everyone; it’s definitely a rawer album, and a little rough around the edges, because we virtually recorded it live from the room – but that’s what I’ve wanted to do for years!
RM: Which begs the obvious question of why not before this?
DP: I didn’t have the balls to do it before! [laughs].
It’s a risk, because all of a sudden you’re going from way more polished and produced albums to a much rawer product. But this time I wanted to make the kind of album that I would buy if I wasn’t the artist – I’d be thinking "yeah this is a great, live sounding album."
And that goes back to your question about On My Way – I wanted to include a bone breaking shuffle in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan because that’s the style I’m most comfortable playing in.
And, yes, it’s a tip of the hat to him, because he’s been such a massive figure and influence in my music and playing life. I think that influence comes flying through on On My Way.
Now, in the past, there would have been a producer saying "Oh, that’s too Stevie Ray Vaughan" but now it’s a case of you know what? Sod it, I’m going to play it live like that so I might as well record it like that.
Again, part of the album I wanted to make.
RM: To reverse that, if you did have an outside producer questioning that song, or your playing style, I’d have said "Yes, it's wholly intentional; thanks for noticing the influence and the nod."
Standing on the shoulders of giants, and all that.
DP: Yes, exactly!
DP: Thank you, Ross. What’s crazy about Movin’ On is, as you hinted at, that for the most part it’s two-chord wonder; the most basic form of music arrangement.
Now, there was that temptation to say "OK, let’s make every chorus massive once we get there" but we really only did that on the final chorus, and that’s really just taking your first gear up to the one-and-a-half gear, because I kinda felt exactly the same way about the song as you do – it’s the kind of song that doesn’t need any bells, whistles or fanciness.
And that really speaks to the whole album for me – I wanted something that represented what I do live.
Most of the album is trio, with some basic organ on certain parts, but all that does is colour some sections up. It’s not a necessity for the songs, but it helps make the album versions a little more three dimensional.
And getting back to Movin’ On, that‘s how we do it live, too, as you know; we never smash it up to maximum volume at any point. And now that the set itself has settled, it really does deserve its spot in the set; it makes for a lovely moment because it has a different energy for us as players, and a completely different vibe for the audience.
It's almost like you’re getting to rest your ears for a little bit, and that allows you to get something else from the song.
RM: You mentioned Stevie Ray Vaughan earlier and the nod via Red Velvet Suit – I have to say though there is not so much a nod as a revered tip of the buckle trimmed gambler’s hat to Stevie Ray on the big Texas shuffle On My Way, right down to the near-homage solos. That has to be intentional…
DP: Oh, big time. That goes back to my whole mindset for this album, where – and be that to my detriment at the end of the day – right from the onset I was not going to make an album, or write songs, or arrange them in such a way, that had any particular thing in mind.
In other words there was no OK, I’m going to write a song that can get playlisted on this particular radio station, or I’m gonna write a song that will appeal to that particular audience.
Every other album I’ve done there was always a bit of that kind of mindset, or a producer saying "it’s important you do this, or you need to do that."
This time I simply wanted to do an album that I’m proud of. I get that Movin’ On is not going to be for everyone; it’s definitely a rawer album, and a little rough around the edges, because we virtually recorded it live from the room – but that’s what I’ve wanted to do for years!
RM: Which begs the obvious question of why not before this?
DP: I didn’t have the balls to do it before! [laughs].
It’s a risk, because all of a sudden you’re going from way more polished and produced albums to a much rawer product. But this time I wanted to make the kind of album that I would buy if I wasn’t the artist – I’d be thinking "yeah this is a great, live sounding album."
And that goes back to your question about On My Way – I wanted to include a bone breaking shuffle in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan because that’s the style I’m most comfortable playing in.
And, yes, it’s a tip of the hat to him, because he’s been such a massive figure and influence in my music and playing life. I think that influence comes flying through on On My Way.
Now, in the past, there would have been a producer saying "Oh, that’s too Stevie Ray Vaughan" but now it’s a case of you know what? Sod it, I’m going to play it live like that so I might as well record it like that.
Again, part of the album I wanted to make.
RM: To reverse that, if you did have an outside producer questioning that song, or your playing style, I’d have said "Yes, it's wholly intentional; thanks for noticing the influence and the nod."
