DAN PATLANSKY has released his seventh full-length studio album. Titled Dear Silent Thieves, it features a fresh batch of 10 electric tracks – all performed with the kind of tenacity that fans have come to expect from the local blues guitar god over the past decade. STEYN DU TOIT spoke to him about his stronger focus on songwriting, working with Theo Crous as producer as well as the state of the blues today.
There is an interesting story behind the album’s title. What happened?
Last year I had the incredible opportunity to perform with the Grammy-winning artist, Everlast. Our first show was in front of a 1 000-strong crowd in Münster, Germany. During his set, two guys in the audience persisted in talking so loudly that it eventually became unbearable. He then stopped and asked them to either leave or to shut up. All musicians sometimes face this kind of disrespectful behaviour and it was great to finally hear an artist stand up for himself. My album’s title is dedicated to these kinds of audience members, the silence thieves of the world. Those who rob concertgoers from the silence in which the music is meant to be listened.
You’ve enjoyed a very successful past decade as one of our finest blues exports. When you look back at your career so far, what are some highlights?
One of them was supporting Bruce Springsteen during his South African tour in February. Being invited by the Boss – especially considering that he doesn’t usually use support acts – was an incredible honour. Other highlights include performing in New Orleans for the first time, making my European debut as well as every one of my seven albums so far. An LP is like a time capsule. It captures where you are as a musician and as an artist at that point of time in your career.
We’ve seen your relationship with the blues blossom over the years, with each new album giving us another insight into this diverse genre. How would you describe the vibe on Dear Silence Thieves?
The blues world is a vast scape filled with different textures and styles. It’s great that it is also currently seen as more cool and mainstream – just look at bands like Black Keys. I’d describe Dear Silence Thieves as a modern blues album – showing where I am at the moment as a musician and concentrating on the funk and the richness of the genre’s sounds. More so than any of my previous albums, I’ve also focused heavily on the songwriting this time.
What are some themes you’ve explored in the lyrics?
I wanted to combine the blues’ traditional whiskey-and-wine them-es with that of a more modern approach to songwriting. The years seemingly going by faster the older I get, the fantastic experience of seeing South Africa while you tour the country, and the joy of performing in front of live audiences; these are all examples of the lyrical observations I make on the album.
Dear Silence Thieves contains fewer guitar solos than any of your previous albums. Why is that?
Make no mistake, this is still a fully guitar-driven album with tons of solos because that’s what I do. But ultimately it was the songs themselves that dictated how long each one should be. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but rather one where we “felt” each song, and ended it where we believed it needed to end.
Which guitars do you play on the album this time around?
Only two. I kept it very simple. I used a 1962 Fender Stratocaster for the electric stuff and a Martin acoustic guitar for the non-electric material.
What was it like working with Theo Crous as producer?
While we’ve worked together before on a few projects, this is the first time he’s produced a full album for me. It was an interesting experience handing over the reins to someone else and letting go of my control freak issues, but I’m very happy with the end result. Theo takes all your songs and steers them in every possible direction before settling on the final version. Sometimes you have absolutely no clue whatsoever where he’s going, but that process eventually helps bring forth some of the greatest creative ideas.
You’ve been touring Dear Silence Thieves for the past two months. How have audiences received them?
It’s always scary to tour with new material, because you don’t know how it’s going to translate from the studio to a live setting. It’s been great seeing some of the songs “pop” in a live format and to see fans enjoying where you are now as a musician.
What will you be focusing on in the coming months?
I’m currently on another local tour of the country, only this time we’re focusing especially on the smaller towns and venues. I’ve just done the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in collaboration with Albert Frost, and I will be going on a European tour to launch the album there in October.
Where will Cape Town audiences be able to see you next?
I am playing at Die Boer Theatre in Durbanville (tonight and tomorrow), Café Roux in Noordhoek (Saturday) and Die Ou Meulteater in Paarl (Sunday).
l For more information, see www.danpatlansky.com or www.facebook.com/danpatlanskymusic