All right, welcome to the latest episode, the
first one of 2024, Happy New Year. This is the
Dan Time Podcast. I'm your host, Dan McCardle.
Thanks so much for being here, for subscribing,
for absorbing, for immersing yourself in this
show. Every week, I try to make it a fun and
fulfilling experience. for you, the listener.
Bringing you a variety of guests with very unique
stories, I hope you've enjoyed the last few episodes
featuring Dan Kabelka coming back for our holiday
special, Emily Haynes -Cook, my dear friend,
blues great Danielle Moralia, music theater performers
Danny Pike and Danny Rubio, and so many others.
Go back and check the past episodes for the full
list. My guest today is veteran singer -songwriter
and Melbourne, Australia's very own Dan Brody.
A two -time Ari Award nominee, Dan has released
eight studio albums plus a few EPs over a recording
career that spans a quarter century. He has led
Dan Brody and the Broken Arrows Band, Dan Brody
and the Grieving Widows, and Dan Brody and the
Shadows of Love. His latest record, the Ballad
of Cowboy Dan, ought to be on any best of 2023
albums lists. When you listen to the opening
four tracks of the album, in order, if your experience
is like mine, with their varying themes, tempos,
orchestration, and culminating in the infectious,
losing love is dangerous, you're gonna say to
yourself, that's it. That's it. That's the height
of this record. There's no way it can pick back
up after that. And then you realize the ride
has only just begun. Dan and I dive deep into
this album. You're going to love the conversation.
Here is what some critics had to say about Dan
Brody and about the ballad of Cowboy Dan. Martin
Bolton from the age wrote, if Dan Brody were
an actor, He wouldn't be the star of the show,
he'd be the guy the other actors on set wanted
to hang out with, the guy the director would
turn to when he needed a moment of inspiration
to get the show on the road. This album shows
why Brody was twice nominated for Ari Awards.
And Chris Familton from Post2Wire .com wrote,
On the new album, Brody successfully finds common
ground for his many influences, opening with
the magnificent and brooding, I Can Feel Love
closing in. He delivers the lines in a way that
barely hangs together, which only adds to the
melancholic romance and compelling storytelling.
Dan is very well regarded, and he's a huge supporter
of his local music scene. And he just loves getting
up on stage playing with his other musician friends.
Be sure to visit his website at danbrody .com
.au. You can purchase the CD version, the LP
version, get all the updates on Dan in the coming
year. All right. Let's get to the conversation.
It is Dan Brody time. There is just quite a story
to tell here, Dan, and I'm so thrilled to have
you. Um, we are going to be discussing. Your
catalog, but also promoting your most recent
record Which I the New York Times and maybe some
other mainstream publications put out like a
best of the year and I'm not buttering you up
I really think this should fall on that type
of list of the albums that you need to listen
to the ballad of cowboy Dan is is the latest
record released September 1st of 23 Dan this
is like you say in the title track for where
you've come and where your story began. I'd say
it's a modern masterpiece. Thank you. Great to
have you. How are you doing today, my friend?
I'm really good, thanks. It's summer over here,
but you wouldn't know it because it's raining
every day, but the weather's warm, so that's
one thing. And everyone's on holidays and in
the great Australian tradition, drinking themselves
and eating themselves into oblivion. Yeah, except
for me. I'm not. Yeah, I've pumped the brakes
on some of that. Just heavy indulgence on all
ends. And sometimes people think indulgence is
just the really bad stuff. Sometimes it's just
pigging out and just eating and eating and eating.
And yeah, you get a little older. If you want
to feel good most days, you pull back a little
bit. Yeah, that's true. I stopped drinking a
couple of years ago as well, which has been a
really great thing, really positive thing in
my life. So it's good to focus on what you, you
know, what you enjoy and make the most of your
time. I'm really excited to hear that. I wasn't
sure and I wasn't prepared to ask you if you're
still drinking because, you know, on each record,
there's usually a song and it may have some dark
humor about drinking. But I'm glad I understand
about 10 years ago, you really had a serious
health scare that that probably put a lot of
things perspective for you. Yeah. Yeah, I did.
I had I got diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma,
which is cancer of the lymphatic system. And
I was touring in Europe and I'd go to sing a
song and these this big outdoor festivals and
I'd go to sing and I'd just start coughing and
uh and also after the show I would just um say
to the band that I wanted to go back to the hotel
and you know go to bed which isn't like me at
all I mean you know I was always the last man
standing at a party and um so I got back to Australia
and uh yeah that set off a whole you know anyone
who's been seriously ill things move very very
rapidly and um yeah I had chemotherapy and radiation
for a year, some treatment and thankfully came
out the other side of it, hopefully a little
bit wiser. Was the album Deep Deep Love, was
it complete before you started feeling ill or
were you in the middle of writing those songs?
