The Median Man spoke with Danny Stoakes to talk about the Isolation Sessions
The Median Man spoke with Danny Stoakes to talk about the Isolation Sessions
NON-TYPICAL
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background in music?
I have always been into music, I started learning piano as a kid, played a bit of violin, much to my parents’ anguish (strangely, that didn’t last long) and then picked up a guitar when I was about 13. But then, I didn’t do the typical ‘I wanna be in a band’ thing, no, I had my heart set on acting. I went off to drama school in London, worked on bits and pieces of theatre and when I was about 23 or 24, I had just finished a play and the company I did the play with did a music show every Thursday night, playing folk music and telling folk tales. I got a phone call on this Saturday afternoon, they knew I played a bit of guitar… and I mean, maybe three or four songs, so I got this call saying that the guitarist and main storyteller had just pulled out of the show and wasn’t going to turn up the following Thursday and could I fill in for him. One week, that’s all it would be. Until they got a replacement. I learnt a two hour show, plus how to play guitar, in four days and that was it, they never found the replacement and that show ran for two and a half years and well, I was hooked.
I had also worked on a few community radio stations off and on, over the years I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing some incredible people, KK Downing, David Ellefson, Nikki Sixx, and then 18 months ago I decided to set up Stoakes Media. Stoakes Media has gone from strength to strength in the past 18 months and continues to grow.
Why did you decide to record and release this album?
This is the worst pandemic the world has faced in 100 years. I just had to do something to help. At the beginning of lockdown, my friend and I challenged each other to learn a new song each day, then send them to each other. It actually ended up more like two or three a week, just for something to do. Then I was seeing what other people were doing, the fantastic live stream events, entire online festivals… well an album, for me seemed to be the next logical step. And so I rang around a few friends and told them the idea. And one or two said yes! We’re raising money for the National Emergencies Trust Covid appeal. It’s a charity that distributes funds to lots of different charities ensuring that the most number of people get the help they need to get through this horrendous time.
For people who donate £5 or more on the Just Giving page, they will receive the first single ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ straight away plus a personal thank you message from me. They will then receive the full album download upon its release. We’re planning for a mid July release, although we don’t have a finalised date just yet.
PANDEMIC
PANDEMIC
Why did you decide to record and release this album?
This is the worst pandemic the world has faced in 100 years. I just had to do something to help. At the beginning of lockdown, my friend and I challenged each other to learn a new song each day, then send them to each other. It actually ended up more like two or three a week, just for something to do. Then I was seeing what other people were doing, the fantastic live stream events, entire online festivals… well an album, for me seemed to be the next logical step. And so I rang around a few friends and told them the idea. And one or two said yes! We’re raising money for the National Emergencies Trust Covid appeal. It’s a charity that distributes funds to lots of different charities ensuring that the most number of people get the help they need to get through this horrendous time.
For people who donate £5 or more on the Just Giving page, they will receive the first single ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ straight away plus a personal thank you message from me. They will then receive the full album download upon its release. We’re planning for a mid July release, although we don’t have a finalised date just yet.
AC/DC
How did you decide what songs to do?
The songs aren’t just one genre, there’s rock, metal, blues, country, folk, but they’re a collection of my favourite songs. The first single, ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, well, I have been playing it live for years. I am a huge AC/DC fan. I’ve got all their albums, I love them. Anyway, I had been to a gig, I had interviewed whoever it was that was playing that afternoon, watched the gig and I was on the long drive back home. Well my go to music for long drives home after gigs is still AC/DC! I had their Live at Riverplate album on, and I had this really bizarre thought as Brian Johnson was going hell for leather singing Rosie… ‘What would this song sound like if Oasis sang it?’ And the idea for this arrangement was born. Then, a few weeks into lockdown I saw Burnt Out Wreck frontman Gary Moat doing a version of Highway to Hell. I recorded the song that night, guitar, bass, drum track and my vocals and sent it over to him and he loved it, and recorded his vocals and sent them back to me. Then I put it all together. I really like Burnt Out Wreck as a band, I think they’re fantastic and Gary is one hell of a singer What a way to launch the album!
How do you think coronavirus will impact you as a musician going forward?
I worry what it’ll be like going to gigs when all this is over. Will they ever be the same? Imagine a socially distant mosh pit, it just wouldn’t work would it! We need to stay safe, we need to adhere and follow the lockdown advice, we need to all be sensible. I think Live Streams and virtual gigs will continue to grow in popularity, who knows what will happen. I had a VR headset a few years ago and one of the things you could do was experience a Paul McCartney concert, either on stage with the band, or from the audience. Is that something that we’ll see more of? Who knows… Or will we see bands playing to empty stadiums with everyone watching on YouTube, like Dropkick Murphys did last weekend. Only time will tell!
Head over to the official Just Giving page to donate and pre order your copy of The Isolation Sessions:
CONSEQUENCES
CONSEQUENCES
How do you think coronavirus will impact you as a musician going forward?
I worry what it’ll be like going to gigs when all this is over. Will they ever be the same? Imagine a socially distant mosh pit, it just wouldn’t work would it! We need to stay safe, we need to adhere and follow the lockdown advice, we need to all be sensible. I think Live Streams and virtual gigs will continue to grow in popularity, who knows what will happen. I had a VR headset a few years ago and one of the things you could do was experience a Paul McCartney concert, either on stage with the band, or from the audience. Is that something that we’ll see more of? Who knows… Or will we see bands playing to empty stadiums with everyone watching on YouTube, like Dropkick Murphys did last weekend. Only time will tell!
Head over to the official Just Giving page to donate and pre order your copy of The Isolation Sessions: