DANIEL GRAVES
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Interview by Kai Rez • Additional Q’s by Joey Diabolic • All Photography by Max Wichmann
(Kai Rez) You once stated that LP’s are no longer viable and that releasing singles is the way to go. What changed your mind since releasing a new album and the re-release of your official debut album? The one constant in life is change. This reality is something everyone who wants to succeed (in any field) needs to internalize and implement. I guess I’m lucky to be someone who genuinely enjoys change. It’s always been that way. If you go back and read the interviews I gave back in the mid 2010’s, I said even then that singles were the current trend, and that the paradigm would likely shift again in the future. In 2025, singles still play a massive role in the promotion of music, but albums seem to be in vogue again. However, I always keep my ear to the ground for what’s coming next and you can bet I’ll be an early adopter of whatever it is!
(Kai Rez) The industry has changed significantly since your debut album and you have navigated this change quite well... in some instances being ahead of the curve. How do you envision the industry changing over the next ten years and your place within that change? As I just said, the only constant in both business and life is change. You have to be able to throw out all your tried and true methods as soon as they cease being useful. I think the next big wave is going to be AI. Every producer and songwriter is going to need to be comfortable using these tools and integrating them into their workflow. We also need to be prepared for the deluge of AI generated content that is going to increase the noise in an already overwhelmed marketplace. Now is the time for artists to really double down on their public identity and image, because that’s going to be what keeps audiences interested. Once the novelty of AI wears off, I suspect a massive paradigm shift and a return to more “organic” and “authentic” creations. I suspect you’ll see a lot of younger artists refusing to use AI and going back to basics. But that won’t be for another 10 years or so.
(Kai Rez) Your vocal style has changed quite a bit over the years. What do you attribute most to this change? Do you have a particular favorite era of your vocal style? I’ve had a very interesting (sometimes frustrating) vocal journey, but I’m happy with where it’s led me. I feel like I’m finally becoming the singer I always wanted to be, but getting here has been fraught with wrong turns and embarrassing mistakes. Most vocalists get to hone their craft in relative obscurity, I didn’t start having to learn how to sing until after my 3rd album when I already had a somewhat large audience (with their own tastes and expectations). People got to watch me figure it out over the course of 15 years, which is pretty crazy when you think about it. My favorite era is certainly the one I’m about to enter.
(Kai Rez) Any chance of tracks such as ‘Death is Real’ or ‘Alternate Reality’ getting the same treatment as ‘Close to Human’ received? Tracks from the early days (internet download from your site waaaaaay back when) and do any unreleased tracks have any plans of getting released? Unfortunately, I think those old demos will have to remain as they are. There are only so many hours in a day, and I’m only one person, so I had to be selective about which demos would be resurrected for Closer to Human. In another universe I would’ve redone them all! Last Man, Alternate Reality, Children of God, Death is Real, etc... Still, it’s nice to know that people remember those songs after all these years!
(Kai Rez) Speaking of ‘Close(r) to Human’, there has been a trend in the last few years of “throw-back” sets and re-releasing material. What do you attribute to this trend and how has it been for you revisiting older tracks again? Any plans of incorporating some of those tracks in contemporary sets going forward? Nostalgia is in, baby! It’s just something about the current Zeitgeist. Personally, I attribute it to a collective trepidation about our current socio-political situation in the Western Hemisphere. People don’t feel optimistic, so they take comfort in the past. It’s a very human thing, so I understand it. I’m not a very nostalgic person, so I don’t like spending a lot of time thinking about the past, but Closer to Human was an itch I’d been wanting to scratch for nearly 2 decades. I guess the stars sort of aligned in the sense that I found the time to remake this album in an era where that’s something people are craving. This whole experience has been a lot of fun, and perhaps softened my own feelings about my “aggrotech” beginnings, but I’m ready to step out of the past and into the future. I’ll probably bring a couple of old tunes along for the ride, tho.
