I had two choices on a Saturday night last year during CMJ Music Festival: make the long and difficult voyage to Brooklyn (not so difficult, but undesirable nonetheless) to see Real Estate, or stay in Manhattan and drunkenly pop over to The Mercury Lounge to see Dan Croll. A envious friend of mine had recommended that I go to both, but because they both played at 11, I had a decision. I googled Dan Croll, saw that he was indeed English, tall, and handsome and began to walk over with a girl friend slurring how cuuuute he was the whole way there.
How foolish. I was instantly won over during the show and began to listen to his EPs and their respective remixes (one such remix was with Baardsen for “From Nowhere” featured on GTA V, which was the first track I heard). Hailing from Straffordshire, England, Dan Croll received the Songwriter of the Year award at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and got the chance to have a one-on-one with Sir Paul McCartney. It’s no secret, then, that Croll’s music permeates through his establishment as a songwriter. Having toured with the likes of Bastille and Imagine Dragons, Croll has made a name for himself as the bridge between Vampire Weekend and Beck, among many other impressive comparisons. After being blown away by Croll’s live show, I reached out in hopes of scoring an interview. Thankfully, I was able to sit down with him at our studio to discuss his upcoming tour and his (surprising) love of Swedish metal.
Tell me about your upcoming tour and coming to America — how has it been?
It’s been good — flew to LA to start, did some press stuff there, and then we went to Indianapolis, and then to Akron, Ann Arbor, all the top places. And now we’re back in New York and it’s great to be back.
Probably better than Indianapolis.
[laughs] It’s close.So do you have a favorite place you like to go when you’re in the states?
NY and LA — the shows have been the best received shows. In LA we managed to sell out the Troubadour last time and that was a massive thing for me. Such a historic venue and to sell it out was great. And then we played Glasslands twice here, which was incredibly fun, and we get to play Bowery Ballroom this time so it’s great.
You recorded with Ladysmith Black Mambazo — how very Paul Simon.
[laughs] Yeah, very Paul Simon. Loved it. We spent like a week with them. But it was quite a tough because two days before we were about to go out Nelson Mandela passed away, and that nearly cancelled the whole trip because they had been invited to attend the funeral. Thankfully they put aside three days. So yeah, we hung out with them for a few days and recorded three songs. Two of mine that they did an interpretation of, and I did a cover of one of their songs.
That’s awesome.
It’s always hard to put into words — a bit of a dream come true. We got back and everyone was like “How was it, how was it? Ladysmith Black Mambazo!” and you’re just like “Ahhh!”
What can you say?
Amazing. You’ll never quite get across how it was. Kind of grew up listening to those guys so it was a big thing.
So is that the kind of sound that’s going to permeate through the rest of the upcoming album or new music you’re working on?
Because it’s been such an influence growing up I think it’s already in my music — the kind of choir sound. I always loved layering up vocals and harmonies to kind of create that. It doesn’t end up sounding anywhere near Ladysmith’s voices but the ideas and the sounds are there already. But as for the future, maybe more of that, maybe more Ladysmith collaborations [laughs].
That’d be awesome. I know that you get compared to Paul Simon and the Beatles all the time. Is there someone that you’ve always been pumped to be compared to — someone that you find you’re most compatible with musically?
I suppose Paul Simon. I think it is quite an obvious influence, he’s been huge for me. I love the Beach Boys, love the Zombies, love Burt Bacharach, James Taylor, and a lot of that. I think it’s always good. There’s never really been a bad one, so far. I do really enjoy people — I think a few don’t like being compared to other artists — but I enjoy it. If you haven’t heard of that person it’s like oh [and] go and listen to them. It’s really cool when you’ve found someone else who’s now become an influence.
I read that you grew up around music and you listened to a lot of blues and jazz. I’m a big jazz fan — I’m curious if you had a favorite.
Yeah my mom used to sing — she’s a nurse — but she used to sing with ballroom brass bands and stuff. She sang all the classics and it was always around the house; Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. It was quite good.
So what are you listening to now?
I listen to a lot of metal.
That’s surprising.
I do love heavy music — that was another part of my upbringing but that didn’t quite make it in. There are a few things. Theres a Swedish metal band called Meshuggah that I’m obsessed with. I’ve been Shazaming a lot recently. I’ve been doing a lot of single songs, making a Shazam playlist. There was a song that was on the radio whilst we were driving to a wildlife reserve, while we were in Africa, that was called “Easy to Love” by Busie. Incredible South African house track. There was another one last night, Broken Bells “Holding on for Life”. Incredible song. I just do that — Shazam it and put it in a playlist. But albumwise, been listening to the new Aluna George album. The production on that is great. She’s got a cool voice as well.
Catch Dan Croll when he performs at Bowery Ballroom this Thursday (3/17). Tickets here.
Dan Croll performs Northside Festival at Music Hall of Williamsburg (6/15). Tickets here.
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Interview by Eva Bandurowski. Follow her on Twitter @ewabando.
Photos by Jackie Lee