No, it was finished. It was all finished and
I was about to organize an album launch in Melbourne
and I just delayed it for a year and So yeah,
well, we'll we'll um talk about the back catalog
a little bit here in a minute But let's flash
forward to the ballad of cowboy Dan. I just want
to say Without just saying oh, it's a great record.
Oh, it's a masterpiece. I want to tell you what
I really why I think it is so well done it starts
off with a spoken word track as far as the vocal
line and melody and That's the very first Dan
Brody song that I heard. And when I played it,
I thought, OK, this is interesting. And I was
I was feeling it and I was thinking, well, if
the entire record is just like this track, I
don't know if it's for me. And then, yeah. And
then you get in to track number two, which is
old Betty. And it's just an entirely different
tempo, entirely different feel. I really wanted
to ask you this because by the time you get to
that And it's on this podcast. I can't say the
words you can just because it's clean format,
but I track three It really sets the tone for
what hits you on number four losing love is dangerous
By the time I had completed those first four
tracks Yeah, you just had me I could have laid
on the floor and Spread my arms wide said I'm
in When you have you guys had a chance just speaking
of that track losing love is dangerous to perform
that live and if so You got to be bringing the
house down with that that song Yeah, we we played
it on Saturday night and we opened with it. And
yeah, it really actually did it's the first second
time we played it live and You know, it's a pretty
traditional 12 bar belter But it certainly hit
in all the right spots. The audience was really
there with us for the song. So Nice way to open
a set, I think. It's a nice sort of statement
of intention in terms of, you know, it's quite
a forceful sounding song. Right. And you and
your brother Chris collaborated on that song
and maybe a couple others or one other on the
album. I think the instrumental track. That's
right. But, you know, it's funny what I say about
the opener. Now, when I go back and listen to
it, that might be my favorite song. I can feel
love closing in, but it had to be arranged in
that order. How much time in the studio do you
spend when all the songs are written and figuring
out the track listing? Is that something you
go over with? I got some friends to do the listing
for me and so it's interesting your observations
of the album because normally you would probably
start with the faster songs and then you'd, you
know, usually like you know track four or something
you put a slow song in most musicians I think
would treat it like a live show but I got I found
the job too difficult and I got some friends
to do it for me and I loved what they they said
oh you should start the album with a slow with
the sort of spoken word piece and finish with
the spoken word piece to create more of a narrative
and so that's what I went with it's it's a quite
a hard job to do you know when you've been living
with the songs for a couple of years and recording
them so that's what we ended up doing. That opening
track though because sometimes do you ever hear
people say I had to give it a few listens when
they speak about an album and then it becomes
their favorite album of maybe of the year? Yeah.
Certain bands like a favorite band puts out a
new record and you're thinking you definitely
don't hate it but you don't understand it all
yet and that was such a beautiful thing. The
first thing that I did appreciate with, because
I play drums, I wouldn't say I play them that
well, but I play them well enough, but I'm more
of a lyric guy. The lyrics really jump out at
me. And that's what piqued my interest was the
story that's being told. I saw her again last
night. She was playing pool, eating some potato
chips. And then you describe the female, you
know, long dark hair, brown eyes. And then as
the song goes on, She takes on different forms,
different personas. I have to ask you, Dan, sometimes
artists don't want to reveal the meaning, but
man, that sounds like just the red blooded male
saying, I love women. I fall in love. I can't
help myself. Yeah, it is that, but it's it's
a little bit more than that as well. Let's say
the character is also doesn't know what he what
he wants. Oh, yeah. that as well. So on another
smaller level, it's trying to show that the character
is extremely confused. Yeah, I could definitely
see that. That's not as there's that as well.
But yeah, the first thing is is pretty spot on.
Yeah. Again, in track number three is the way
I have to describe it. But folks, if you're listening
to this podcast and you're and you're sitting
down and you're able to maybe pull up the track
listing, you could follow along with what we're
talking about here. Dan, is this a reflection
of all the things you've heard from all the passers
-by over the years that tell you, oh, you're
just so wonderful. And then they've been there
for the highs, but they're gone during the lows.
And then they're back for the highs. Are you
reflecting some of that back at those types?
Because I love that song. And again, it goes
back to your subtle humor. And you just have
a real deaf touch. Is that the swear word? Yeah.
