Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background.

My name is Danny, I'm 28 years old and I work as a school bus driver in the Austrian countryside. Almost every day I try to spend some time pursuing my passion: writing and recording music. Apart from making music and working, I like to spend my time going on road trips, traveling, reading, and being in nature.

Tell us about yourself. (Location, artist name, and the works!)

I currently live in a small sleepy town called Waidhofen an der Ybbs in Austria. My solo project is called Danny Drivr, and I've released two albums and one EP so far. I've recorded and produced all of my music in my living room and also created most of the artwork. I'm pursuing a very strict DIY mentality, but maybe someday I can afford working with other talented people, which I'd really love to do.

What's your musical origin story?

My musical career started with playing Guitar Hero on the PS3 about 15 years ago. No joke. It introduced me to a whole new and exciting world of music and actually made me wish for my first electric guitar for Christmas. It also made me listen to bands like:

• Nirvana
• Blink-182
• Metallica
• Jimi Hendrix

What were the driving forces or pivotal moments that inspired you to pursue music?

I started recording guitar covers for YouTube. Most of them were pretty basic because I wasn't able to play very well yet. But some of them got kind comments which made me stick to recording. Over time, I developed a growing interest in recording techniques and DAWs. Later, I studied media technologies where I learned basics in Pro Tools and Ableton as well as advanced recording and mixing techniques. But honestly, I learned way more doing projects at home.

How would you describe your style of music?

Dreamy Psychedelic Lo-fi Indie Bedroom Rock. Haha, something like that. I draw a lot of inspiration from Neo-Psychedelia and 60s Psychedelic Rock. But some of my songs go in a different direction and are more related to Dream Pop or Bedroom Pop.

How is your personality reflected in your work?

I'm a thoughtful and introverted guy who thinks a lot about life and its meaning. But there is also an adventurousness which I'm sometimes able to bring forward in my life. And it's pretty much the same with my music: dreamy and restrained but at the same time experimental and brave.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

It almost always starts with a random guitar riff that I record on my phone memos. Then I add drums, bass, and synths, and when the instrumental part is finished, I write lyrics and record vocals. Then I do the mixing and mastering, mostly in Ableton.

What is the name of your latest release?

Sunny Side Up.

What was the inspiration for that release?

I had a lot of unfinished songs so I decided to finish them all and put them together on one album. Sunny Side Up is about getting your life together and finally breaking out of your comfort zone in order to reconnect with your inner self.

What challenges or unexpected moments did you encounter during the writing/recording process?

There was some self-doubt and frustration, especially with the sound I was trying to achieve. But recording and mixing with minimal budget equipment in a small and untreated room means making compromises. I want my music to sound a bit sloppy and unpolished because for me it's authentic, but I also want other people to be able to enjoy listening to it.

What strategies do you find most effective for promoting your music?

Promoting is my absolute weak spot. I'm really bad at it, and most of the time I don't post much except on release day. Sometimes I make short videos for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, but I'm not very consistent and I don't really want to force my music on people.

How do you engage with your fans online and offline?

The Bandcamp community on Reddit is my main hub. It's a wholesome group of like-minded people, and I like how people support each other on Bandcamp. You don't have that elsewhere. I don't really care for Spotify playlists anymore because I think it's almost impossible to get discovered as a fully independent musician. I don't get much traffic on other social media (except YouTube sometimes) so I don't really use it anymore.

What upcoming promotional activities or releases are you most excited about?

I'm currently working on another big album which may be out in early 2025. I'm trying to release a single from it every month until it comes out.

How can folks contact you?

You can best reach me via:

• Bandcamp
• Instagram