DANKO JONES Frontman Says Band's Next Album Will 'Sound Like The Last One': 'We're Not Gonna Evolve'

In a new interview with Tony of Metal Exposure, DANKO JONES's namesake frontman was asked "what still makes writing songs feel urgent rather than just doing a routine". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's an interesting question. Well, the urgency, I guess — there is a slight urgent aspect to it in the sense that we've really yet to prove ourselves. We've never had a record explode, where I've seen and heard other bands' records, they exploded, and I'm, like, 'Really? Ours is better.' So we've never had that. But also the routine aspect of it, I don't think that's a negative. I think that's what we do. We are journeymen. This is our job."

He continued: "It's weird how people react to it when you say it's your job. People have a negative connotation to it. But that's their own projections. Because obviously if you hear me say, 'This is my job,' and you think that's a negative, you're telling on yourself more. You don't like your job. I love my job, but it's my job. If this wasn't my job, what the fuck am I doing? I'm just doing a hobby? Then what do I do? So I'm just an unemployed fucking traveler who just plays guitar like a fucking loser? No, this is my career. This is my job, my career, just like an accountant would say that, 'Well, I'm an accountant. That's my job. That's my career.' So am I less than that or more than that?"

Danko added: "I've gotten a lot of backlash from people when I say that. And the routine aspect of it is fine by me. Yeah, we're gonna do another record. It's gonna sound like the last one. And we're not gonna pull any tricks. We're not gonna evolve. We're not evolving. We're not doing anything new, and that's a page right out of the RAMONES and MOTÖRHEAD and AC/DC. And that's fine company by me. So, yeah, I have no problem doing that. Also, there is an art to taking the same three chords and making it fresh again. I didn't say 'new'; I just said 'fresh'. So I don't have any problem writing another record in the same style as we do. So there's a bit of an urgency in the sense that we still have yet to prove ourselves to certain aspects of the music world, but I embrace the routineness of it."

Elaborating on his previous comment that DANKO JONES is not interested in experimenting with its sound when composing new music, Danko said: "Well, I think in this day and age, with the amount of bands that exist, it is almost impossible, at this point — not impossible, almost — to carve a sound, a signature sound out. Imagine that. There's a million bands, but the ability for someone to hear a song, not know it, but go, 'That sounds like that band.' That's impossible, almost. And I think we're almost there. And so, yeah, I've had tons of people come to me and go, 'Oh, they played your song at the hockey arena last night.' I'm, like, 'Really?' 'Oh, no, it was another band, but it sounded like you.' Just that alone, that's really, really hard to get, considering how many bands are out there, for people to go, 'Oh, that sounds like you guys.' So to get a signature sound, I think, is incredibly difficult, and I think we've got that to a certain extent."

DANKO JONES's latest album, "Leo Rising", came out last November via Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music and Sonic Unyon (for Canada). The LP was produced by longtime collaborator Eric Ratz. Guitar legend Marty Friedman (MEGADETH, CACOPHONY) makes a guest appearance on the single "Diamond In The Rough", which landed at No. 32 on the Billboard Canada Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in February.

John Calabrese laid down bass tracks from Finland, Rich Knox flew to Toronto to record drums, and Danko worked with producer Eric Ratz in the same city to capture vocals and guitars.

One of DANKO JONES's biggest singles, "Full Of Regret", charted at No. 96 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 36 on the U.S. Top 40 Singles chart, and notably appeared in EA Sports's "NHL 11" video game in 2010.

DANKO JONES has been nominated for six Juno Awards, including a nomination for "Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year" in 2024 for "Electric Sounds", which marked the band's second nomination in the category.

Formed in Toronto in 1996, DANKO JONES has 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 has visibly moved up a few gears. Since frontman Danko and bassist John 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.

Photo credit: Ole Martin Wold