Yeah. I'm the... So that song... people generally
aren't as nasty towards us as we are towards
ourselves and That's probably more that's my
own. That song is really just a litany of self
-criticism Yeah, that's something that probably
be an Australian would say as opposed to someone
in America Going back to your brother Chris.
I was thinking about this today. I wanted to
make sure that I asked He's basically been there
every step of the way and various formats on
most of the records, going back to your very
first show in 1990, you guys performed as teenagers.
Do you ever think about, and let me just say,
on this record, Chris contributes lap steel,
banjo, and guitar on various tracks, and has
writing credits on those two songs, Lost Inside
a Dream and Losing Love is Dangerous, but do
you ever think about what your career would have
been like? maybe at some of those low points
without your brother there by your side because
I have to imagine he's stuck with you when you're
high rolling and when you're just down on the
ground. Yeah, yeah he has. Yeah he's been extremely
important and yeah some records he's maybe just
contributed one guitar solo to one song but I
have an extremely close relationship with my
two siblings, my brother and my sister. And they've
been a huge source of strength for me. We lost
our mother when we were quite young and our father,
relatively. And so, yeah, we're a very, very
close family and I'd be really in deep trouble
without them in my life. So they're both extremely
important. And my brother's, yeah, very much
a source of support for me. It's been great.
Yeah. And Chris plays bass in the band Dallas
Crane. Yeah. So yeah, Chris does that. Dan, also,
so you used the same producer on this record
from the last album, Funeraria Duval, maybe way
off there. Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty close, I
think. I don't really know. Mike Hubbard. Yeah.
Mike Hubbard, Michael Hubbard is great. we had
a mutual friend, this kind of legendary guitarist
here in Australia that passed away called Spencer
P. Jones and he played in a band called the Beasts
of Bourbon who they had a lot of success in Europe
more so than the US and he came he came from
this kind of punk aesthetic and his band was
the Johnny's and I guess he started this kind
I mean he was kind of in that genre of cow punk
which I know some US bands did as well. Anyway,
Mick played guitar with him in his last iteration,
Spencer P. Jones and the Escape Committee and
I used to go and see Spencer play and I met Mick
and Spencer ended up passing away and Mick started
producing and he's been great, he's been fantastic,
he's a really creative guy and some good ideas
and yeah. Easy to work with so we've made two
albums together. Yeah, I Love that record as
well. You can tell that the production quality
on the latest record the Ballad of Cowboy Dan
and Funeraria You can tell they had the same
hands in there. Maybe Yeah, he's kind of got
pop sensibilities. You can hear that You can
hear that with some of the guitar stuff that
he does. He's good at finding a hook of the song
the the guitar work especially on on the outer.
And folks listening, there's a video that you
can watch for this song. Some excellent guitar
work, kind of at the middle point and towards
the end of the song there. Is that all you? That
song is all Chris. Okay. It's pretty kind of
freeform. It's got a riff throughout it and stuff.
I made that film clip, I think I made it during
lockdown or just as we started. We had a pretty...
harsh lockdown here in Melbourne. Everyone went
a bit crazy. I think we were locked down for
300 days or something. Wow. It was pretty brutal.
On that note, I was going to ask because I've
talked to some other artists with the lockdown
being so prolonged and you're used to being,
you're used to moving pretty fast or you're at
this venue and then that venue and this location,
that location, now all of a sudden you're in
one spot. when you come out of it, is it easy
to get back into that frenetic pace again? Or
do you kind of take this new comfort in just
being still for a moment with your life? That
happened for a while. I mean, people, COVID seems
to be back this summer now. I've just spoke to
a friend yesterday. A lot of people have it again.
And I've had it twice, I think, once. I can't
remember. I think COVID really taught people
to have an appreciation of each other. As much
as we all annoy each other at times, I feel like
that was a positive take from it, that people
need each other for support, particularly the
music community. People seem to become a lot
nicer to each other after COVID. So that's been
good. Yeah, they probably took the companionships
that they had, maybe not for granted. Well, maybe
they did. Yeah. It's one thing to sit on your
cell phone and and text people But to to do that
is the only way to communicate with people because
you can't leave your home Yeah, you start to
long for the human connection Yeah, that's right
So, um, yeah, I'm back into it. I I play piano
with a bunch of bands as well So that that keeps
me busy I really enjoy that side of my career.
