Dan Sindel Talks To Fanbase Music Magazine About His Music Career, Latest Single & More
Intro
Dan Sindel is a musician who recently came onto my radar, and I am pretty glad that he did. Not only is he a brilliant musician who makes great music, but he is also a great down-to-earth guy.
Enjoy the read as we get to know all there is to know about Dan Sindel, including his new single Freedom.
Hi Dan, welcome to Fanbase Music Magazine. Can you tell us where you from and what got you into music?
Hey, thank you for allowing me to be here with you and your awesome magazine. I am from Los Angeles, CA, and yes, growing up, the music scene was truly amazing out here. I spent a lot of time as a kid in the Hollywood area, and in the late 70s, I started to go to all the nightclubs, sneaking in and seeing a lot of amazing bands that went on to become famous. I was lucky enough to watch Randy Rhodes play guitar in Quiet Riot and so many other great bands before they hit international stardom. But what got me into playing music, at least rock and roll, was Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin. Listening to how he played the guitar changed my mind because I was playing trumpet and trombone in the Jr. high school’s jazz band and orchestra, but once I heard Led Zeppelin, that’s all I wanted to do, was play rock and roll.
How would you describe your music?
The music I write is a combination of everything I ever grew up with and loved, up to what’s currently happening now. When I was younger, most music was played on AM Radio on what is called a “transistor radio”. This is something that you might see in the history books or a museum at this point (in the year 2025). Being from California, everybody would go to the beach, and the same station, which was called 93 KHJ, was being played on almost everyone’s radio. You could walk for a mile and still listen to the songs without missing a note. Music like the Beach Boys and The Beatles, plus all the Top 40 music, was perfect. That was the beginning of me becoming a person who loved to listen to music and couldn’t live without it.
Then, as the mid-70s came around, we started having more, harder rock and roll, like the early Aerosmith, KISS, Boston, Kansas, STYX, Ted Nugent… you know, there was just so much cool stuff going on. Of course, the birth of Punk Rock was way awesome (RAMONES, SEX PISTOLS, etc.) Then, towards the late 70s, early 80s, things started getting heavier with Judas Priest, and obviously by the time the early 80s came around. Fast speed metal music was starting to happen with early Metallica, Megadeth, VENOM, etc. All the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) came about (Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, SAXON, etc.), and MTV came out. Music was exciting back then.
I really like all kinds of music. And when I write music, it’s difficult not to borrow from somebody else subconsciously. As impossible as it is to make things sound fresh, new and exciting, innovative, and not rely too heavily on the influences is the challenge. I strive to create an original sound based on everything that I’ve heard and loved, but with my unique character.
I think that anyone who tries to write songs and create art finds out that it’s not easy to do. But as long as you’re honest in your approach and not plagiarize, I think you’re OK.
What sort of music did you grow up listening to and what is in your playlist now?
Well, I think I answered this question quite sufficiently in the last question lol. As far as what’s in my current playlist. I don’t know, to be honest with you. I don’t listen to a lot of music anymore. I’m so busy working and trying to market my music. There’s just not enough time in the day.
The more and more I get online and start connecting with radio stations and public relations groups, I realize how many bands are out there, all struggling to get their music heard, so much of it is incredibly good, and many are doing this on a DIY shoestring budget.
For me, there’s just not enough time in the day. I hate to say it, not to be selfish about things, but if I do listen to music, I just usually go back to what I listened to in high school. I just put on some Pink Floyd, GENESIS, or some old Jeff Beck, or maybe some old YES or Jethro Tull or whatever, and just put it on quietly while I do some of my work. But that’s about it. I’m trying to keep my mind void of what is “cool and trendy” because songwriting is important to me and I don’t want to channel other people’s work by accident especially the new stuff, If I heard a banging track by Yungblud or something then I don’t want to get too caught up in thinking “OH $h!T, now I have to write one like this… lol – it’s a viscous cycle.
Are you a solo musician or do you perform in a band?
