Congratulations on the upcoming release of the extended edition of “Life, Love & Everything After”! What inspired you to expand the album with these additional tracks?

I felt like the concept of the album was so rich and I hadn’t fully explored all of the avenues of Life, Love & Everything After. Honestly they are such diverse subjects that it’s hard to ever feel like you’ve said all there is to say and I probably never will. But I’ve learned over the last few years not to be quite as precious with new material. I would hate to think I let a song sit on my hard drive that was maybe just the right song to help someone out in a time of need and that’s really what music is all about to me.

Can you walk us through the themes you explore in the new songs added to the extended edition, such as “Why Do I Do This,” “I Could See It In Your Eyes,” “Save Myself,” and “The End”?

Definitely!

“Why Do I Do This” is a song about self sabotage and feeling like you’re just going around in circles and never getting anywhere. At the same time it’s about reaching out for help when you need it and to a small degree not setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.

“I Could See It In Your Eyes” is a love song straight from my life. This is one of the older songs on the album as far as the time frame of writing it goes. It’s mine and my wife’s love story. It’s also a love story for anyone that met their partner under less than ideal circumstances which creates that scary in-between phase where you both know this is what you want out of life and have the faith and patience to let it all work out in time.

“Save Myself” is about having someone in your life and watching them slip away or get consumed by something unhealthy and the struggle between deciding when it’s no longer possible for you to help them and yourself and you have that hard decision to make. At the end of the day it is about that love you have for someone and that commitment to be by their side ‘til the end as long as they are willing to be there for themselves as well.

When it comes to the last song on the album “The End” you have to be fully immersed in the 20 song extended version of the album to get the full picture. The non extended release featured 15 songs including 3 songs named after the title of the album. The intro track “Life” the interlude “Love” and the final song on that release “Everything After”. They explored each concept in depth and to just add some songs after didn’t feel like I was doing the concept justice. “The End” is exactly how it sounds. It serves as the outro track of the album to tie everything together but also delves into the unknown and the cyclical nature of life, Although a less traditional track this one holds a special place in my heart.

“With You” is the current radio single from the extended album. What significance does this song hold for you personally, and why did you choose it as a single?

“With You” is a very important love song to me. I have some friends that got married recently and found it hard to find a first dance song that didn’t have specific details that didn’t pertain to their love. I also have a few friends that had a hard time finding non gendered love songs. I wanted to write an inclusive love song that didn’t have any language or circumstances that made them feel the song wasn’t for them or their love. Everyone deserves to be loved and everyone deserves a love song.

How do you feel your songwriting and musical style have evolved since your debut album, “Take My Hand,” released in 2014?

As much as there was an innocence to my writing 10 years ago. I was restricted by only being able to write songs when some mythical divine inspiration struck. Over the years as I developed my skills more as a songwriter I was able to write much more intentional music and I no longer suffer from the writer’s block that is waiting for that perfect storm of inspiration. This has given me the opportunity to write about much deeper concepts and express myself much more fully.

Your music is known for its emotionally charged vocal performances. Could you share a bit about your creative process when it comes to infusing emotion into your songs?

Over the years as I’ve grown as a vocalist and would start to receive compliments I knew I wasn’t by any stretch an amazing singer. But it seemed like what people were captured by was the fact that they felt something when I sang the songs. For me music has always been about connecting with people and making them feel less alone. I’ve always focused on being present in the song I’m singing and visualizing things and moments that make me feel the emotion of the lines I’m delivering and I feel like that translates through the vocal performance.

You’ve achieved significant success on platforms like YouTube and streaming services. How do you think these digital platforms have influenced your music career?

I think the biggest thing digital platforms in general have shown me is that there is an audience out there for everyone; it’s just a matter of reaching those people. There was a time where I felt like I was stuck playing the same shows to the same people over and over again. And as much as I owe so much to those people I feared my music just wasn’t good enough. My presence online made me realize I may have reached most of the people in my immediate physical vicinity that like my music but there are still tens or hundreds of thousands of people out there if not more that will like my music but just haven’t had a chance to be exposed to it yet..