That's relatively recently. That's only been
for a few years, actually. So I play probably
about three nights a week, three or four nights
a week. So that's good. Yeah. So I just love
playing live. That's where for me, where, you
know, that's like a moment of truth. From the
moment I first did it when I was the first pub
show I had was when I was 15 and It was the most
terrifying and exhilarating feeling of my life.
Like someone trying to find their hit, a junkie
trying to find that great high, I feel like instead
of chasing that your whole life, that feeling
again, it's kind of strange. Yeah, I can see
that. When you're 15 years old and you're up
there, even as, like you said, as terrified as
that first experience was, it's almost like a
theme park ride where you want to you still want
to do it all over again. Yeah it's exactly what
it is. It's bizarre and some nights are terrible.
I mean you know you put on a brave face and you're
professional but some nights you go home you're
like oh for god's sake that was just you know
the sound was bad the audience was unresponsive
but I don't know even the bad nights are better
than a working week doing something that you
don't like. I box as well and I haven't fought
um competitively but I've done a lot of sparring
in the ring and that to me feels the same exactly
the same as playing a live show it's like the
bell goes and you're on and you've got a tiny
amount of time defend yourself punch move duck
weave survive and express yourself and if you
make one wrong move you're on the canvas so I
don't know that might be a little naff that analogy
but uh I've always likened it as a similar thing.
I feel like you probably need to be on the clock
under pressure. Yeah. And just that need to challenge
yourself. Yeah. So, yeah, it's like a boxing
match. I can see that. You know, and sometimes
sometimes you get knocked to the ground, but
that's part of it. You know, you never you never
show that like in a boxing ring, you never show
that you're hurt. You just keep going. Dan, in
your songwriting and in your lyrics, this is
really what, and not just because I was going
to have you as a guest on the show, but when
I was diving into the catalog, getting into the
songs, it really struck me how you open yourself
up. You're not just the guy on the top of the
mountain, but you're not afraid to write lyrics
that show how hurt you are or how much you're
longing for love that has been lost. Yeah. There's
I mean I Made a lot of money. I lost it twice.
I never did listen to my own advice I tie myself
to a cross at night And then goes on my head
and my heart get mixed up. Sometimes I cry myself
to sleep at night There's a lot of men that have
gone to bed with tears in their eyes and very
few of them talk about it Or write about it.
I thought that was huge and Is that my last picture
show? Yeah, I love that. That's kind of the second
half of the album. That's right. Yeah. Just beautiful
stuff. Oh, thank you. Well, it's good to be honest,
I suppose. And yeah, I mean, it is very honest.
And there's facts mixed with fiction. And I feel
far more comfortable writing about that. then
let's just say that for me it's much more comfortable
around than let's say real life, you know? Yeah,
yeah. Like I'm not, without baring my soul, you
know, I'm not the easiest person to talk about
any of that stuff in person and those closest
to me would probably agree with that. And so
this is my way of letting it out with a catchy,
I mean, that song in particular has got a real
catchy swing It's quite an upbeat, swinging song,
but it comes at a price because personally I'm
probably not going to talk about any of that
stuff. So I'm sort of setting myself up for some
problems. Well, I just so enjoy it because as
a fan of music and of an artist that is an open
book, it helps me get in touch with some of that.
some of those emotions as well. Everybody's got
something unresolved in their heart, in their
head. And it may be from two weeks ago or 20
years ago. And you may be 98 % over something,
but you still have that thought running through
your mind every so often. So I just like that.
Oh, that's great to hear. I mean, in the same
way that I love I love movies and I love living
vicariously through actors. And that's probably
a very similar thing. It's exaggerated versions
of people. I think that's what I mean. And Dan,
I also put in some of my notes here. You can't
stop what's begun. This song, I had the hardest
time getting my brother to listen to anything
that I recommend. And it could be right in his
wheelhouse and it will take him two years to
finally listen to it. So I got to think of clever
ways to get him to. All right. Well, listen to
this one track. You can't stop what's begun.
Dan, I think that a Netflix producer, a Hollywood
producer needs to approach you about this track
and include it in a full length film. It's just
got that feel to it. It's got that haunting whisper.