(JD) Back in 2009, Kai got me into your ‘A Violent Emotion’ album. Allowing musicians and fans the ability to download individual stems (of selected songs) and do their own remixes was such a cool and inspiring invitation. I had done a Sade-inspired take on ‘The Siren’ (which was my first-ever remix). Throughout 20 years with your catalog, which are some of your most favorite remixes? If I’m being 100% honest, I don’t really like any of the remixes I’ve received. That’s not because they’re bad, but because as the artist I have my own vision for how the songs should be and that vision is really the only way I can hear them. I’ve been on the other side of this as well. I’ve delivered so many remixes to artists who don’t understand my interpretation of their work. Sometimes it’s a battle even getting them to release the remix because of how visceral their reaction. One time I had an artist ask me for the stems for my remix so that they could remix the remix and “fix” all my mistakes. I told them I would rather throw the remix in the garbage than allow them to go back and modify my work. It got very tense. In the end, though, I won and the remix was released (and ended up being more popular than the original). Just like sometimes the remixes of my songs end up being more popular than my original. It’s just the nature of the process, however, we as artists don’t have to like it!
(Kai Rez) You ‘famously’ work on material everyday to stay active and continue the creative process. Do you ever hit walls where what you’re working on isn’t ever going to become a thing? On that thought and working the way you do, are there any limits you put on yourself to fit a theme or idea of an album/single or does that come second after you have already worked the track(s)? I don’t believe in “writer’s block”. “Writer’s block” is a symptom of ego getting in the way of creativity. It sounds kind of harsh, but artists who sit around and wait for inspiration to strike are immature and, in my humble opinion, are lazy. Let’s put it this way: If someone were to show up to your studio with $1,000,000 and told you that you get to keep the money if you finish your song in 24 hours, I bet you could do it. I bet anyone could do it. Now that you’re focused on the money you’re not letting your ego or laziness get in the way, you’re using the skills you have to complete the task at hand. You stop waiting for inspiration and just go. Obviously, this is an oversimplification but if you try to approach creative work in this way you will find that you get a lot more done. Professional artists know that the only way to complete the work is to show up. Personally, I try to put as few limits on myself as possible. Most of the time I don’t even know what a song is about until years later.
(Kai Rez) You play more instruments than I think most know. What instruments do you play, what’s your favorite and what are some that you’d like to learn and incorporate into your sound? Eh, saying that I “play instruments” is a bit of an exaggeration. I dabble. I can strum a few chords on a guitar, I can play a few progressions on piano and I can almost convince people that I know how to play bass. I see these instruments as tools for extracting the sounds I hear in my head to recordings in the real world. I would say that bass is my favorite instrument since it was my first as a teenager, but I haven’t put in the hours required to be genuinely good. I’m a singer and I’m a producer. Those are the things I’m good at. I’ve invested my 10,000 hours and I believe I have the skills to prove it. I think the song and production dictate what kind of sound is needed. If I can provide it myself with my instruments, then I will, if I need someone else to come onboard and elevate it with their playing, I’m grateful for their time and effort. All that matters is that the song is as good as it possibly can be.
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Now to conclude the interview!
(JD) There are a lot of talented musicians that live in the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas of Upstate New York. Being a solo artist that works with many different musicians during tours, how did you find drummer Brooke Colucci and how did she land the gig for the ‘Fall Goth Tour 2024’? I love the hell out of Brooke. She’s such a talented musician and such a great person. Especially being at the level she’s at at her age. I think a lot of young musicians struggle with ego when they find success, but Brooke couldn’t be more humble or down to earth. Especially having to grind it out in a van with a bunch of middle-aged dudes! She came onboard thanks to Joe Letz, who hasn’t played a show with AP in 2+ years because of his responsibilities with Till Lindemann, but is still technically part of the live band and is always doing whatever he can to be of help. When my European live band couldn’t join us in the states due to the complicated and expensive visa situation, I had to put together yet another motley crew. As I said, Joe found Brooke, and Noizith was recommended by Constance (who is also still technically in the AP band but also very busy with Till Lindemann and other projects). Overall, I’m super blessed to work with so many amazing people.
(JD) I know towards the end of 2025, you’ll be busy touring the United Kingdom and Europe. What do you have in store for 2026? New album. It’s the heaviest one in years. Let’s fucking go!