Your 2023 coast-to-coast Canadian Tour was a huge success with sold-out shows across the country. What were some of the most memorable moments from that tour, and how do you think it impacted your growth as an artist?

Honestly some of the best memories were meeting some of these people that had started following me online but I had never met in person. As well as just being able to go across the country and have people show up for you in general is just a wild thing. The space inbetween the shows of traveling the country and bonding with the band I had with me was also a highlight. The way it impacted me most as an artist is that it made me realize there is no better time than now to take these next big steps. At one point it seemed like touring the country wasn’t going to be a reality but now after having done that I realize what’s stopping me from touring other countries and parts of the world.

You’ve collaborated with various Canadian artists and worked on multiple tracks for different projects. How do these collaborations influence your creative process, and what do you enjoy most about collaborating with other musicians?

I’ve been honoured to work on a lot of different projects in a songwriting capacity as well as an engineer, producer and mixer. Some of these projects are passion projects with friends and others are with accomplished world renowned artists and collaborators. The biggest influence this has had on me is as an inspiration to keep growing in my own art. The thing I enjoy most about working on other peoples music is helping them translate who they are into how the music sounds.

The new songs on the extended album delve into themes of life, love, loss, and mental health. How do you hope listeners will connect with these themes through your music?

My hope is that when they’re listening to a song about life or mental health the song is there to make them feel less alone and safe and understand it’s ok to be a little lost sometimes. When they’re listening to a song about loss I hope they’re reminiscing about the ones they’ve lost and allowing them to feel whatever emotion they need to to continue healing from that loss. I especially want them to remember those people because that’s one of the places our loved ones live on, is in our memories. And lastly when they’re listening to a song about love I want them to feel included and loved and believe in one of the most magical feelings this world holds for us.

Can you share any anecdotes or stories behind the creation of specific songs on the extended album that hold particular significance to you?

In the song “The End” similar to the Intro song “Life” and interlude song “Love” there are little easter eggs of titles, lines and concepts from not only other songs on the album but references to other songs that are important to me that reflect those topics.

As an artist who aims to emotionally connect with his audience, what do you hope listeners will take away from “Life, Love & Everything After”?

I hope the album can bring people a few things. One of which is just an escape from everyday life. In my mind there is nothing wrong with using arts and entertainment as a little mini vacation from the struggles the real world sometimes holds. Secondly I just hope that they connect with at least 1 song in a way that makes them feel like they’re seen. And lastly I hope listeners will find comfort in knowing they are not alone in what they’re going through and to embrace the good and bad in life and in love and take a moment to remember those they’ve lost along the way.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations and goals for the future of your music career, and how do you plan to continue engaging with your audience in meaningful ways?

Looking to the future, my main goals and aspirations are the same as they’ve always been, which is to reach as many people as possible through my music and have my music be there for them the way music has been there for me. In the immediate future I’m looking at ways of bringing different versions of my live show to not only in person audiences around the world but also virtual audiences as well.

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“Better Make A Move” seems to tackle themes of ambition and desire. Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind the song and what message you aim to convey to your audience?

The lyrics for this song came to me really quickly. I had the idea for the chorus line “Now you’ve learned to play the game, you’ll die up on that hill” written in my lyric notes. I wanted the line to represent the stubborn ambition of someone trying to make a name for themself. A person that desires only to see their name in lights. There is a huge shift in society right now, anybody has the opportunity of becoming somebody online. A new icon for the people, an ‘influencer’ by profession. While this is new and exciting, it is also very addictive; the urge for instant gratification. The push to blow up your social account and go viral is the name of the game and everybody wants their little slice of fame. 

The final message is in the second part of the chorus: “One day we’ll be on time to catch the last ride so we can see all of the sights”. I have this never ending goal to be on time and get everything i’m working on finished; maybe then there will be space to breathe. 

The take away from the song is to stop and look around, take in the present moment and make true connections with the people who are most important in our life.

As a solo artist with ALTERJOY, how does the creative process differ from your experience in The Daily Chase? 