The devil on the shoulder. type thing, take the
money and the gun. Do you remember what inspired
that song? Another question maybe, do you ever
start scratching out lyrics before you have the
melody or does the melody come first? So that
song and in relation to your question, it's usually
those kind of mood pieces that kind of write
themselves. It's usually a feeling that you have
and the words just pour or out, the whole feeling
pours out. So it's like, whatever you're feeling,
and you wake up, often it's in the morning as
well, you get out of bed, you wake up feeling
like that. And that song in particular has got
a real sense of fatalism to it, that it doesn't
matter which road you take, things aren't gonna
end well. And so... I have noticed some songs
do have a nihilistic quality to them. You know,
I think I think I've been in that I think I've
fallen into that feeling a lot I'm not a lot,
but you know throughout my life as we all have
and One of the reasons why I stopped drinking
was to sort of put a stop to that put a stop
line there Doesn't mean I still can't write about
it and feel it but it's a bad place to be and
it can lead to a whole bunch of trouble and We've
all seen friends and aspects of ourselves Go
on this nihilistic trip and I just think that
it's it's you know people talk about heaven and
hell and everything and you know I think that's
what hell is it's um it's hopelessness and it's
within us all as is god and goodness and love
it's equally equal parts and I suppose it frightens
me and so it's quite interesting to write about
yeah speaking about sobriety I'm if you had asked
me two months ago I had no plan to Stop drinking.
I still don't know if I'll if I'll have a drink
in two weeks or next Wednesday I don't know yet,
but for some reason I you know, I got kovat in
November and sometimes if you if you go down
for a week and a half with the flu or You just
don't feel well enough to drink or smoke cigarettes
there were times when I smoked that I just a
few days would go by and your body thanks you
for Not being able to do that you feel better
but yeah, so I've actually put together like
an eight week stretch of And I I've got cold
beer in the fridge. I mean it's right there,
but yeah, I kind of like At least day by day
Not having it in my routine. I don't didn't really
need to be there right now Yeah But that's right.
You notice some things I think in life. We need
a lot of people Especially in this day and age
you need immediate results. There's an immediacy
that we want to see There's this give -and -take
all right if I put the cigarettes down. I better
be feeling like a hundred bucks tomorrow If I
stop drinking you don't really notice how your
body Improves or just the way you feel improves
the next day. It's gonna take some time, but
you will notice it Yeah, well that's that's positive
Yeah, I don't think I don't think anyone can
really drink after the age of 40 because you're
declining right your body is declining and and
Henry Rollins he had quite recently he said,
you know Exercising is your your body's trying
to fool your body that you're not dying. Well,
that was pretty funny But you know each their
own having said all that Dan, I'm in the alcohol
-selling business. I mean, you know, I don't
get hired to play in a pub or in a hotel, you
know, for the sake of it. You're selling. Ultimately,
the way it's set up, it has been for a long time,
you're selling booze. But, you know, I can only
live my own life on my own terms and let people
know the positive aspects of my life, but I'm
not going to ram it down people's throat either,
you know. Yeah, you're right about that. But
eight weeks is great. I mean, I got a book that
was over lockdown. So over lockdown, I went to
the bottle shop and we got some government money
because it couldn't work. And so I got my money
and I bought every bottle that you have in a
cocktail bar. And I set up my own private cocktail
bar in my room. make martinis and margarita you
know a book and i got right into it so i did
that for about i don't know three six months
and then woke up one day and said well that's
you know i can't keep doing this and so um i
got this book called 100 days sober and each
day had an affirmation and after 100 days i thought
oh that i'll keep going with it because i felt
better so that's what happened that's really
good it's The long long term like oh my gosh,
I got to quit forever is a little overwhelming
for people. It is Just have a wake up or something
start with that right Yeah, you know talking
about this my favorite track I from your back
catalog because I just I really love the new
album but tear us down in The video that goes
along with that I had quite a powerful experience
watching that video. It's like the first thing
that's in focus is just you and then your guitar
comes into play and then what maybe is a cocktail
comes into play. Lyrically, musically, the chord
progression in that song, I just think it's one
of your standout tracks. Oh, thank you. Do you
perform that one live still? Yeah, I do. I actually
just performed it live with a band at a festival
recently for the first time in, well, ever. I'd
never played it with a band. I do. When I play
solo, I play it. At the moment, I'm trying to
blend. I've got this kind of real huge. difference
in the music this is real punk energetic rock
and roll side and then this is quite tender -hearted
balladry and at the moment i suppose i'm trying
to reconcile those two things because i think
that that's that's what i do and that's what
people respond to and to go one way isn't a true
representation of myself so Yeah, I've just started
playing that song again, Terrace Down. I like
that song, and that one took literally as long
as the song is to write. It took about three
or four minutes to write. It was just, I remember
when I wrote it, I wrote it in a kitchen with