Yes, at this point in time, I think it would be safe to say I am a solo artist. I’ve been writing, recording, and producing all of my music. I have two EPs that are currently out (UNPOPULAR MUSIC FOR POPULAR PEOPLE Vol 1 and Vol 2 (THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING). Both of which are exclusively available on Bandcamp (shameless plug lol) https://dansindel.bandcamp.com/
Indeed, I am in the process of forming a power trio to go out and perform the songs live. On the record, the music is quite produced with a lot of overdubs and layers, but I think the songs are strong enough to be able to strip them down and be able to play them as a power trio. If you have a good song, you can take away a lot of the extra production and still have a very solid foundation to work with.
What instruments do you play?
Guitar, bass, vocals, drum, and synth programming, basically everything but I did hire drummers to play on the music to replace the software/MIDI drums when it came time to create the albums.
Let’s talk about your latest single ‘Freedom’, what is the song about?
The press release says this: “FREEDOM is a dystopian rocker packed with cinematic weight – a relentless wall of guitars, thunderous rhythms, and haunting vocal layers. The track paints a chilling vision of a future where machines rise against their human creators, echoing themes from The Terminator, Blade Runner, and The Matrix. “It’s an intense, high-impact anthem that blurs the line between hard rock and sci-fi storytelling.”
I guess that says it all, just another love song about how technology has the possibility of becoming aware and turning on its creators. But musically, I borrow old 70’s classic rock influences, i.e., Led Zep and YES, with modern guitars, and I tried to sneak a few decent guitar solos in on that track.
Where was the track recorded, and who else worked on it?
The drums and vocals were recorded at RADD SOUND STUDIOS in LA with the help of my good pal John Prpich. All drums and vocals were recorded at RADD SOUND for both EPs (UNPOPULAR MUSIC FOR POPULAR PEOPLE Vol 1 and Vol 2 (THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING). Everything was done in his room at basically the same time, and then it just took a while to get each one properly mixed and up to standards.I asked my friend Duane Waider if he wanted to come into the studio and play on a few tracks. Duane is a fantastic drummer here in Los Angeles, and he was available that day, so yeah, that was awesome. He came in and nailed the parts on “FREEDOM” as well as “BLINDSIDED,” which will be released later this year! Once I had the drums recorded, I took the tracks home and re-recorded all the guitar and bass parts in my home studio and essentially replaced all the rough demo tracks one by one with the “new and better” sounding tracks.
My friend Danny Saber mixed the song for me once I had all the parts done and edited to the best of my ability. Danny mixed the entire 6-song EP, THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING, for me. Danny has an incredible career helping mix/record/produce top-tier artists like U2, Bowie, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Michael Hutchence, The Rolling Stones, Marilyn Manson, KORN, etc., and to have him agree to help me is beyond awesome!!! I’m proud of how the project turned out.
How long did it take to write and record the single?
Each song is different and tells its own story. With regard to FREEDOM, I think I wrote the lyrics way back in 2008. And had it demoed and recorded onto my computer around that time. That’s the way a lot of my songs are. I write them, get them on the computer as soon as possible, store them away and maybe one day they will resurface and be usable if the timing is right.
There is a lot of time and $$$ invested into the track, but once you listen to it, I would certainly hope that your ears will tell you there is depth and professional quality involved.
The single is taken off the EP THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING. How many tracks are on the EP?
THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING is a 6-song EP. As you know, working on a song to get it out there and have it heard on a global, worldwide basis just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of work, time, and resources. Case in point, I invested in that product called the Indie Bible, and that is how I met you and the Fanbase Music Magazine. I was sending out mass emails to radio stations, public relations firms, blogs, and the press of any type just to get the music out there. And you, Duzzy, were kind enough to give me a chance. And now we are continuing to talk. You played my music on your radio program. We’re now doing this interview, and I’m very grateful and cannot thank you enough. Interestingly enough, as of this writing, about two months ago, I partnered up with a great independent record label called Curtain Call Records. And the guys from Curtain Call are really amazing. They believe in what I’m doing. They’re helping build my profile and push my music out to radio stations and press far beyond what I have ever could have done by myself. And it is cool to see music going places, and hopefully, people enjoy it.
The first two releases that Curtain Call Records is working on are: AMBITION and FREEDOM. I hear the numbers are doing well and lots of radio stations are starting to play the music, so I am really happy about that.
How did you get to that EP title?
“THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING!”