Nothing beats writing songs with your best friends in a creative space or sending song ideas across the web while living interstate. The writing process with The Daily Chase boys is always super fun and rewarding. I think our song writing has become very efficient over the years. The creative process is completely different with ALTERJOY and still just as fun, although it does have its pros and cons. I have complete freedom to play with any genre influences I want and there’s no silly ideas. This is a blessing and a curse as I’m currently sitting on 9 tracks, all of which do not sound anything alike. 

“Better Make A Move” blends various genres like rock, EDM, metal, and dark pop. How do you approach incorporating such diverse elements into your music, and what do you think this adds to the overall impact of the song?

I grew up as a punk rock kid, listening to skate punk bands such as NOFX and Strung Out. I was always intrigued by other sounds and styles and found myself experimenting with electronic music through my teens. I listen to a lot of music, nearly every hour of the day that I don’t have a video camera in my hand. I’m always searching for new sounds outside of the music I have written for the past 10 years. In the modern music arena, it’s becoming ever more common to slap synths behind electric guitars or add a rave chop to a metal breakdown. With all these blended elements, I believe creating something catchy and still musical is where the magic lies. Enter Shikari was the band that challenged everything I thought I knew about how heavy music should sound. They were and still are the catalyst to my creative drive in music creation. 

Blending genres and using a diversity of styles in a song will not only broaden the overall sound but make it more accessible. Rock, metal and electronic fans all have an opportunity to find something they enjoy in the track if it is well written.

Could you tell us about your collaboration with producer Chris Lalic and how his involvement influenced the direction of “Better Make A Move”?

I’ve worked with Chris since 2019 on TDC stuff and started doing ALTERJOY mid 2022. I write and record my pre-pros in my home studio before taking him a selection of tracks. Some times we pick the songs that just need a few tweaks and vocal melodies. Some times he wants to work on a track that has a fun sounding section we can build from. When we’re in the studio together, anything goes. I throw some pretty cooked ideas at him for ALTERJOY and he’s always down. We somehow managed to use his kitchen wok pan and even a massage gun as practical instruments during the studio sessions. I usually crash at his place for a week, work on the songs during the day and write my lyrics at night. He cooks me eggs and we watch ridiculous european techno music videos. Chris is an amazing producer and anyone who has worked with him would agree.

You’ve mentioned that ALTERJOY is a project free from genre restraint. How do you navigate this freedom while maintaining a cohesive sound and identity for the project?

Being the only member of the project, I don’t have anyone to bounce off of creatively. I’m indecisive by nature so this can be tricky when I’m trying to lock in a creative decision. I just remember to back myself and keep having fun with the project. I’m creating music that I genuinely love and having a great time doing it. ALTERJOY’s identity will continue to develop and evolve with each release, maintaining a dark tone as the project’s backbone.

“This is Real” served as ALTERJOY’s debut single, while “Hella Good” was a cover of a No Doubt song. How do you select the songs you want to release, and what do you look for in a cover to make it your own?

‘This is Real’ was the first song I wrote for the project so it felt natural to release it first. The song styles develop throughout the release schedule. The next track I release is one of the heaviest. The ‘Hella Good’ cover was a last minute decision in the studio, we had a spare day booked so we went for it. We picked the cover, built the song and recorded the vocals and guitars all in a day. I came back to re-do some of the chorus lines but we kept all of the original demo tracked vocals for the verses because they just sounded fun. We felt the song resonated with the dark tone of the project and we knew we could do the track justice with our own heated version. I wanted the song to sound fresh and unique while still capturing the attitude of the original.

Spending time on the Gold Coast seems to have played a role in igniting your creativity for ALTERJOY. Can you describe how your environment influences your music and artistic vision?

I travel a lot for work with my film company Headstrong Films so I’m always finding inspiration in far away places. Last year I did Portugal, Malaysia, USA, Japan and England. It’s great to venture out of Australia and take a small glimpse at life outside of the bubble. I also love coming up with song ideas while in transit. Lot’s of long flights and time abroad to work on lyrics and write music. 