a six pack of beer a long time ago, and the music
video was done in the middle of chemotherapy,
so I was three months into it, and I was... So
with chemo, yeah, people have had it, I'm sure
plenty of your listeners, you get sick and then
you feel better again. And as you're on the upswing,
they dose you again. So it was like on the upswing
and I think I had to go back the next day or
something and then I'd get sick again. So we
shot that. Yeah, that's a good video. I like
that. It's pretty raw, actually, really. I mean,
it doesn't get much rarer than that, I suppose,
because yeah, I wasn't feeling very well. It
was really good of my brother and my friend Dave
to make the video for me too so it was a lovely
gift of them yeah and like you were just saying
there's multiple sides to you you take a video
and a song like that and then and the video for
that one is quite comical so folks if you again
I think I said this at the top of the episode
if you listen to a couple tracks and you think
you've got Dan Brody pinned down to one style
He's gonna completely flip the script on you
the more you listen and you're gonna love it
that video That was great who That must have
taken some collaboration the the concept of that
video and dot draw such a song and that's from
Funeraria Yeah, that was made by a friend of
mine. Joe Volante and he's kind of involved in
the comedy acting world he got a bunch of different
people involved and then my friend did did the
graphics with the sausages and stuff and uh I
really like that song under twice lost his son
I've done a fair bit of touring in Europe over
the years and got a bit of a fan base in France
and um I just uh you know I like those kind of
with I mean with songwriting I mean to answer
the question about the variety of songs I just
I love all songwriting. I find it very difficult
to focus on one style, but I do admire people
that do that. And I think you have an easier
career if you do, you do, because people go,
right, cool, they're this or they're that. What
I do is, it's what I do, but yeah, it doesn't
make for an easy, easy ride, you know. I'm like,
you know, I'm like the wean of Australia, you
know. Here's a country record. Now, here's a
metal record. Now, here's a, you know, but for
me, it's all part of the same tapestry. Nde Twa
Sausage Son is a fun gimmick song with this intense
refrain of one, two, three sausages, which I
guess appeals to my sense of humor. So what can
I say? Yeah. And it has a real psychedelic quality
to it. Which I can imagine goes over pretty well
in the live performance and yeah, and and you
speak in Track number three again as I call it
on the ballad of cowboy Dan. You only like me
because I'm big in France So then an ode to your
French fans there Yeah, also Dan and I'll put
this when I promote the episode. I'm make sure
to Mention your accolades here. You're twice
nominated for A .R .I .A. Music Awards. And that
was for your major label debut on Capitol Records,
Empty Arms, Broken Hearts, which again, this
is, if what I read was correct, you guys went
back in one night and did the retrospective,
The Big Hearted Lovin' Man, which captured like
your favorite songs from those early records
up to about 2014. or he recorded that in one
night yeah that's a good one because some of
those tracks on the on the first few albums i
couldn't find immediately available as far as
for download um yeah but some great songs they're
low i think lower me down was one of my favorites
from well lower me down is from my friend the
murderer yeah that's one of my favorite albums
my friend the murderer i released that in 2011
and that's the first independent record that
I made. I got signed to EMI when I was pretty
young, EMI Capital and yeah that was a really
trippy experience. They're a good team of people
like you know they were this guy Tony Harlow,
this English guy was in Australia running EMI,
he loved what I did and he signed me and so I
released three albums with them and yeah the
ARIA Awards they're called. got to go to that
and get nominated and we worked with some American
producers and flew them out for that record,
Empty Arms Broken Hearts, a guy called John Waller
who'd worked with Willie Nelson and this other
guy called Oz Fritz who'd done Bone Machine with
Tom Waits, he was an engineer and yeah, they
came out and produced and engineered the record
and yeah. It was a really, it was a good experience.
It was, you know, of its time. I don't know,
I don't think my, now I would, it was fun at
the time. You work with big marketing teams.
I mean, that stuff's just not really around anymore,
unless you're Taylor Swift or something, that
so many people I know didn't get to experience
that. It was a once in a lifetime, it was the
music industry. I mean, people argue that there's
not even a music industry anymore, which I don't
know. It's so DIY now. There's no rules and It's
kind of exhilarating. You know, you can make
whatever music videos you want. You can record
whenever you want It's pretty cool. You got to
look at the positives. I think Yeah, like like
you said it probably it fit the time period.
Yeah, is it right that you You financed the first
EP i'm floating mama maybe even big black guitar
Yeah, um, I guess or the independent release
before Yeah, I just financed that myself through
cleaning or whatever I was doing at the time
and then yeah and then I was on a small label
Australian label and then that led to the the
deal with EMI and um yeah I mean the the difference
between being on a major label and independent
I mean it's you know it's vast experiences I
mean the bit the budgets for the music videos
were you know huge that the budgets for the recording
was was huge so um I feel pretty blessed that
I got to experience, um, it's that almost famous
type, uh, you know, what people dream about.
