Following on from a flurry of bold and impressive cuts over the last few months, Saddleworth-based outfit Plain Navy make their raucous return with the vibrant new single 'Livin' Alone'.
Channelling a broad and euphoric indie-rock aesthetic from start to finish, 'Livin' Alone' sees the group return in fine form. Jam-packed with killer riffs, blistering hooks, and memorable vocals layered throughout, these guys look set to take the country by storm very soon.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with the band's drummer Dan Dalzell to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Drums were the first instrument that I fell in love with, I got my cousin's old drum kit at the age of 12. My parents bought it for £40 off my uncle. It took 3 trips in my mum’s mini to get the entire kit home.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I really liked Arctic Monkeys and still do, Matt Helders is such an influential drummer. I was also in a jazz orchestra. Therefore I am a big fan of Buddy Rich, just like most drummers, and spent hours watching his concerts on YouTube as a child.
What was the first album you remember owning?
‘Is this it’ by The Strokes.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters. I think it is one of the greatest tracks Dave Grohl has produced, who also wrote it, and recorded each instrument individually.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
If we are writing new material and ever suffer writer's block, we sometimes spend up to 2 hours messing around and jamming in the rehearsal room until a riff or hook clicks with us and we run with the track as it goes.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
We have all recently been listening to past bands such as the Maccabees and enjoy some of the early work of Weezer. We all have a tendency to follow the first albums of various different artists as we most commonly only enjoy early work.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
The Strokes. As a band we are waiting until the summer where we are all off to Barcelona for the Primavera festival in Barcelona where The Strokes are headlining.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Seeing people enjoy our music in concerts and hearing a song you worked on for months being played on the radio.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Keeping up with social media and trying to work on new apps called ‘tiktok’?
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
‘There’s more important things that go wrong in life than messing up a drum beat.’ And ‘you play the drums because you love it, don’t play them for a paycheck’.
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Plain Navy's new single 'Livin' Alone' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.