Standing on the shoulders of giants, and all that.
DP: Yes, exactly!
RM: I’d like to mention another song on the album because it goes back to a topic we have chatted about many times, one that plays to a real strength of yours – the slow blues, and in this case Baby’s Packin’ Heat.
I still believe you to be ridiculously underrated as a slow blues player and Baby‘s Packin’ Heat is a song that, for me, says "This is Dan Patlansky, this is what he can do; just hear him out."
DP: I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve put a slow blues of some description on every album, usually a super slow minor blues, but this time I wanted something in a mid to slow tempo, which is something I hadn’t really played or recorded for years.
Baby’s Packin’ Heat is in that tempo range, it’s my favourite tune on the album, and the song that reflects who I am at the deepest level; blues is my first love, and slow blues in particular.
That song was recorded live with, once again, no bells or whistles. There’s always that temptation to add this or that, or "should we take some of the room sound off of the guitar?" But, no, that’s exactly how I wanted it to sound.
The guys who were engineering the album were a little shocked when I said "That's the sound; that’s exactly what I want!" They would say "But it sounds so roomy, it sounds almost too raw" and I’d say "Yes, exactly, that’s what a blues album should be." It shouldn’t be this polished and perfect thing, you know?
So, yeah, I was really chuffed with the way that song came out.
RM: That’s also a great point about the true essence of the blues, it its rawest, most honest state – it’s not, nor should be, a polished and perfect product because it’s not a product.
I want to hear some of that room sound in the recording; live, I want to hear the guitar bouncing back off the walls in a packed out, club sized venue. That, for me, is the blues.
DP: And that’s me, too. I thrive on the tone and sound I‘m hearing on stage and in the room, which you don’t often hear in giant-sized theatres. But when you can hear the guitar, and your voice, and the drums, all bouncing off the back wall and hitting the stage a second later? There’s something very special about that.
That’s part of the reason I booked either the same venues, or similar sized venues, as last year, for this upcoming UK tour. I just love playing those rooms, I really do.
RM: To go back to the album, providing contrast to the likes of the title track and Baby’s Packin’ Heat, are the mid-tempo muscle and bite of One With Fire and, another of my favourites, the blues funky, and lyrically cheeky, Free Wheelin'.
DP: Since we started touring again, and settled on the new set, we've put Free Wheelin’ in as the encore song.
I get so much joy out of playing that song live because it’s just super simple.
We talked about two chord wonders earlier but that one, more or less, is a one chord wonder! [laughs].
I took a lot of inspiration from Tom Petty on that one; it kinda follows a basic blues structure with a very straight drum groove that just does not deviate through the whole song.
But, I also have to tell you, it was almost an afterthought!
It was actually the last song written for the album – I had some other ideas in mind but as I sat in my studio one day that riff just came out, then the melody came out.
I thought "Hey, that’s pretty basic... is it too basic? [laughs]. But it works so well, and I really do love playing it live.
RM: Another song I want to mention is Welcome In.
That’s a really nice song with a discernible Nashville vibe.
DP: That country Nashville sound is part of the genres I love listening to – not everything country is to my tastes, but there are certain elements, like that Nashville sound, that I really enjoy.
Movin’ On and Welcome In are the two kind of Americana-Nashville tunes on the album; they were also the first two songs written for the album.
The basic ideas, or skeletons of those songs, go back to 2022, but once I got together with Andy and Greg we finished them off.
Those two songs inspired that rootsy, unforgiving path of the album where I thought "I’m going to put songs on this album that I like, that speak to me, and are going to be recorded the way we play them live."
RM: Which works to the album’s benefit, as does the sound and production, which has that live vibe but with plenty of warmth. Andy co-produced?
DP: Yes, he co-produced the album with me. In fact it’s very much a shared experience throughout.
I made it very clear from the start what sort of album I wanted to make, from the songs and performances to the sound and the mix, but Andy and Greg really got, and shared, that vison.
That’s why it was possible to do this album – I didn’t have a producer or a mixing engineer saying "No, no, my vision for that song is this, or you should change that." That can end up changing the whole thing!
RM: That’s a salient point because how many artists do we know that felt they had a potentially great album in the making, only for a third party to then get involved; suddenly everything from album direction to the song arrangements change.