I got to experience it. So, um, it was good.
Yeah. Well, I, again, I think that you've written
your best record. I read artist interviews where
it's common for the artists themselves to say,
Oh, this is the best thing that we've put out.
Um, this is some of my best song, songwriting.
It's like well, of course that you're gonna say
that but as a listener and just the evolution
that I've studied Just the past few weeks. I
really think the ballad of cowboy Dan It it's
a culmination It's the story. It's the I Guess
you probably started hearing cowboy Dan way back
When you released the first single I love you,
baby. There were people calling you call cowboy
Dan those early years and so you said well shoot
I guess I probably just need to do an album here
you guys have created this character let's give
it some life exactly what happened so yeah exactly
exactly why I did it and I just I just thought
it was hilarious and people haven't used that
title for a very long time so I thought well
I'll just you know resurrect it and um create
this character and I'll give you what exactly
what you want and the songs have a lot of gusto
and a lot of bravado and a lot of myth creation
and it's also commenting on that as well you
know the Americana scene old country scene it
used to be called it's one of the fastest growing
scenes in the world particularly in Australia
I'm sure in the US as well and every man and
woman and their dog is donning a cowboy hat and
talking about the dust bowl and their experience,
you know, as an okie. Anyway, hey, I just thought
it might be a nice time to go into that world.
You know, I hope that doesn't come across as
too cynical because I do love that kind of music,
and I play that sort of, I mean, I dip my toe
pretty heavily into the sort of twang and stuff,
and it's very heartfelt, but I also thought it
was a nice way to present an album. Yeah, and
the artwork, the design there, it's just, it's
captivating. Now, a recent review of your music,
Chris Familton, Post2Wire .com, For people listening,
this is what he had to say quote if you can imagine
Dylan and nilson recording an eclectic Cosmic
Americana record it might sound something like
this impressive album. I think he hit it the
nail on the head there I know way back you were
referred to as Australia's melon camp get some
comparisons to Elvis on certain tracks Johnny
Cash Steve Earl probably more appropriately But
again, yeah, you kind of got little flashes of
those characters those performers, but there's
only one Dan Brody and And you kind of Don't
get too far or too pot -committed I guess to
one one character one style one type of songwriting
No, I don't and I mean I wouldn't really want
to I think life's way too Interesting to go into
just one one's style. You've got to inject your
personality into it and yeah, I mean to be honest
Dan, it hasn't been the easiest career in the
world and if I reigned it in a bit I probably
could have had an easier ride but again you can
only be yourself. The people that I really admire,
I mentioned Spencer P. Jones, his other Australian
songwriters, well and songwriters around the
world. I mean, Dylan's a fine example. I mean,
he's done exactly what he what he wanted to do.
So, you know, obviously, Neil Young is a is a
great touchstone and another guy's done exactly
what he wanted to do. So that's what I. Yeah,
that's what it's something that I really respect.
Well, Dan, we'll have to hopefully connect again,
maybe this time next year, maybe this time six
months from now. so much more I want to dive
into with you but folks visit the website it's
danbrody .com .au you can find the videos there
you can order the Ballad of Cowboy Dan on LP
on vinyl you can read Dan's bio you can read
some of the press on him uh we didn't talk about
Lost Not Found it's a very Wow, I mean you see
some of the tracks on here and you have you have
an expectation I mean I like motorhead and I
saw a damaged case and I said I had because it
first when you're looking at it You don't immediately
know that this is motorhead. And so when I hit
play you could have never predicted this interpretation
We'll have to again. Like I said, that's a topic
for another episode Dan. You've been so generous
with your time I'm glad to Introduce you to my
listeners to get you some more exposure and My
gosh critics get with the program over here in
the states get on the Dan Brody train and Let's
get some hype for this album and I'm excited.
Like you said that you just beyond what you're
doing and Your own music you like just getting
up there and playing with other performers just
playing music. Yeah, I just love connecting with
an audience and I've been playing accordion as
well, which I love too. And you play piano, acoustic,
electric guitar, harmonica. And I did mean to
highlight the backup female vocalist on some
of your tracks. I may have to ask you their names.
I had them written down, but I've got things
scattered here. Who are like on the Ballad of
Cowboy Dan, the title track? I got a bunch of
friends in Melbourne that are all called Katie.
