Danny Starr

Who is Danny Starr? Where are you from, how long have you been playing music etc

A moody 21-year-old from London. I started writing songs when I was 14 and haven’t stopped since. It’s a big escape mechanism for me being able to write about what’s happening around me, so I see myself doing it for the rest of my life.

If you had to describe your sound using just five words, what would they be?

Gritty honest heartstring-pulling future-fearing acoustic-rock.

Who are your biggest influences musically?

I was brought up listening to a lot of Amy Winehouse and the brutality of her songs is something I dream of getting close to. All about Paolo Nutini’s rawness as well. I love the stereotypically British rock sound of the Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, DMA’s especially with an acoustic edge. And I’m sure Damon Albarn has got into my head with his futuristic world analysis at some point.

What’s your songwriting process?

Usually I’ll come up with a lyrical concept, or a one line idea, make a note in my phone and when I get home I put a bit of a melody to it. Then I build out from that core idea hoping it develops into something. I’ve got notes of hundreds of lyrics and quotes I’ve heard on the street or interesting characters I’ve seen which I love but haven’t given me a song yet. Sometimes they take a while sometimes they give me a song straight away.

When you were younger, what was the first album that blew you away and you remember putting on repeat non-stop?

Ben Howard’s Every Kingdom and I Forget Where We Were will forever be albums I revisit. They are the soundtracks to my adolescence and nothing compares really in terms of emotional connection to a body of work as them. Those songs got me through some tough times and also taught me a lot about songwriting.

As a performer, what’s your biggest claim to fame so far?

I love playing my shows and absolutely adore having  a room of my own fans singing my songs with me, but one show really stands out and it was a support slot actually. I opened for a band called Tide Lines at The Garage a couple of years ago which was by far the biggest venue I’d played and I got to my last song and by the end had a few hundred people getting involved singing along to the hook of the chorus they had just heard for the first time. That was pretty special and warranted a lot of drinking later in the night.

If you could go on tour with any current band or artist, who would it be and why?

At the moment its gotta be Lewis Capaldi. I’m sure everyone feels the same way that being locked up in a bus with him for a few weeks would be great fun. I love his music as well and have had a great few laughs with him at Barn On The Farm Festival after his sets there. He’s such a top guy I reckon it’d be class touring with him.

If you could put your dream team band together consisting of any musicians from the past or present who would the band members be?

Alex Turner, Eric Clapton, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Mac Miller, King Krule and Beyonce. Who knows what sound they’d make but reckon it’d be pretty vicious.

How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen you perform before?

Just me, my guitars and you pissed up in a room feeling sad during the songs and laughing in between.

Do you have any pre-gig or post gig rituals? If so, what and why?

Couple whiskeys and a 4 pack of beer is pretty much the routine. Not much of an explanation required I reckon.

What would your ultimate rider be if you could have anything without being accused of being a diva?

Snooker table, 3 pot noodles, Guinness on tap, a bottle of Blanton’s bourbon, Marlboro 20 deck and a kebab for after the show.

If we were to browse your music library what is the most embarrassing song we might find? Or who is your guilty pleasure artist?

Take Me Home by Jess Glynne is a great song. No one can tell me otherwise.

Tell us one thing your fans would be really shocked or surprised to hear or learn about you

I’m half Syrian.

If people want to check you out online where is the best place to go?

My handle is @dannystarrmusic on all socials and you can find out the most about everything I’m up to at my website which is www.dannystarrmusic.com or on my insta where I hang out most hours of the day.

Finally, What does the future hold for you as an artist?

I just wanna be able to carry on writing songs and singing to a room full of awesome people who for some reason wanna listen to me ramble on about the sad things I write about. But being able to keep growing and building a group of people invested in my work and making new connections with people through music is what makes me happy in life, so I hope that can carry on and on.