DP: Exactly. Suddenly your whole vision for the album has gone. Sometimes I find that if a song isn’t mixed in a particular way, or the guitars aren’t recorded in a certain way, then the song doesn’t translate in a certain way either. It all sounds a little bit off, because part of the vision you have for a song is in how its recorded and how its performed; it’s not just the song, it’s the full package.
That’s why I was so chuffed with this album, because we managed to maintain that vision through every process, from the songwriting and the direction of where we wanted the songs to go, to how we recorded it, how we performed it and how it was mixed.
RM: A classic case of when all the pieces fit. Indeed it’s when all the pieces fit, and you are true to yourself as an artist and your vision, that you produce your best, and most honest, work.
Now that doesn’t exactly guarantee platinum sales of course, but I’d venture that in this case that didn't matter, nor was even a consideration.
DP: Exactly, Ross; that was pretty much my whole mindset for this album. I just wanted to make an album that I could be proud of and, if I died tomorrow, be happy that that was the sound, and the songs, that I left behind.
Like I said earlier I knew the risks – if it only sold one copy, and all the reviews said this is the worst album ever recorded, then so be it! [laughs]
Now obviously you’re hoping that isn’t the case, but that’s not the main focus, nor making those platinum sales or getting on the radio, or whatever.
RM: Amen to that, Brother Dan [laughter].
Another aspect of the album I want to touch on is the lyrical maturity, as mentioned at the top of this conversation. Lyrically, many of the songs are relatable to the everyman and everywoman – to return to the title track, I love that the opening stanza includes the line "I reach for the bottle" but at the end of the song it’s "put down the bottle, watch the sunrise."
It can be as personal or as metaphorical as each listener wishes, but it’s very much a life statement, keep moving on and look to the sunrises, not the sunsets…
DP: That whole thing really goes back to when I was a kid, and if I wanted to start playing a sport like, say, football, my parents would say "Yeah, OK, do that."
But then I’d want to play cricket, or maybe learn karate, because as most kids will do they start something, then after about a month or two get tired of it [laughs].
And I see it in my own kids, too, they’ll stick to something for about a month then its "Ugh, I can’t hack it anymore!" [laughter].
But my wife and I are firm believers in reinforcing that if you start something you must finish it – you might not become a black belt in karate, but at least do it for the year. Or if you are really into a particular sport, them do it for a year; that way you don’t give up on anything when you get older, in life; you develop that staying power.
And the title came from something my dad used to tell me any time I wanted to quit whatever I was doing at the time – "just keep moving on." Or if I was having a tough time at school, whether that was being bullied or getting into a fight? It’s not the end of the world; keep moving on.
Now, all these years later, that phrase is something I think about every day of my life, even during the smallest and most mundane of things – "Oh I can’t even be bothered making myself slice of toast, so I guess I just won’t eat" [laughs]. Even with something as stupid as that I hear myself saying "OK, no big deal; just keep moving on."
RM: Great life lesson. The past is the past; can’t change it; move on.
DP: And that’s exactly what that song is about.
I still believe you to be ridiculously underrated as a slow blues player and Baby‘s Packin’ Heat is a song that, for me, says "This is Dan Patlansky, this is what he can do; just hear him out."
DP: I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve put a slow blues of some description on every album, usually a super slow minor blues, but this time I wanted something in a mid to slow tempo, which is something I hadn’t really played or recorded for years.
Baby’s Packin’ Heat is in that tempo range, it’s my favourite tune on the album, and the song that reflects who I am at the deepest level; blues is my first love, and slow blues in particular.
That song was recorded live with, once again, no bells or whistles. There’s always that temptation to add this or that, or "should we take some of the room sound off of the guitar?" But, no, that’s exactly how I wanted it to sound.
The guys who were engineering the album were a little shocked when I said "That's the sound; that’s exactly what I want!" They would say "But it sounds so roomy, it sounds almost too raw" and I’d say "Yes, exactly, that’s what a blues album should be." It shouldn’t be this polished and perfect thing, you know?
So, yeah, I was really chuffed with the way that song came out.
RM: That’s also a great point about the true essence of the blues, it its rawest, most honest state – it’s not, nor should be, a polished and perfect product because it’s not a product.