With social media playing such a significant role in society, “Better Make A Move” touches on the theme of prioritizing status and wealth over human connection. How do you navigate social media as a musician, and do you see it as a tool for connection or a potential hindrance to genuine connection?

It can be a great tool to connect, it really depends on the intent behind it. Social media stands as the ultimate platform for networking, promoting music, and ensuring your voice is heard. More now than ever, unknown artists are going viral without any ad spend, PR or marketing. But that’s the killer, I’ve spent more time working my social media roll out than I have in the studio creating music. It’s easy to get caught up in it and get lost in the sheer amount of content. There’s even an industry of creators teaching people how to create the perfect TikTok video and still everyone is just competing for the attention. I feel the time spent creating throwaway content for social media takes my attention away from my family and friends. I’m not pointing the finger in my lyrical message, I’m just observing the society we are living in and taking notes. It’s important for me to always come back to my ‘why’, which is connecting with like-minded people through music and staying grounded in that.

How do you balance the personal introspection evident in your music with the desire to connect with and entertain your audience?

I love creating, I always have. I film and edit most of my own music videos and social clips, I do the same for TDC. I want people to see my videos and hear my songs, it’s part of the creative process. Build something special and let it free into the world.

I believe that most people can relate or take something away from the lyrics. Whether it’s the direct message or maybe their own interpretation of the lyrics. I’ve always written the main hook of a chorus to feel open to interpretation and easy to absorb, as everyone has their own story. “Now you’ve learned to play the game” can relate to a number of things: Pursuing a toxic relationship, working your life away in a dead end career or losing yourself in a broken social system. I want the listener to feel something when they hear that line… Then they’re hit with the cold hard truth: “You’ll die up on that hill”.

I feel reflection and self awareness are important rituals in my life. It’s good to stop, observe and understand the world we’re living in. I’m very aware that social media is a powerful tool that we will continue to benefit from. We just have to ask ourselves the question  of ‘why are we using it? Is it serving us and do we really need it to thrive as humans? Are we just trying to go viral for self fulfillment or are we trying to make real connections with people, fans and share music?

“Better Make A Move” is described as a rock tune at its core but incorporates elements from various genres. How do you see ALTERJOY’s sound evolving in future releases, and are there any specific genres or styles you’re eager to explore further?

The next few single releases will be a journey that may surprise fans. There’s a mix of industrial metalcore, drum & bass, techno and synth pop musically. Vocally, I’m leaning into pop, hip hop and rock. I’m starting to find more depth and substance in pop music; what really makes a great modern vocal hook. 

At this stage of the project, I’m casting my web fairly wide before I refine my sound on future releases. 

Can you walk us through your live performance setup for ALTERJOY? How do you translate the intricacies of your studio recordings into a compelling live experience?

I plan to establish this brand online and develop a catalog before stepping onto the stage. Once I do, it will be a three-piece act featuring a drummer playing live drums and percussion elements on pads, a guitarist, and myself leading the project on vocals and a keys/pads setup.

Looking ahead, what can fans expect from ALTERJOY in terms of upcoming music releases or projects, and what goals do you have for the project in the near future?

I’ll be releasing new ALTERJOY music regularly for the foreseeable future while still writing and performing with my band ‘The Daily Chase’. This project started as a creative outlet and has turned into something really fun that I can nurture, build and appreciate. 

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Congratulations on the upcoming release of ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’! Could you tell us about the inspiration behind the track and what message or emotion you aim to convey to your listeners?

Thank you very much!

I guess this song is our attempt at writing a classic rock n’ roll song. I think as a band we’ve officially entered our dad rock phase when we started rewriting this song together as a group!

I guess there isn’t really a message for the listeners with this song in particular. I mean the title probably has more meaning and more of a story than the lyrics themselves if I’m being honest. We used to call this song ‘Jeremy’s Song’ because I couldn’t be bothered naming it for so long. Merch guy Mike was actually my ex drummer’s dad who used to help us out with the merch table. I remember we used to have band practice at Morgan’s (ex drummer) house and every time we played that song, Mike (Morgan’s dad) would come downstairs and would have a listen and tell us that that song is his favourite song! So I renamed it after him!”

