TINY DANZA ~ Unsigned & Undefined!
Written by Pamela Detlor
We live in a society that loves labels and categories. Thankfully, not all things can be defined by placing an “X” in one box. The six piece ensemble that is TINY DANZA makes music that is rooted in Rock, Pop, R&B, Rap, Blues, Jazz, with a little bit of Funk for good measure.
Currently working on their second CD, the band has grown by leaps and
bounds through live performances, constant rehearsal sessions, and
non-stop writing. They’ve been shopped by a couple of major labels thus
far but have chosen to remain indie until the right fit for the band
emerges.
I sat down with Galen Hogg (one of the two TD front men) for a one on one interview.
How/when did Tiny Danza come into being?
GH It was a pretty organic process actually. TD started out as a folk band, which I wasn’t involved in, at first. Our singer Andrew Craig, who used to break dance in my old crew, had an idea to try out a few hip hop tunes with the band and see what happened. They tried a few and the result was dope. It was then they decided they wanted another emcee and I had just parted ways with my old group, Half-Life, in Montreal so I got the call. After we felt the chemistry the six of us had on stage it was pretty much written in stone. I moved back to Toronto and we got to work. This wasn’t going to be some for fun side project, it was the real deal.
Up until this point you have been primarily the bands rhyme/spoken word guy, do you have any plans to shift to “singing” in the traditional sense?
GH There have been some whispers on the topic, but so far that is about it. I am definitely intimidated by the amount of talent in the band, and as a result the shift has been slower than I had hoped. There really is no rush as Craig’s singing has already gotten the attention of the fans. I do however have plans to polish up my skills and come forward eventually.
In addition to the band you are also a semi-pro boxer, as well as a businessman. How do you find the time to work, train, rehearse, gig, and fight?
GH Well, time is
scarce and scheduling is extremely important to me. Running my own
business pays the bills for the most part right now and allows me to
work around my own schedule. I would be lying if I said there wasn’t
some overlap though. I had to take several months off from music last
year to nurse some broken ribs and have been caught on stage a couple
times with the mic wedged into casted broken hands. In the end I love
the music and I am passionate about boxing, which is good because my
schedule doesn’t allow much time for the finer things in life like
falling in love with an actual person.
Can you give us a rundown of your band mates and their roles within Tiny Danza?
GH Each band member in Tiny Danza is as important as every other band member, which is paramount in our crew. Andrew ‘Bones’ Craig is our singer and, to our initial surprise, a really dope emcee. Andrew Sataguida appropriately nicknamed ‘Santa Keys’ is our keyboard player and is in charge of the department of wit. Matt Russo keeps the guitar crying and is best known for never holding his tongue when we need him to. He is in charge of the department of skepticism and teaches high school Math and Physics. Nick Shao is our cold as ice drummer and the heart beat of TD. He is responsible for keeping us murmur free. RJ Satchithananthan (I had to cut and paste that) is our newest member and is actually a trombone player originally. Upon hearing there was a space open in TD he asked us which spot was open, we told him bass and he replied “I can learn that!” And he did.
You are currently working on a shiny new CD, how is it different than your first effort?
GH In short: a whole lot. This is only our second album so we are still changing and developing as a band every time we rehearse and write. We are experimenting with new sounds constantly. Also, while putting together this record we have become aware of a new liberty we have. We can throw out songs! We now have more than enough material to pick and choose what makes the cut. Our last record was fuelled by popular demand and pressure to give the fans something to put on their i-pods. For this reason we were actually surprised how well it turned out and were stoked on its success.
Musically, in the new album, fans can
expect us to dabble in multiple genres and fuse them to hip hop, which
has kind of become our thing. Diversity is important to us and we think
the fans will appreciate an album they can listen all the way through
without getting bored.
When do you expect to complete the new project and have it available for your adoring fans?
GH We are trying to have it finished before the year is through, but we will keep everybody posted as more details become available.
Tiny Danza has had record labels very interested in signing the band. What has kept you lads from signing the dotted line, and choosing to maintain your indie artist status?
GH It’s pretty simple; we will sign if the deal is right. We aren’t one of these bands that are desperate to get a major deal. We have confidence in our music and we love making it. So far the ‘Big Guys’ want too much from us and the ‘little guys’ haven’t offered enough. We aren’t too worried about it.
What are your hopes/plans for the future of the band?
GH If we can be alive and making music years from now that would be sufficient for me, but the plan is to live off this beast for the rest of our lives.
Official Site: http://www.tinydanza.ca/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tinydanzaband
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TinyDanza?ref=ts
Follow On Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinydanza
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