A classic tale of how you can rise from obscurity, rise to prominence, fail, and become forgotten. The public can be rather fickle if not downright malicious lol, especially now with social media connecting everyone. I guess the big joke of this week is the guys that got caught kissing at the Coldplay show. Yikes.
“Today’s hero, tomorrow’s loser.” You see it all the time in sports, politics, entertainment, etc.I tend to add a bit of sarcastic humor to my artwork. I grew up in MAD Magazine, National Lampoon, underground comics (R. Crumb), and added a dash of Frank Zappa-esque cynicism there; it shaped me into what I am today! Lol
How has this EP differed from your previous work?
As said before, Danny Saber mixed the entire six-song EP, THEY ONLY LOVE YOU WHEN YOU’RE WINNING, for me, so that “In and of itself” lends to a cohesive collection of material with a completely central sound and vibe.
Comparatively, UNPOPULAR MUSIC FOR POPULAR PEOPLE Vol. 1 was mixed by 2 different mix engineers, John Prpich and Steve Sykes, so my debut album isn’t as seamless in a certain way, but the collection of songs and the production of the first EP is freaking fantastic in my humble opinion. Everyone involved brought their “A game,” and I am quite pleased with the results.
What is your writing process?
Each song is written differently, but most of them start, perhaps, with a lyrical idea. I just keep jotting down ideas on paper until something fits. Or maybe I’m strumming on the guitar and find a few chords that I think are pretty cool that are worth developing, and once I have things pretty well penciled out, I get to the computer, turn on my studio. I happen to use Pro Tools, btw.
I fire up the software drummer and fish around for a groove or a certain beat that might work. And just continue from there. I built a drum track that seems to fit. Then I put the guitar parts down. Then the bass parts, then put down some scratch vocal tracks and just see how things take shape.
It’s a bit like drawing a little cartoon with a pencil on a piece of paper. Just a sketch, so, before really putting in a lot of long hours, the pre-production goes a long way to see if the idea is worth developing or not. Then, after I have the song recorded in demo form, it usually sits on the hard drive until I decide it’s time to record it properly in the studio. Then I go and hire drummers.
And as I was saying earlier, once I have the drum tracks, I go back home and re-record all the guitars and the bass again to make it sound as professional as possible. It’s a very long, tedious process. Anyone who writes songs probably goes through a similar process in some form or fashion. Studio time is very expensive, but thankfully, due to home recording gear, you can get some amazing DIY results without the pressure of being on the clock.
Do you play live, and if so, what is a live experience like?
Oh yeah, I’ve played live for a very long time, ever since I was a kid. But you know, as far as rock and roll and all that, sure, I’ve played with some amazing artists in my career (i.e., ACCEPT, SAXON, KING DIAMOND, WENDY O. WILLIAMS, RACER X, ARMORED SAINT, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, HELMET, and METAL CHURCH, just to name a few). And I’m getting ready to put my band together after all this time and get back out there and hopefully play some huge concerts with international acts. I’m looking forward to the future and seeing what will happen.
If you could give up-and-coming musicians any advice about the music industry, what would it be?
I’m not sure what to say. The music industry has surely changed. Everything seems to be boiled down to a 7-second Instagram/TikTok reel. It’s really hard to get people’s attention and grab their focus. It’s not the way it used to be. I grew up before all these computers and all these social media $#@! **** So yeah, even I have to think about things differently.
You have to have nerves of steel, and you can’t give up. You’re going to hear a lot of no’s and have a lot of doors slammed in your face. But you have to hold on to your beliefs and know in your heart you’re following the path that you’re supposed to be on. Just be creative with your art. If that makes you feel good, then you’re on the right path.
You know, fame and fortune and all that crap. Don’t get sidelined by that, just. Stay true to your art.
Thank you for doing this interview. Do you have any last messages for our readers?
Just want to say thank you, especially if you take the time to read this. And yeah, I sure hope that you spend a little time and find my music, and I sure hope you like listening to it. Come by one of my social media pages and say hello. I’ll say hello back to you. And once again, Duzzy, thank you for allowing me to be part of your network, and I’ll see you guys soon.
Social Media
Website: www.dansindel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanSindelMusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansindelmusic/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/12JOM4gAm4nuaXD8GXLW3x
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dansindelmusic
Bandcamp: https://dansindel.bandcamp.com/