After multiple releases under his own name Danny Blu, Danny has stepped out with a new band, Echo Black. Read more below.
AW: The creation of Echo Black is fairly recent, having only been officially founded in 2015. However, prior to Echo, you released some fantastic material under your own name, Danny Blu. Could you tell me how Echo Black came to be, and how this new band differs from your prior solo work?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: Echo Black seemed the only possible evolution from the Danny Blu era. We were performing under my name for a long time and as we grew closer as a band and as a project, we began to write together, make decisions together, etc. we knew it was no longer appropriate to keep it sounding like a “solo act.” So we brainstormed and came up with something that reflected our process a little more fully. We’re different now because we’re approaching the music differently. A lot of the Danny Blu music was written by a producer and me. These new tracks are a full band effort and the music is much more layered.
AW: Echo Black is described as a pop rock band that draws on ‘the differing influences of each unique member’. Given the diverse sound your band possesses, could you state some of those influences?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: Personally, I draw from a lot of 90s and early 2000s shock rock and industrial music. As well as current pop. I know Billy is influenced by everything from Dave Matthews to Meatloaf to Frank Sinatra. Rob is as eclectic as it gets, but has roots in the New Brunswick punk basement scene. Felix draws a lot from Jrock, 80s hair metal, and sleaze rock.
AW: You guys began the year hard at work in the studio on new material. Your latest single ‘Perfect’, just came out and features Telle Smith from The Word Alive. Could you tell us a little more about that song, and how the collaborative process came about?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: Perfect was actually vocally written about 5 years back. I was working on demo vocal lines and had it sitting in my computer since then. When we were looking to record new Echo Black material, we all brought up demos we had lying around to see if anything stuck and “Perfect” was just the right fit. So we broke it down and built it again as an EB song. The Telle collaboration was a dream. He’s a complete professional, and really captured the feeling of the song. We contacted him, sent him the track and he agreed to be a part of the project. He’s also in the video.
AW: Previously Echo Black collaborated with Davey Suicide on Burn Another Day. So far that track has obtained close to a quarter of a million views on YouTube. How do you feel seeing the track grow so large in only a few months?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: It’s surreal. I’m not new to this business. And in the past 5 years all of my other videos put together don’t even equal a quarter of a million views. It’s so humbling to see our art be so accepted and supported and understood. We couldn’t be prouder of the journey we’re bringing the fans on.
“It’s so humbling to see our art be so accepted and supported and understood. We couldn’t be prouder of the journey we’re bringing the fans on.”
AW: The video for that track is extremely dark. How did the concept come about for the video? Could you tell me a bit about it’s meaning and backstory?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: We worked with a director named Nathan Crooker on that video. He’s a horror guy and I knew it would be a great process from our first meeting. He’s become such a good friend. We talked about the track and how we wanted to expand upon its meaning with the video. He and I came up with this concept of “what if all the various victims struck back?” It’s shocking and that’s the point.
AW: Are the two collaborations we’ve heard so far the only collaborations fans will hear on your upcoming songs, or are there further surprises in store? If so, any names you can drop for us?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: Can’t drop any names so far, but we’re always writing and working on new tracks. You never know what’s coming!
AW: How far along are you on the new material? Do you have a release date planned?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: We’re in a place right now where were pumping out new stuff everyday. Big summer push. So keep your eyes peeled!
AW: Now that you have just dropped ‘Perfect’, what can we expect from you next? What’s coming up for Echo Black?
Danny Blu /Echo Black: We’re back in the studio in the fall, but before then we have some other surprises planned. It’s an exciting time for EB and we’re itching to get our new material out!