The single seems to embody your signature high-energy sound. How did you approach the songwriting and production process to capture that raw intensity?

So originally this song was actually supposed to be the final track of our debut album ‘Pull Yourself Together’ but we didn’t finish recording the song on time to release it with the rest of the album so it kinda just sat there. ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’ was recorded the same way as we recorded the rest of the songs from ‘Pull Yourself Together’ by doing everything besides the drums in my home studio. The drum tracks are actually the original drum tracks that my ex drummer Morgan (Lockhart) performed in Masters Studio in Palmerston, Northern Territory back in 2021. As for the vocals, bass and guitar tracks they were all re-recorded by my current bandmates at my home studio in Melbourne.

I started writing this song when I was 14 actually, believe it or not. I’ve played it live with other bands and it’s changed a lot since then. Fast forward to 2023 when I met James (lead guitar / vocals) and I showed it to him, he put his own spin to it and made it sound heavier. At first he started playing it in drop D tuning and I thought that it sounded amazing! James however had another trick up his sleeve… while I was playing the main riff in standard, Liam the other guitarist was playing it in drop D and James started playing it in drop C. So that’s 3 guitars in total with three different tunings!

We noticed some unexpected twists and turns in ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song,’ particularly in the guitar solos and drumline. Can you share a bit about the creative process behind those elements?

I guess I’ve always wanted to write a song with a band where each member had their own moment of glory in the song. I guess you could say this song is more of a jam type of song with a lot more freedom and improvising. Guitar solos are great but bass solos and drum solos are too so why not put all three in one song!

As a band, you’ve been praised for your dynamic performances. How do you envision translating the energy of ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’ to your live shows?

Well I guess in terms of recording we try to capture everything that we would do in our live shows. If we can’t do it live then we don’t record it and put it into our song. We notice a lot of artists or bands these days use backing tracks and click tracks for their live shows, we’re kinda old fashioned in a way and just like to have fun jamming out on stage

With the release date fast approaching, what are your hopes and expectations for how fans will receive this new single?

I just hope they like it as much as we do!

Given the success of your debut album ‘Pull Yourself Together,’ how does ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’ fit into the evolution of Danger Den’s sound and style?

This is probably the heaviest song that Danger Den has ever released but it’s still just as catchy as the other songs from ‘Pull Yourself Together’!

Your influences range from Green Day to Rage Against The Machine. How do you balance paying homage to your inspirations while still carving out a unique sound for Danger Den?

As a band and as songwriters I guess we just write and play what we like and what we think sounds good to us and just try not to overthink it.

Can you walk us through a typical songwriting session for Danger Den? How do you collaborate and refine ideas to ultimately create a cohesive track like ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’?

I used to write all the songs for Danger Den but as of 2023 we’ve started writing songs together as a group. In our songwriting sessions usually it starts off with one of the members bringing in a demo with an idea or a part of a song and then we’d all sit down and try and figure out the parts. Once the structure is all figured out we move onto the lyrics. After that we jam it out and see what works and what doesn’t, so theres lot of trial and error in the process.

For ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’ in particular though, I wrote the song myself and the boys just came up with their own parts around it.”

From Darwin to Melbourne, your journey as a band has been marked by growth and evolution. How has your environment and experiences influenced the music you create?

Since moving from Darwin to Melbourne I guess I have noticed that my mind has been a lot more open these days to listening to different kinds of music that I don’t normally listen to. It’s true what they say here, Melbourne is the live music capital of Australia!

What do you hope listeners take away from ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’ both musically and lyrically?

Honestly I just hope they have a good time listening to it!

As finalists at the Northern Territory Music Awards and winners of the 2022 Territory Sounds Countdown, you’ve already achieved significant recognition. How does this upcoming single contribute to your momentum as a band?

Well one thing that we know for sure is that there’s plenty more where that came from! We don’t plan on slowing down and we still have a lot more to show to the world!

Looking ahead, what’s next for Danger Den? Are there any upcoming projects or milestones fans can look forward to after the release of ‘Merch Guy Mike’s Favourite Song’?

More shows and more music!

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