Hiya Tony B. of the band Dank Ferret, thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today. Grab a brew and take a seat.
What was life like for you before you got into music?
Like many artists, my early years were not the sunshine and rainbows one hoped for. But from that crucible came an unrivaled imagination. I’ve always been a very creative person. Before music I expressed my creativity through writing, crafting, podcasting, and film. But I can confidently say, for me, there is no other medium quite so suited to emotional expression as making music.
It seems like being a social media curator has become added to the many jobs of a musician, how do you feel about this?
<Laughs> I’m not a fan of this aspect of the job to be honest. Part of this is because I suck at consistently keeping up with social media in general. The other part is simply the time it takes to be good at it. Everyone in the band has families, full-time jobs, and lives outside of the music sphere. As the catch-all for the band it often falls to me to handle the social media. Which is difficult because of the sheer number of businesses and creative endeavors I am involved in.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
I feel the rapid evolution and adoption of A.I. is leading the music industry into a potential identity crisis between traditional artists and those who can adeptly utilize these new technologies. This shift in the definition of an artist follows another huge shift in the music industry, the migration from the traditional sales model to a model focused on streaming services and social media. As with most things I sit firmly in the middle of the debates seeing both merit and cause for concern on each side.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
Today’s world is a complicated, and often confusing place, where every day we are bombarded by messaging telling us how to think, what to feel, and what to worry ourselves about. I feel music shouldn’t be that way and that is part of the reason we are an instrumental band. We want the listeners of our music to experience the raw emotion of the instruments and how they dance together to create a tapestry of sonic expression.
We are not against lyrics in our music, but until we have something worth saying we prefer to let our instrument speak for us. That is a circuitous way to say that I believe we sit within a rather pointed niche in the music industry that we hope to help expand and grow.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
Slow down and appreciate the spaces. My mind never stops racing, which was a challenge in the early days of my musical journey. However, thanks to fellow bandmates I’ve learned to slow down and let the music create its own shape.
Tell us something about yourself and each member that you think people would be surprised about.
Lance is a friendly unassuming professor of academia, but most people are shocked when they learn that he’s a trained martial artist and professional trail running photographer.
Larry is the only ambidextrous member of the band, capable of playing instruments left or right-handed.
Louis is a business owner who regularly volunteers his time to run Dungeon & Dragons games for children in our area.
Vincent’s musical talents were shaped by his experiences in marching band and his love of jazz improvisation.
Tony B. is in the process of writing a series of fantasy novels he envisioned when he was 12 years old.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
“Democrazy” is our debut album. The genre would be considered instrumental rock. It is comprised solely of songs that were only played the day they were created. Each track is a completely spontaneous representation of the moments in time in which they were created.
What was the recording process like?
That’s sort of a tricky question to answer because “Democrazy” is compiled from songs which were composed over a span of about 18 months. When we first started as a band everything we played was recorded on my iPhone which we kept on a table in the center of my bedroom. This taught us to never talk while we played, lest we ruin a recording. Once the studio was built, I spent many hours teaching myself audio engineering, sound mixing, and music production. As a result, every single practice of Dank Ferret is now digitally recorded and cataloged in its entirety. I spend the following day reviewing and mastering any tracks worth keeping to share with the band. Every song on the album came from that process.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
The nature of Dank Ferret means we do not “write” new tunes in the traditional sense. For the most part our music comes about spontaneously once someone starts playing on their instrument. We have a chemistry together that has rendered words useless in our creative process. I would say the single largest obstacle we face is our own fear of falling into a familiar pattern and sounding the same in everything we play. I believe that is why most of the band are multi-instrumentalists.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
I would not change a thing. Much of what makes “Democrazy” such a special debut album is that each of the songs were only ever played the day they were created. Honestly, I question if I could even recreate some of the things I did on the album. Especially my drums on the track ‘High Emotion’ because they were a natural response to the lead guitar line.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Dank Ferret is just getting started in the music world so watch out. In the past we’ve successfully collaborated with artists, such Sovereignty in Solitude, and we would love to collaborate with other like-minded artists in the future. Be sure find us on Facebook at #DankFerret and Instagram @Dank_Ferret_The_Band. “Democrazy” is available everywhere music is streaming so be sure to check it out.
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