The calm before the pop-punk storm.
Melbourne’s pop-punk powerhouse Danger Den is proving they are a force to be reckoned with.
Fresh off the release of their bold new EP, It’ll Be Alright, and its explosive single ‘Given,’ the five-piece is making a confident statement in the Australian alternative scene.
The EP, a diverse “songbook” blending high-energy hooks with surprising twists, including a harmonica feature and a bossa nova intro, showcases a band unafraid to take risks while staying true to their heartfelt storytelling roots.
We sat down with the band to discuss the creative fearlessness behind their new music, the chaotic calm of their unique sound, and the real-life experiences that fuel anthems about rising above it all.
HAPPY: What’d you get up to today?
DANGER DEN: Quite a bit, currently at work at my day job, where I get to build guitars for Cole Clark guitars, then straight to rehearsals with Danger Den, all the while promoting our new single on radio stations including interviews.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
DANGER DEN: I’m from Melbourne, Australia.
Originally from Tooleybuc New South Wales, a small country town just off from the Murray River, but I call Melbourne home and what I love the most about Melbourne is its extremely diverse arts community, especially the music scene, where there are so many talented musicians from all genres.
HAPPY: ‘Given’ starts with such an unexpected bossa nova vibe before exploding into a pop-punk anthem. What inspired that unique intro, and was the band nervous about taking that kind of creative risk?
DANGER DEN: Well, if I wasn’t taking any risks or breaking rules musically, I wouldn’t be doing my job.
The bossa nova intro is although unexpected, it’s also a beginning that feels like a calm before the storm.
It initially came about in a jam session and we tried the entire song with a bossa nova swing feel, and we road tested it during a few previous live shows, and we had a gut feeling that it just needed to be there.
HAPPY: You’ve mentioned the track is about rising above narcissistic individuals. Without naming names, is there a specific story or person that fuelled the lyrics for ‘Given’?
DANGER DEN: Yes and no, although it wouldn’t be a pop punk song without it being written just after I had broken up with someone.
It’s based off experiences that I’ve had in previous workplaces and friends that I don’t talk to any more, and I made use of the emotion that I felt after the break up which had a very similar feeling of “yes I’m sad that this has ended, but I see the silver lining behind it” sort of thing.
Allowing the listener to be able to connect with which ever situation they may be in whether it be a family member, or an ex partner, or they’re supposed to be best friend that didn’t turn out to be the friend they needed in their life, to even a job that they really liked, but they had to leave because of certain individuals, and it’s basically about feeling that sense of release and finally letting go and giving yourself that push of motivation to pick yourself up, and dust yourself off and keep moving on with life.
HAPPY: For fans who loved ‘Daisy,’ how does ‘Given’ represent a step forward or an evolution in the Danger Den sound?
DANGER DEN: In terms of evolution, ‘Given’ is a sonic representation of what we are capable of doing at any given live show, we can play soft, quiet and delicate, or we can also play at 100% attitude, while retaining our laser focus and precision giving anyone who comes to our shows a sense of direction without expectation of the same show as the last.
This allows them to live in the moment with us, and have the best night of their lives to date.
HAPPY: You’re calling the new EP It’ll Be Alright a “songbook” rather than just a collection of tracks. Can you explain what you mean by that?
DANGER DEN: Well that comes to the influence.
We’re music lovers and have a great appreciation across the greater Melbourne music, having talented artists in punk, blues, metal, even from folk to Jazz, although this is a Pop Punk EP it contains stylistic characteristics from across the board from the genres I’ve mentioned, adding to the Danger Den sound.
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HAPPY: We have to ask about the harmonica on the EP! Which track features it, and how did that instrument find its way into a Danger Den recording session?
DANGER DEN: If I remember correctly, Jeremy tried it in a demo, and we all thought it was perfect for this song.
So, people will have to check out ‘It’ll Be Alright’ to hear exactly how good the harmonica sounds in the song that it’s on.
HAPPY: You’re a five-piece band with three guitarists all sharing vocal duties. How does that dynamic shape the songwriting process, and is it ever chaotic in the studio?
DANGER DEN: No, not at all, it’s quite amicable.
Basically, whoever has a polished and fully written song ready to go, we then start to workshop it as a band rather than individuals telling us what they want in this song, there might be certain elements set written in a certain way as the other guitarist may have in mind, we’re all open to the freedom of expression and creativity.
For example, if Jeremy brings a song to us, he will describe how he wants it to sound, and will work with Liam and I to achieve that aspect of the song that is written, while allowing us to put our own spin on it, it makes a songwriting aspect in the studio a lot more fun and more adventurous, and that’s one element that allows us to take a rule book that should not have any rules and tear it up.
HAPPY: The EP is called It’ll Be Alright. So, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self, just starting out in the music industry, to let them know it’ll be alright?
DANGER DEN: Never fear what others think about you, trust the process, and just stick to doing what you love most.
The rules and boundaries and disciplines of what you should do in life will present themselves if they need to, and most of all only trust in rock ‘n’ roll, and it’ll be alright.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
DANGER DEN: Making music that I want to create, not determined by what people tell me I should be doing, but most of all what makes me really happy is doing exactly that in Danger Den, the best band I’ve ever played in, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to call my bandmates.
You can pre-save It’ll Be Alright here!
