Project Description
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Interview with
BLAKE DANTIER
(13th March, 2021)
Interviewer – Dave Bruce
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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
I don’t know if I’ve always thought I would be a musician. But I’ve never really wanted to be anything else. I started playing drums when I was 12 and loved it. I just kept going, discovered new instruments along the way and a real passion for Country music and song writing.
How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
A lot of influences have gone into it – I like every kind of Country music – but I really like the ballsy-ness of more ‘traditional’ sounds. Big pedal steels, ripper tele solos, fiddle and a one-five bassline. That stuff gets me every time.
But playing that style of music is a bit rarer now in the 20s than it was in the 70s or 90s. I just want to bring some of that back.
Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn are big ones for me at the moment. There was a lot of great trad country in the 90s. Waylon always gets me too. But there’s a heap of great stuff coming from modern artists too that I love.
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Your new single/ has just been released/! Describe its origin and evolution.
The new song, WISH YOU WERE MY BEER, was mostly written at the beginning of 2020 (after to listening to a lot of Midland). Once the virus hit us I had a lot more downtime and started tweaking it. I also got seriously in homebrewing (like seriously) so I was pretty inspired to write a beer song.
Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
We’ve been tracking it now for just over a year, in stages. We’ve only just reached the mixing phase. Yeah I’m taking it slow, but it’ll be worth it. We’ve done an 11 track album, with 3 of those having already been released as singles.
Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I wish! But stuff is coming back. I’m doing a few gigs around Sydney really just because I can. I need more live music in my life! I’m really looking forward to getting the full band behind me though and doing some festival gigs when we’re allowed lol.
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If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
Oh man, I hate this question. Just one!? I have a bunch of guitar heroes and artists I’d love to have a jam with.
How about Hank? Some people make history, but some people, like Hank, are legends – I’m talking about him right now, decades after he left his mark. The idea of stepping into a time machine and getting on stage with him sounds pretty cool right?
Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist?
Try to make good shit and enjoy it. They’re the main goals. Having a global hit or selling out a stadium tour wouldn’t be too bad either.
What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
I love improvising and getting back from an audience. The best thing is that every show is different. But the best ones always have an enthusiastic crowd.
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Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – at the moment – The Lonesome, the Lonely and the Gone – Lee Ann Womack
Artist – Alan Jackson
Movie – I’ve seen a lot of great movies. But nothing really stands above the rest.
Place to visit – Tamworth is pretty good.
Venue to play – I just played at the Hard Rock Café in Sydney. I didn’t have to bring my amp, they fed and watered me + I got to take home a T-shirt. So that’s a pretty strong contender right now.
Food – Honey Chicken maybe
Drink – Beer
Person in History – Jesus was pretty boss
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) The reason I don’t have one is because I don’t know what I would get!
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Check out BLAKE DANTIER below
Facebook – Instagram
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Press Release 29th January, 2021 below
BLAKE DANTIER
shares new single
‘WISH YOU WERE MY BEER’
Blake Dantier is back with his latest brew “Wish You Were My Beer”. It comes hot on the heels of his previous hit single “I’d Do It Again” which was added to high rotation on ABC Country, Kix Country, Australian Country Radio (amongst others), and spent 9 weeks in The Music Network’s Country Hot 50 airplay charts. It also comes as the result of some first-hand experience in the creation of beer itself.
Dantier says: “For many, 2020 was a big year for new hobbies – for me, that was brewing beer. It started off with just a couple of Coopers tins from Dan Murphy’s. The next thing I knew I’d bought a 40L pot and was making it up from scratch. Now it’s gotten to the point where I work in an actual brewery a couple of days a week! With that much beer on the brain it was inevitable I’d write something about it.”
The inspiration for “Wish You Were My Beer” comes from the deep well of country music’s history of heartbroken songs about drinking to forget. Dantier says: “I really dig songs like that and it’s not the only song with that theme on the upcoming album. I got the idea from a Brad Paisley song where one of the lines is “I wish I was your beer”. When I heard it, I thought that could be a title itself, but preferred it switched around to “Wish You Were My Beer.”
“Wish You Were My Beer” was recorded in August 2020 by Simon Johnson (Catherine Britt, Travis Collins) at his Hillbilly Hut studio. The track features Simon on bass, Brad Bergen on drums, Shane Nicholson on acoustic and Blake himself on electric. Dantier says: “Duncan Toombs came in and he and I tracked guitars together the whole day, which naturally resulted in a harmonized guitar solo.”
2020 was a big year for Dantier, with two singles gaining him plenty of national exposure and attention. He was the winner of the Country Rock Song of the Year category at the Tamworth Songwriters Salute Awards. His single “Ash and Dust” was added to high rotation on ABC Country, Kix Country and CMT upon release and spent 9 weeks in The Music Network’s Country Hot 50 airplay charts peaking at #24, with his follow up single “I’d Do It Again” spending 9 weeks in The Music Network’s Country Hot 50 peaking at #14.
The pandemic has slowed down gigs for the time being but that hasn’t stopped Dantier from being active. He’s just returned from playing at the 2021 Tamworth Country Music Festival where he also attended the Golden Guitar Awards, and with his debut album coming later in the year, big things are certainly brewing.
With a country-rock twang all his own, Blake Dantier is an emerging name in Australia’s country music scene. “Wish You Were My Beer” is a fresh taste in country music, with a crisp palette and a pleasant aftertaste that leaves you wanting more.
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AMNPLIFY – DB
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