I want to hear some of that room sound in the recording; live, I want to hear the guitar bouncing back off the walls in a packed out, club sized venue. That, for me, is the blues.
DP: And that’s me, too. I thrive on the tone and sound I‘m hearing on stage and in the room, which you don’t often hear in giant-sized theatres. But when you can hear the guitar, and your voice, and the drums, all bouncing off the back wall and hitting the stage a second later? There’s something very special about that.
That’s part of the reason I booked either the same venues, or similar sized venues, as last year, for this upcoming UK tour. I just love playing those rooms, I really do.
RM: To go back to the album, providing contrast to the likes of the title track and Baby’s Packin’ Heat, are the mid-tempo muscle and bite of One With Fire and, another of my favourites, the blues funky, and lyrically cheeky, Free Wheelin'.
DP: Since we started touring again, and settled on the new set, we've put Free Wheelin’ in as the encore song.
I get so much joy out of playing that song live because it’s just super simple.
We talked about two chord wonders earlier but that one, more or less, is a one chord wonder! [laughs].
I took a lot of inspiration from Tom Petty on that one; it kinda follows a basic blues structure with a very straight drum groove that just does not deviate through the whole song.
But, I also have to tell you, it was almost an afterthought!
It was actually the last song written for the album – I had some other ideas in mind but as I sat in my studio one day that riff just came out, then the melody came out.
I thought "Hey, that’s pretty basic... is it too basic? [laughs]. But it works so well, and I really do love playing it live.
RM: Another song I want to mention is Welcome In.
That’s a really nice song with a discernible Nashville vibe.
DP: That country Nashville sound is part of the genres I love listening to – not everything country is to my tastes, but there are certain elements, like that Nashville sound, that I really enjoy.
Movin’ On and Welcome In are the two kind of Americana-Nashville tunes on the album; they were also the first two songs written for the album.
The basic ideas, or skeletons of those songs, go back to 2022, but once I got together with Andy and Greg we finished them off.
Those two songs inspired that rootsy, unforgiving path of the album where I thought "I’m going to put songs on this album that I like, that speak to me, and are going to be recorded the way we play them live."
RM: Which works to the album’s benefit, as does the sound and production, which has that live vibe but with plenty of warmth. Andy co-produced?
DP: Yes, he co-produced the album with me. In fact it’s very much a shared experience throughout.
I made it very clear from the start what sort of album I wanted to make, from the songs and performances to the sound and the mix, but Andy and Greg really got, and shared, that vison.
That’s why it was possible to do this album – I didn’t have a producer or a mixing engineer saying "No, no, my vision for that song is this, or you should change that." That can end up changing the whole thing!
RM: That’s a salient point because how many artists do we know that felt they had a potentially great album in the making, only for a third party to then get involved; suddenly everything from album direction to the song arrangements change.
DP: Exactly. Suddenly your whole vision for the album has gone. Sometimes I find that if a song isn’t mixed in a particular way, or the guitars aren’t recorded in a certain way, then the song doesn’t translate in a certain way either. It all sounds a little bit off, because part of the vision you have for a song is in how its recorded and how its performed; it’s not just the song, it’s the full package.
That’s why I was so chuffed with this album, because we managed to maintain that vision through every process, from the songwriting and the direction of where we wanted the songs to go, to how we recorded it, how we performed it and how it was mixed.
RM: A classic case of when all the pieces fit. Indeed it’s when all the pieces fit, and you are true to yourself as an artist and your vision, that you produce your best, and most honest, work.
Now that doesn’t exactly guarantee platinum sales of course, but I’d venture that in this case that didn't matter, nor was even a consideration.
DP: Exactly, Ross; that was pretty much my whole mindset for this album. I just wanted to make an album that I could be proud of and, if I died tomorrow, be happy that that was the sound, and the songs, that I left behind.
Like I said earlier I knew the risks – if it only sold one copy, and all the reviews said this is the worst album ever recorded, then so be it! [laughs]
Now obviously you’re hoping that isn’t the case, but that’s not the main focus, nor making those platinum sales or getting on the radio, or whatever.
RM: Amen to that, Brother Dan [laughter].
Another aspect of the album I want to touch on is the lyrical maturity, as mentioned at the top of this conversation. Lyrically, many of the songs are relatable to the everyman and everywoman – to return to the title track, I love that the opening stanza includes the line "I reach for the bottle" but at the end of the song it’s "put down the bottle, watch the sunrise."
