Okay so I’m going to make an attempt to satisfy everyone tuning in for this. If you are new to the history of Danny Kroha this will be a great starting point with plenty of videos and links to keep you busy for a few years. For all of us who admire the shit out of Danny , I’ve included some videos and tracks that took me awhile to find. First and foremost this post is about how truly amazing the new album “Bug Out” is. Every track is tight and guaranteed to rock you . I’ve been playing the entire LP non-stop for the last three weeks , it such a classic rock album that you can only place it up in the skies with greats like The Sonics, Billy Childish, The Dirtbombs and yes The Gories. Danny & The Darleans are a band that will be placed alongside all of the legendary Detroit Rockers , I’m telling you now that if you don’t listen to them you are missing out on something that rates high with everything we love .
50thirdand3rd Meet Up With Danny Kroha
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you can you give us a little of your back history?
I’ve been in bands around Detroit since 1984. I started as a lead singer in a mod band called The Onset. Then I founded The Gories with Mick and Peg at the beginning of 1986. The Gories broke up in 1992. I then started a band called Rocket 455 with my friend Jeff Meier. I was only in that band from ’91-’93. That same year Margaret Doll Rod and I started the Demolition Doll Rods. That band lasted until 2006. I then started a band called The Readies who put out one single in 2008 (I think). Then I started Danny and the Darleans in 2009 and also that was the year that The Gories re-united.
Who would you list as your musical influence?
In high school when I first started getting into rock ‘n’ roll and listening to the radio, I really got into the Animals, the Yardbirds, the Kinks, and The Who. I remember the first time I heard “For Your Love” on the radio, I was knocked out by it. I loved the “Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds” LP and I was looking at the label because I wanted to know who wrote all those great songs and on the label it said, E. McDaniel, M. Morganfield, and C. Burnett, so I thought, “Wow, none of those guys are in the Yardbirds. I need to find out who those guys are!” I found out that those guys were Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf! So that set me on the path of finding all that great Chess blues and rock and roll of the ’50s. All that stuff continues to be an influence. Sun label blues and rockabilly, Fortune label blues, soul, gospel, hillbilly. Velvet Underground, Stooges, New York Dolls. Generally Detroit soul and r&b 45s of the 50s and 60s.
What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you since you started up?
The coolest things that have happened to me since I started in music is meeting my heroes and doing shows with them. The Demolition Doll Rods opening for Iggy on a west cost jaunt, the Doll Rods opening for Guitar Wolf and The Cramps on a US tour. Doing shows in Detroit with Niagara and Ron Asheton in Dark Carnival. Touring with the Blues Explosion in the ’90s. The Doll Rods opening for The Cramps on their Halloween show at the Fillmore in San Fran. Meeting ? and the Mysterians and Mitch Ryder. Recording and touring with Andre Williams. Meeting Alan Vega. Meeting and playing with Sylvain Sylvain. Playing guitar with Rodriguez on a few shows in the midwest. Stuff like that!
What are your hopes and dreams as a musician for the next few years?
In the next few years I would like to put out another solo LP of traditional songs and tour on that. I hope to write some songs in that vein too. Write more songs for the Darleans and maybe record another LP and tour on that. Do more Gories shows, maybe tour Japan and Australia/New Zealand. Work with more people I admire.
What are some of your favorite albums from the past few years?
I love everything that Mississippi records puts out. That’s my favorite label of the last few years.
Do you see any real use for social media, or is it all just a pain in the ass to keep with?
I think social media helps with promotion, but keeping up with it is really time consuming, and to be effective you have to put time into it and post regularly.
Do you pay attention to reviews or comments from people about your music or do you just turn that noise off?
I do sometimes look at reviews, because I love it when someone really gets it. It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes someone writes a great review that is right on, so I like to look for those gems.
? If you could tour anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
I’d like to go to Greece. I’ve never been to Japan, Australia, or New Zealand. I’d like to do those. Turkey, Mexico, Brazil again.
Can music save the mortal soul or is just a good backbeat to your life?
Music can soothe the soul. I don’t know about save it. It sure can help you get through some hard times. It can help you to turn towards the path that will save your soul, but it can also lead you down a path that can damage your soul. Music is always a good backbeat to life.
Any last thoughts for your fans?
Rock on.
Danny & The Darleans – Facebook