Yeah. Anyway, I don't want to put them all in
the same because that'll piss them off. But um,
that is Katie Bates, who plays bass in my band.
And she's a singer songwriter, right? She's great.
She just did a tour of the US and Europe with
a another songwriter playing bass with her actually
for three months, played Nashville all over.
And so she plays bass, she's back in Australia
and sings got a beautiful voice. And then On
that song, my last picture show, there's a girl
called Katie Branagh, who's also a great singer
songwriter, and she's got three albums out. And
so yeah, it's a really strong community in Melbourne.
You know, I mean, people from all around Australia
moved to Melbourne to get some traction. And
it's a good scene, very supportive. So we all
play in each other's bands. I've got a big bunch
of friends and yeah, it's a nice thing. I think
You really need that as an artist musician Without
the community, you know, it's a pretty lonely
lonely existence And Dave Watkins, I should have
said something earlier speaking about the title
track of the album I want to be sure I mentioned
this what he starts doing on that ride symbol
about halfway through the song. I Just fell back
in my chair and I thought nobody does this. I
don't I don't hear this in other songs. This
is amazing And he just starts, I don't know if
that was completely improvised. If you knew it
was happening, if it was a rant, but just folks
listen to the whole album, but listen to the
title track. You're going to fall in love with
it. I just love that, that open percussion kind
of jazzy. Don't know what I'm going to be banging
on next. And yeah, just it was perfect. Yeah,
he's great Dave. I probably haven't spoken about
him enough in interviews, but Yeah, he did a
great job playing on the album. He's moved to
another state of Australia So I haven't really
seen him for a while. But um, yeah, it would
be nice to Live I play with different people
than the album. But um, yeah, he did a great
job All right. Well any anything else that you
want to promote here anything you want to plug?
Not really. No, I'm just really busy the album
The Ballad of Calway Down, I just wanted to say
was I recorded a spoken word album over lockdown,
which never came to fruition. And so the Ballad
of Calway Down was part of that. And that's why
it came onto the new project with more of a song
based project. So I'm working on the spoken word
album now. And so that's going to be Yeah, I
guess that's going to be what the original version
of the Ballad of Cowboy Dan would have been like
without song structure, so a little bit more
abstract. So that's exciting and hopefully I'll
be able to talk to you about that once I get
it off the ground. But I want to say thanks so
much for having me and it's been a real pleasure
talking to you and really refreshing to talk
to someone that's really gone deep on the album
and listened and it's a really It's a really
good feeling. So thank you Dan You're welcome
and thanks for again Dedicating the time for
this. I feel like I get long -winded at times
the discussion just It goes on and not and so
I hope you enjoyed our conversation I certainly
did and I would love to talk to you again after
the next release Absolutely Okay, Dan. Well And
maybe see in the states, maybe I'll make my way
to Melbourne, Australia. It's on the bucket list.
You probably don't have any immediate plans for
an international touring, right? Nothing immediate,
but I certainly would like to get back to the
US. The last time I was there was 2011. I did
South By and I played in LA and in New York.
Always have a good time there. And, uh, I mean,
even though my music's kind of selling ice to
the Eskimos, um, I find us audiences kind of
appreciate what I do. And so, uh, no, I'd love
to, to get back there. Uh, so yeah, stay tuned.
I guess we'll see. All right. Well, you look
great. You sound great. I'm so happy to hear.
I had no idea about your sobriety. So, uh, keep
on keeping on, man. Yeah. I'm glad that I found
you and discovered your music just through this
podcast. Otherwise, I don't know if I would have,
but I love what you're doing. Thank you, Dan.
Okay, folks. Well, that's it for this episode
of Dan Time. And remember, there's music outside
of your bubble just waiting to delight your ears,
and you're only a few clicks away from finding
it. If you keep listening to this show, I'm going
to make it my mission to always introduce artists
to you that you would not have ordinarily found.
You wouldn't have scrolled to the bottom of the
page where it says, Oh, you like this? You might
also like these four or five others. You're not
going to find everything that you need to hear
that way. So, uh, I don't know even know how
to wrap that comment up, but remember go to Dan.
Brody B -R -O -D -I -E dot com dot A -U. Check
out his catalog. If you're on Spotify, Apple
Music, anywhere you stream music, check out the
back catalog as well. This has been great. You
guys have a wonderful week and we'll see you
next time on the Danzheim Podcast. Thank you,
Dan. Thank you, Dan. All right. If you love that
episode, if you're enjoying the Dan Time podcast,
be sure to download and subscribe so you never
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I'll see you next Sunday.