It can be as personal or as metaphorical as each listener wishes, but it’s very much a life statement, keep moving on and look to the sunrises, not the sunsets…
DP: That whole thing really goes back to when I was a kid, and if I wanted to start playing a sport like, say, football, my parents would say "Yeah, OK, do that."
But then I’d want to play cricket, or maybe learn karate, because as most kids will do they start something, then after about a month or two get tired of it [laughs].
And I see it in my own kids, too, they’ll stick to something for about a month then its "Ugh, I can’t hack it anymore!" [laughter].
But my wife and I are firm believers in reinforcing that if you start something you must finish it – you might not become a black belt in karate, but at least do it for the year. Or if you are really into a particular sport, them do it for a year; that way you don’t give up on anything when you get older, in life; you develop that staying power.
And the title came from something my dad used to tell me any time I wanted to quit whatever I was doing at the time – "just keep moving on." Or if I was having a tough time at school, whether that was being bullied or getting into a fight? It’s not the end of the world; keep moving on.
Now, all these years later, that phrase is something I think about every day of my life, even during the smallest and most mundane of things – "Oh I can’t even be bothered making myself slice of toast, so I guess I just won’t eat" [laughs]. Even with something as stupid as that I hear myself saying "OK, no big deal; just keep moving on."
RM: Great life lesson. The past is the past; can’t change it; move on.
DP: And that’s exactly what that song is about.
RM: We also mentioned the sound of the album, a big part of which is that Patlansky Strat tone.
I presume your weapon of choice is still the powder blue Strat we saw you play last year?
I recall you telling me back then it has genuinely given you that symbiotic musician-to-instrument relationship you had always sought.
DP: It is, yes, and it really has!
In fact, it’s just so good that I played the entire album on that one guitar, along with the amp and the pedals I use live.
I wanted this album to be as close as it could be to us playing live, so that’s how we set it up; we didn’t add anything else. We could have, but we thought no, we’re good!
RM: A minimalist approach that’s paid dividends. Given how happy you are with this album however, and while acknowledging you are a long way away from even thinking about the next album, the million dollar question is where do you go next? Can you even think that far ahead?
DP: It’s tough to think that far ahead, especially with the place I’m in right now with this album.
But then it’s always the same – you write, you record, you wait months for the album to be released, and by the time it comes out you have heard the album for what seems like a thousand times [laughs].
But, once it’s released, all that mental focus moves to being just about the live performances; it’s all about playing the songs to the best of our abilities and getting that consistency; fixing any minor issues that come up or any niggles that might appear in the set, and ironing them out.
So, because I’m in that mindset the last thing on my mind is songwriting; it’s so hard to think about where we will be in in a year or two.
Now, we will probably start writing another album in about a year’s time, but even that depends on what is influencing you at that time – what is shaking your cage musically, and will those influences move me in this direction, or that direction, you know?
So I can’t honestly answer that question but, what I can say, in all honesty is this…
As soon as I release an album I then can’t listen to that record, because I feel like I’m listening to it with the most judgemental ears known to beast or man [laughs]; parts of it sound so terrible that the previous album sounds OK to me all of a sudden! [laughter]
But I haven’t had that problem with this album. I can still listen to this record, albeit in small doses, because as I said earlier it feels like you’ve heard it about a thousand times already.
I’m really, really proud of Movin’ On, the rawness, the liveness, and the honesty of it.
RM: That’s a great summation. The dovetailing analogy I would use is, if someone came up to you at the merch desk or wherever, I can almost hear you saying "Hi, I’m Dan Patlansky and this is my musical brother, Movin’ On." That album is very much an extension of you, as an artist.
DP: I’m so glad you said that Ross because that was the entire point of making this record; as mentioned earlier it’s the one I’ve always wanted to make.
And, when I’m at the merch desk doing meet and greets or signings, the fact that someone will be buying this particular album, then listening to it? That, for me, is very special.
RM: Great way to sign-off. Dan, thanks for sitting in with FabricationsHQ once again; always a pleasure. Here's to a successful album and tour.
DP: Thank you for all your support, Ross, I always enjoy our conversations and interviews; these are pretty special too!
