Backstage with Dan Digs

Come backstage and meet Sampology! The Brisbane-based artist, producer, and DJ and I talked about his very favorite venue to play, why record stores are so important, the genius of broken beat, taking inspiration from the outdoors, and the making of his fantastic new album, Regrowth. Plus Sam played a favorite remix from the Avalanches, his favorite broken beat tune, his new single “Suffer and Swim” featuring 30/70’s Allysha Joy, and more. Get Regrowth at http://sampology.bandcamp.com. If you'd like to hear the full version of our chat that includes the songs Sam mentions, just head to http://mixcloud.com/dandigs and search for LOOPS+DOTS episode 32. And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the Backstage with Dan Digs podcast and leave a review. It helps us move up the charts and get more great music to people! More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Come backstage and meet Rosie Frater-Taylor! The London jazz-folk artist and I talked about her favorite venue to play in London, working with Chris Hyson from Snowpoet, the genius of George Benson, her childhood memories of the song "Destiny" by Zero 7, and how she put together her fantastic new album, Bloom. Plus Rosie played her favorite songs from Becca Stevens, Madison Cunningham, and more. Get Bloom at http://rosiefratertaylor.bandcamp.com. If you'd like to hear the version of this episode that includes the songs Rosie mentions during our chat, just head to http://mixcloud.com/dandigs. And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the Backstage with Dan Digs podcast and leave a review. It helps us move up the charts and get more great music to people! More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Come backstage and meet Brijean! The Oakland duo and I talked about their very favorite venue to play, how they first met, hip-hop trivia nights, opening for Channel Tres, Salami Rose Joe Louis DJing their first show, their jazz backgrounds, Brijean nudging Doug into disco music, dancing all night at house nights in Madison, Wisconsin, texting Chaz from Toro Y Moi about great house music, the supportive musical community of Oakland, writing their amazing track “Moody” in just 20 minutes, being inspired by Timbaland’s productions, the story behind their music video for “Wifi Beach,” Karen Carpenter drums solos, a forthcoming Brijean remix by a house music legend (they wouldn’t tell me who!), future collaborations, and their brand new album Feelings out now on Ghostly. Plus we played music from Moodymann, Candido, and Mejiwahn. Brijean also played my new feature FIVE GEMS, where I ask artists five rapid-fire questions about five of the best things in life. Listen to hear them talk about their picks for: 1 – A GEM OF A SONG 2 – A GEM OF AN ALBUM 3 – A GEM OF A LIVE SHOW 4 – A GEM OF A FILM 5 – A GEM OF A PIECE OF ADVICE Get Brijean's new album "Feelings" via Ghostly at http://brijean.bandcamp.com. If you'd like to hear the version of this episode that includes some of the songs Brijean mentioned, just head to http://mixcloud.com/dandigs. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review. It helps us move up the charts and get more great music to people! More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Backstage with Dan Digs is back! We’re remixing it up for 2021 with new and very special “at home” editions! For episode 5 I had a chat “backstage” (meaning over Zoom from my back yard in Nashville) with Natalie Slade in Sydney, who released one of my favorite albums of 2020, Control, on Eglo Records. We talked about the Sydney warehouse scene, living through the Christchuch, New Zealand earthquake, singing Chaka Khan songs as a kid at a talent contest, why every great musician in Australia heads to Melbourne, how every DJ livestream needs a strong houseplant presence, how she would describe her album Control, how she linked up with Simon Mavin from Hiatus Kaiyote to create it, what her song “Humidity” means to her, the forthcoming remixes of her songs, and working with Steve Spacek. Natalie also played my new feature FIVE GEMS, where I ask artists five rapid-fire questions about five of the best things in life. Listen to hear her talk about her picks for: 1 – A GEM OF A SONG 2 – A GEM OF AN ALBUM 3 – A GEM OF A LIVE SHOW 4 – A GEM OF A FILM 5 – A GEM OF A PIECE OF ADVICE Get Control via Eglo Records at http://natalie-slade.bandcamp.com and follow Natalie at http://instagram.com/_natalieslade. Thanks for tuning in. Hope you enjoy the conversation. To hear the version of this episode that includes some of the songs Natalie mentioned, just head to http://mixcloud.com/dandigs. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a review - it helps us move up the charts and get more great music to people! More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Sampa the Great is great. For the fourth episode of Backstage with Dan Digs, the rogue offshoot of my regular Dublab radio show where we go behind the scenes at the world's best live music venues and have a chat with my favorite artists before their performances, I had a chat with Sampa while sitting on the stage before her recent show at Gold Diggers in LA. We talked about the first song she ever wrote, her memories of her parents playing folk tapes from Zambia, her first time listening to 2Pac, listening to South Sudan rapper Krown while on tour, and the profound concept behind her new album, The Return, out next month via Ninja Tune and available as a red and green vinyl package in honor of the Zambian flag. [This was previously broadcast as part of my regular Dublab show - Loops + Dots - episode 11. Listen to the full show with music at http://mixcloud.com/dandigs.] Thanks for tuning in. More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

I love me a good Origin story. For the third episode of Backstage with Dan Digs, the rogue offshoot of my regular Dublab radio show where we go behind the scenes at the world's best live music venues and have a chat with my favorite artists before their performances, I caught up with London-via-New Zealand artist, musician, and Kiwi D’Angelo Jordan Rakei for a chat backstage before his recent Hollywood Forever show in LA. We talked about playing the Troubadour two years ago, the pho vs. ramen debate, strong pho puns, getting recognition from Elton John, Quincy Jones, and Nile Rodgers, his house music alias Dan Kye, his kind-of-secret other music alias Frank Liin, making music on the MPC, his love of musical theater, golf, the rise of artificial intelligence, the best thing about London, and explaining the idea behind the cover art of his amazing new album, Origin, out now via Ninja Tune. Thanks for tuning in! If you'd like to hear the version of this episode that includes the songs Jordan picked, just head to http://mixcloud.com/dandigs. More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Nothing short of glorious. For the second episode of Backstage with Dan Digs, the rogue offshoot of my regular Dublab radio show where we go behind the scenes at the world's best live music venues and have a chat with my favorite artists before their performances, I caught up with one of 2019's fastest rising stars: Slowthai. Ty and I talked about LA, anticipating trying In-N-Out for the first time, his show rider, how surreal it is to release an album into the world, his singular voice, working with Mura Masa, writing "Doorman" in two hours on one hour of sleep, collaborating with Slaves, keeping his future releases a mystery, seeing Odd Future in Birmingham and then a few years later working with Tyler, the Creator, believing in the universe, thinking things into existence, and never putting boundaries on music. Thanks for tuning in. More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.

Somewhere in space, this may all be happening right now. Backstage with Dan Digs is a new music-centric interview series set in green rooms and iconic concert venues across the nation. Our first episode (originally recorded in 2017) has me sitting down with none other than James Lavelle to talk about his UNKLE album The Road Pt 1, the legacy of Mo’ Wax, DJing around the world, and Phil Collins. You can listen to this episode’s playlist of all the music mentioned in our conversation by searching for "Backstage with Dan Digs" on Spotify. You can also watch the video of our conversation at http://dandigs.com/tv. Thanks for tuning in. More music, radio shows, and interviews at http://dandigs.com.