By: Staff
The Downtown Patriots are back with a brand new banger, "All My Life"!
This track is straight-up fire, with powerful guitars and a bass-heavy beat that'll shake the walls of your favorite dive bar. The lead singer's raspy vocals cut through the mix, belting out lyrics about lost love and new beginnings that'll hit you right in the feels. The chorus is catchy as hell, with a hook that'll be stuck in your head for days. You can already imagine the crowd at their next gig, fists in the air, screaming along to every word. The Patriots have really upped their game with this one, showing off some killer guitar solos and tight drum fills that prove Downtown Patriots isn’t messing around. It's the kind of track that makes you wanna grab a cold one, crank up the volume, and forget about your troubles for a while.
Danny Watts, the mastermind behind the Patriots, really brings the heat on this one. His gritty vocals and the surprising chorus hook are sure to get stuck in your head. The lyrics are all about a love story, but there's never any doubt about the feelings - it's just not clear if they're reciprocated. Classic rock and roll drama right! The guitar riffs in this track are killer too, adding that extra punch to the already intense emotions. You can practically feel the angst oozing through your speakers. What we really enjoyed is how Watts manages to blend that raw, garage band energy with some polished production. He's taken the best of both worlds and mashed them together into this earworm of a tune. The drum work is tight, keeping the rhythm pulsing throughout, and there's of course that sweet guitar solo that'll make you air guitar like nobody's watching.
Originally hailing from Colchester in the UK, Danny's got a knack for blending grunge, indie, and 80s influences into a sound that's all his own. Before going solo, he was a sound engineer working in studios all around London. Now, he's running his own writing and production spot down in Southwark, and he's really hitting his stride as a one-man band.
If you're a fan of gritty guitar riffs, powerful vocals, and lyrics that make you think, you're gonna love what the Downtown Patriots are bringing to the table with "All My Life." Get ready to crank it up and get lost in the groove.
Powerful Quote from this artist:
"I love all forms of music, so I write what I want to listen to and this comes out in the form of various types of rock or folk/alt country or even neo-classical. But I certainly get a real kick from plugging in an electric guitar into an amp and cranking it up via a good distortion pedal." "All My LIfe"
Wait, there's more!
We caught up with this exciting and emerging artist, for:
“The Cage” Music Blog, to talk about music and learn more about them.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
We see your first When did you start making music?
The first song I think I ever wrote was when I was maybe 11. It was a typical 12 bar blues and I wrote it on a summer camp with a friend, we then performed it to everyone on our last night. I think that was the first time I ever sang one of my songs in front of other people too!
Can you tell the fans something they might not know about you and why you create music?
I write to put my thoughts in order, that I can re-order the chaos of the world in my own way. It is a release for pent up emotions. What most people don’t realise, is that everything on this song was performed by me. The term One-Man-Band has never been truer!
We heard this is your first release in 2024. When will we be hearing more from you and can you sneak peek any details about what it will be like?
The next single will be very different to what people have come to expect from Downtown Patriots. A beautiful piano and orchestration ballad, featuring the haunting female vocals from the talented – Mace. “No One Needs To Know” will released to coincide with World Mental Health Day in October.
We checked out your Instagram and it was pretty cool. We thought the quote: “Recording drunk is never wise, But recording “Drunk” is a great deal of fun!” was so well put. How would you describe the intention and message of your overall Instagram page?
I don’t particularly like social media in general, but for fledgling artists it is, in my view, a necessary evil. I post when I have something to say or promote, but am generally a private person.
Is there anything about social media you wish you could change?
That it never existed! It causes a lot of issues for people. There is so much misinformation on social media, it is worrying how people seem to believe everything they see or read on it.
On the flip side, it does have its use to reach many people, which does have its obvious uses for artists.
What emotion do you feel inspires your writing process the most, ie sadness, worry, happiness etc.?
More often than not, I write about topics that anger or concern me, politics, religion, the state of the world, bigotry, ignorance etc. Although All My Life was written from a happy place.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process and where the inspiration comes from for this latest project?
All My Life was actually inspired by early Ed Sheeran material, it was conceived to be a
simple 3 verse acoustic song. More often than not, I will come up with a guitar riff or chord progression and then find lyrics to fit the vibe or the mood of that sequence.
Where do you create your music, i.e. in a home recording studio or with a producer? How do you finalize your finished work, ie self-mixed/mastered or another source?
I record in my home studio, but I outsource the mix and master process. I’ve learnt to know your strengths and mixing is an art in its own right. This track was mixed by Robert Sellen at the amazing Decoy Sound Studio in Suffolk, UK and we’ve been working together since 2022. Rob has an amazing roster of clients to his credit. This track and my last album Dance Out Of The Dark, were mastered by Frank Arkwright at the world famous Abbey Road studios.
Is any part of your music's message or your personal purpose you feel fans should know more about? If so, what is that element, and why is it so important to you?
It’s just a song about loving someone.
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date, etc?
Promotion. I’m not great at self-promotion and being a one-man band has its drawbacks!
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
To be more open and honest and to give new artist more chances. The industry thrives on the biggest stars to make its money which gives them (artists and labels) so much more power to dominate.
Tell us about the last time you performed. Where was the show, and what was your experience like?
I haven’t performed since 2019 before the pandemic hit, I was supporting Even Nine (Now known as Damn The Wolves) and was an acoustic show.
Have you ever been on tour and can you tell us a little about the experience?
I’ve never toured.
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? Can you tell us why this happened and how you found the strength to continue?
I used to run a production and writing studio in London in the early noughties. I wrote a couple of tracks, one for a prominent boy band and the other for sports company that were a major sponsor for the 2002 FIFA world cup. There was lots of politics at play with the record label BMG, and suffice to say, I didn’t get the big job out of it. I lost interest and became very disillusioned by the industry at that point and quit music for about 3 or 4 years.
I got back in after the birth of my daughter which inspired me to write again.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Speak up, work harder, work smarter and don’t take anything for granted. And invest in Apple!
What is your favorite song to cover?
My most played cover is probably “To Be Young” by Ryan Adams, but after the controversy he had, I fell out of favour playing it. But I love to do unusual covers and in the past have done acoustic versions of Billie Eilish, Nine Inch Nails, Beach Boys, Pearl Jam and Erasure (amongst others)
What is your favorite quote?
I have 2, which I use on my emails “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts” and “The secret to a stress-free life is to let go of all expectations”
If you could go on any late-night talk show, which would it be? And based on present life, what would be the topic of discussion?
Back in the day I would have loved to go on Dave Letterman, but these days, probably the Graham Norton Show in the UK. He’s witty and always makes the guests feel at ease.
When you reach the stage where you have the admiration and respect of other world-known artists, what band or artist would you love to call and say, “Let’s go on tour together”?
Probably Pearl Jam or Bruce Springsteen, as their shows are legendary, but would equally love to tour or play with smaller acts such as Marianne Sveen or Bones UK.
We have experienced that many people perform acts of selflessness each day. Once your artistry has reached far and wide, how will you use that more powerful voice to have a bigger positive impact on our world?
I would use my voice as a call for people to be kind to one another, show more respect to our fellow man, and do what’s right by people not by religious ideologies. I’d also ask people to ensure they vote to fight to keep democracy alive.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan, or anyone, has told or shown you about your music?
Anyone who likes my music and tells me warms my heart. I often have imposter syndrome, so knowing that a song has touched someone in anyway is amazing. Specifically though, someone told my daughter that my last festive song “Christmas Is Here” ‘made his Christmas’ – that was really warming to hear!
End Interview
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Downtown Patriots on Spotify & YouTube.
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