DANKO JONES Announces 'Electric Sounds' Album, Shares 'Guess Who's Back' Single

Canadian rockers DANKO JONES will release their eleventh studio album, "Electric Sounds", on September 15 via AFM Records. The three-man squad, dedicated to the noble art of riffs, melodies and life-affirming rock anthems, returns to provide maximum satisfaction and to serve up all the "Electric Sounds" you could possibly need.

Formed in Toronto in 1996, DANKO JONES have seen and done just about everything over the last quarter of a century. Powered by a DIY punk rock spirit, and inspired by the good, great and grotesque of electrified rock 'n' roll, they have steadily built a colossal international fan base and become one of the most acclaimed live bands around, embraced by everyone from mainstream radio-rock fans to diehard metalheads. Along the way, they have released ten widely praised studio albums, generating a peerless repertoire of fists-in-the-air crowd-pleasers into the bargain.

From the spiky blues of 2002's "Born A Lion" and the crazed power-pop of its follow-up "We Sweat Blood" (2003),to the priapic perfection of 2010's "Below The Belt", the band's knack for hitting rock's sweet spot has never wavered. Over the last decade, DANKO JONES have visibly moved up a few gears. Since frontman Danko Jones and bassist John "JC" Calabrese joined forced with drummer Rich Knox, the band's creative fire has blazed more brightly than ever. A succession of all-killer, no-filler albums — "Fire Music", "Wild Cat", "A Rock Supreme", "Power Trio" — has led to even more gung-ho touring and unapologetic service to the rock cause. With "Electric Sounds", Toronto's archbishops of amplification prove that even a global pandemic couldn't stop DANKO JONES. In fact, and as first single "Guess Who's Back" showcases, it just made them even more unstoppable.

"'Guess Who's Back' is not only the lead-off track to our new album 'Electric Sounds', it's also the imperative sentence everyone is begging to answer — DANKO JONES!" charismatic frontman Danko comments.

"Not working for two years really felt like touring rock bands were being put out to pasture," recalls Danko. "But I guess that only made us try harder. We were still able to record and release an album during the pandemic ('Power Trio', 2021). We toured as soon as we were allowed. Now that 'Electric Sounds' is getting released, it doesn't feel like we missed a beat.

"During the pandemic, we moved away from each other. JC lives in Finland and Rich lives in Prince Edward Island. So the writing for this band has changed. We used to bash out ideas in our rehearsal place, day after day, but it's more about sending files back and forth now. However, last summer, while on tour, we did manage to jam out ideas in a rehearsal room in Berlin for a few days. Out of those jams came the nubs for five songs..."

Five songs have since been expanded to a perfect eleven new DANKO JONES songs, and "Electric Sounds" promises to have the instant sound and feel of a classic. When the wheel is spinning freely and propelling you forward, there's no need to reinvent the damn thing: instead, this band are simply honing and refining their craft, always at full volume, while "Electric Sounds" is a deceptively diverse affair. No band has ever sounded more ready to hit the road than the pumped-up threesome showcased on the hell-for-leather ragers featured on their forthcoming album.

"I'd like to think 'Electric Sounds' falls in line with all our previous albums," says Danko. "Over the years, we've carved out a sound and we're sticking to it. But if you were to zoom in and compare it to other albums, I'd like to think it's a bit faster than our other albums. Initially, I wanted all the songs to sound like our song 'Cadillac' — plodding, mid-tempo, heavy, and to the point. Our songs are usually about rocking, wanting to rock, enjoying life while rocking, and sometimes I'll sing about a woman. You can expect zero surprises!"

Armed with yet another stone-cold classic, DANKO JONES will launch themselves into 2023 like men on a renewed mission to rock the living shit-lights out of anyone and everyone that wants to join the party. After 27 years of active service, the trio's commitment and intensity continues to grow, and their popularity and prominence continues to follow an upward route.

"Electric Sounds" was produced by Eric Ratz, and features guest spots from Tyler Stewart (BARENAKED LADIES),Damian Abraham (FUCKED UP) and guitarist Daniel Dekay (from Canadian thrash legends EXCITER).

"Electric Sounds" track listing:

01. Guess Who's Back
02. Good Time
03. Electric Sounds
04. Get High?
05. Stiff Competition
06. She's My Baby
07. Eye For An Eye
08. I Like It
09. Let's Make Out
10. What Goes Around
11. Shake Your City

Photo: Daniel Berbig