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation |With Dan Patlansky
March 2024
Photo Credit (all images): Blyde Smit
I presume your weapon of choice is still the powder blue Strat we saw you play last year?
I recall you telling me back then it has genuinely given you that symbiotic musician-to-instrument relationship you had always sought.
DP: It is, yes, and it really has!
In fact, it’s just so good that I played the entire album on that one guitar, along with the amp and the pedals I use live.
I wanted this album to be as close as it could be to us playing live, so that’s how we set it up; we didn’t add anything else. We could have, but we thought no, we’re good!
RM: A minimalist approach that’s paid dividends. Given how happy you are with this album however, and while acknowledging you are a long way away from even thinking about the next album, the million dollar question is where do you go next? Can you even think that far ahead?
DP: It’s tough to think that far ahead, especially with the place I’m in right now with this album.
But then it’s always the same – you write, you record, you wait months for the album to be released, and by the time it comes out you have heard the album for what seems like a thousand times [laughs].
But, once it’s released, all that mental focus moves to being just about the live performances; it’s all about playing the songs to the best of our abilities and getting that consistency; fixing any minor issues that come up or any niggles that might appear in the set, and ironing them out.
So, because I’m in that mindset the last thing on my mind is songwriting; it’s so hard to think about where we will be in in a year or two.
Now, we will probably start writing another album in about a year’s time, but even that depends on what is influencing you at that time – what is shaking your cage musically, and will those influences move me in this direction, or that direction, you know?
So I can’t honestly answer that question but, what I can say, in all honesty is this…
As soon as I release an album I then can’t listen to that record, because I feel like I’m listening to it with the most judgemental ears known to beast or man [laughs]; parts of it sound so terrible that the previous album sounds OK to me all of a sudden! [laughter]
But I haven’t had that problem with this album. I can still listen to this record, albeit in small doses, because as I said earlier it feels like you’ve heard it about a thousand times already.
I’m really, really proud of Movin’ On, the rawness, the liveness, and the honesty of it.
RM: That’s a great summation. The dovetailing analogy I would use is, if someone came up to you at the merch desk or wherever, I can almost hear you saying "Hi, I’m Dan Patlansky and this is my musical brother, Movin’ On." That album is very much an extension of you, as an artist.
DP: I’m so glad you said that Ross because that was the entire point of making this record; as mentioned earlier it’s the one I’ve always wanted to make.
And, when I’m at the merch desk doing meet and greets or signings, the fact that someone will be buying this particular album, then listening to it? That, for me, is very special.
RM: Great way to sign-off. Dan, thanks for sitting in with FabricationsHQ once again; always a pleasure. Here's to a successful album and tour.
DP: Thank you for all your support, Ross, I always enjoy our conversations and interviews; these are pretty special too!
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation |With Dan Patlansky
March 2024
Photo Credit (all images): Blyde Smit
Dan Patlansky - UK Headline Tour April 2024
(Tickets on sale now at links below and www.danpatlansky.com )
Friday 5th April - The Deaf Institute, Manchester
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3MYuIb7
Saturday 6th April - The Cluny, Newcastle
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3Rb8XHD
Sunday 7th April - Oran Mór, Glasgow
Bookings: https://bit.ly/47wRGyw
Wednesday 10th April - The Globe, Cardiff
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3uxohFO
Thursday 11th April - The Robin, Wolverhampton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3Gde7N2
Friday 12th April - The Arch, Brighton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3sNZKeV
Saturday 13th April - Nells, London
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3SURF2L
Tuesday 16th April - The 1865, Southampton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3QUIa0X
(Tickets on sale now at links below and www.danpatlansky.com )
Friday 5th April - The Deaf Institute, Manchester
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3MYuIb7
Saturday 6th April - The Cluny, Newcastle
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3Rb8XHD
Sunday 7th April - Oran Mór, Glasgow
Bookings: https://bit.ly/47wRGyw
Wednesday 10th April - The Globe, Cardiff
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3uxohFO
Thursday 11th April - The Robin, Wolverhampton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3Gde7N2
Friday 12th April - The Arch, Brighton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3sNZKeV
Saturday 13th April - Nells, London
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3SURF2L
Tuesday 16th April - The 1865, Southampton
Bookings: https://bit.ly/3QUIa0X