FEATURE / DANIEL VERSUS THE WORLD
Daniel Versus the Worldās debut album āRemember Who You Areā has been a long time in the making, ten years to be exact. Daniel was spurred to begin writing the album after listening to the same topics being covered over and over within the mainstream charts. āBasically, too many straight white guys singing about how "girlsā make them ācrazyāā explains Daniel of the charts at the time. Despite being born out of frustration, the album is an upbeat and celebratory release thatās giving a platform to LGBTQ issues and creating a community in which people feel safe to discuss those issues and form connections.
The addition of a band to Danielās music (Laura Ankles on drums, Carmela Pietrangelo on guitar and Jaca Free on bass) has seen the compositions open up and sound much bigger than when they were first written. The band got together through mutual friends and places, or in the case of Laura who ājust did my normal trick of hanging around someone really musically talented and seizing my chance when it came along.ā This has meant that thereās more scope for experimentation and drama within their music - Daniel was writing and realised they wanted ābig build ups and huge crescendos and all the melodrama that I love in musicā which was the deciding factor in getting a band together. The result is a cohesive album that looks introspectively into someones life whilst flourishing sonically. Keys are predominant on most of the tracks, giving it a Jackās Mannequin feel, but the addition of drums, guitar and bass mean that dynamics can be used so that the moments that need extra energy can stand out.
The album touches on many issues, from mental health to LGBTQ issues and each topic is addressed personally and politically. āWe are second class citizensā bemoans Daniel over some solemn sounding keys on 'Second Class Citizenā, forcing the listener to consider their own place in society however they identify. āWe should be talking about sexuality, and gender, and identity. Itās not just something that some people experience, everyone is involved in thisā clarifies Daniel. āItās no surprise that a significant cross section of people with mental health conditions also identify as LGBTQ, when you consider the pressures queer people face.ā
Addressing this crossover, 'Donāt Be Discouragedā is a song that talks openly and honestly about mental illness, with the lyrics āit takes courage just to get out of the bed in the morning sometimesā acknowledging a very real and sometimes debilitating symptom of depression.āThese issues are becoming more openly spoken about across the media in general, which goes to show how relevant they are for so many peopleā states Carmela, hitting home the bands goal of creating a space where people can talk about these issues without fear of misunderstanding or judgement.
The overlap between the political and personal on 'Remember Who You Areā means that there are no holds barred within the lyrical content. From 'Thank Youā which has Daniel thanking a past lover for heartbreak and then in the next breath āfor making me, meā to 'Memories of Things To Comeā which directly acknowledges the past icons and activists of LGBTQ history whilst being a solemn reminder that there are still strides to go. āAs a queer person itās important to feel recognised and visible in culture. But in mainstream media queer issues are often de-politicisedā says Carmela when explaining the space that LGBTQ people are in right now in terms of social progress. āIām not really down with the "it gets betterā mentality, but having access to all of the information on the internet has really helped to improve the visibility of both queer and mental health issues" contributes Laura.Ā Danielās piercing honesty when relaying their own experiences to these issuesĀ cements the importance of this album to society - itās hard to see political progress without acknowledging the personal aspects and consequences too.
Whether Daniel is singing about sociopolitical issues or their own personal experiences as a human being, each song sounds great. All upbeat and jolting keyboard playing regardless of lyrical matter ensures there is never a lull in the proceedings, and the addition of backing vocals and a drumbeat helps to elevate each track to new places whilst adding dynamics that set each track apart from one another and will have people singing along at their gigs.
Itās clear that this is a band that has a definitive understanding of complex issues within society and that they know where to begin when tackling them through their platform as a DIY band. They also have big ambitions with their music. When asked where they would like to play anywhere in the world, theyāre nothing but earnest in their response. āWe actually played my number one London venue last year, it was so beautiful and Iām so glad we did it.ā says Daniel excitedly before going on to add āobviously Sydney Opera House, itās so iconic! Apparently the sound isnāt very good, but I donāt know, itās still the Sydney Opera Houseā. Laura wishes to play at Norwich Cathedral. āThose kinds of old religious buildings look and sound really beautiful, which is ironic given that theyāre, like, symbolic of the oppression that comes with big, organised religion eh?ā Itās a double edged sword trying to survive in an industry so dependent on oppression, and another reason why bands like Daniel Versus the World are so desperately needed.
After the release of 'Remember Who You Areā, Daniel requests that people send them pictures of cute animals to distract them from seasonal affective disorder and post-launch blues. After that? āIām thinking world domination for the DIY queer punx.ā
Listen toĀ āRemember Who You Areā here
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