Photo of Danimals with Mark Ronson and The Dap Kings from the TED Lab writing a new song in New York
Danimals began, largely, as a solo project for Sydney artist Jonti Danilewitz. But as time moved on it wasn’t long before Danimals turned into a five-piece for their live shows, transcending far beyond Jonti’s original concept. With the intentions that the shows (and music in general) have an exciting rhythmic element, the band revolves around three drummers that rotate around a single drum kit and separate synth and percussion stations. Recently Danimals won the Tooheys Extra Dry Competition to fly to New York to collaborate with countless musicians at Mark Ronsons Studio. The writing week has already happened and in March 2010 the track is to be released.
Answered by Jonti Danilewitz
1. What was the first band you saw live?
Hah, well first live band I saw were the Bee Gees back in my South Africa days. I was really young but it was huge because no international acts came to South Africa then!
2. What’d you learn from them?
I was too young to process anything at that gig in particular, but what I learned from the Bee Gees in general was how to secure harmonies in popular music, because those dudes has a vocal blend like no other and used them like different instruments in an orchestra.
3. Got any pre-gig rituals?
We all do Om’s in the street for as long as possible.
4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting Music in NSW is today?
Well at least in the social strata I’m in, it’s the musicians who tend to jump in too early into the external factors of being an artist, like promoting themselves as young and interesting. Instead they would really benefit a lot more from locking themselves away for three years to just listen and learn records and make music. And then worry about the other stuff. The evil ticking clock is alot more fictional than we think it is!
5. If you weren’t a musician what do you rekon you’d be doing?
I would be drawing frogs as a living – that was probably my only other passion.
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