Name: Danny Dodge
Age: 19
Hometown: I was born in Ottawa, Canada. I lived there for 5 years before moving to the States. I plan on moving back one day.
How did you get started with playing guitar and what was the first song you learned?
I was in 7th grade when I started playing guitar. It was a very negative time for me, and when it was at it’s lowest point was when I met my soon-to-be best friend. He was in high school, and through the connection of our parents, he become my guitar teacher. He exposed me to metal, and introduced me to something that became more than music, more than an escape, but an entire way of being. Metal, literally became my life.
The first song I ever learned was ‘Laid to Rest’ by Lamb of God. My teacher, who had become my best friend, taught it to me and we would jam it. Our lessons became more of us just playing and hanging out, rather than him teaching me. From that point my evolution with the guitar became a self-determined adventure.
Describe your style.
My style of playing has almost perfectly adapted with whatever bands I listen to. Bands such as: Children of Bodom, In Flames and Lamb of God were good reflections of my early playing. Fast, determined riffs with a lot of melody. During high school I really got into bands like: Born of Osiris, Whitechapel and August Burns Red. These bands definitely improved my rhythmic chops and I was introduced to the ‘breakdown.’ Now I am currently deeply involved in the bands: Behemoth, Gojira, Aeon, Burzum, Deathspell Omega, and Meshuggah. Bands like this have added some very raw emotional characteristics to my writing/playing.
What gear are you using?
Right now I have a John Petrucci Musicman 7-string (not a fan of him, just his wood =O!). I have a Mesa Triple Rectifier Head, an Orange Cabinet for my live rig. For my recording setup I rock 2 BX5a M-Audio Monitors, an MBox 3 Pro, Beyerdynamic Headphones, a couple Blue Microphones, and I record in multiple programs such as Ableton, Pro Tools and Logic.
Tell us about your latest project.
My album Lucidity is a quite a gemstone for me. It is the first album I have ever made. It is truly a reflection of my journey through life musically, and emotionally. The entire album is of a pretty unique sound, and each song within the album has a life of it’s own. I don’t want to tell you what it sounds like, because that’s why music exists, so you can experience it…all I’m going to say is: Glitch Metal. It was an unbelievable experience writing, recording and producing it and if you listen to it I hope you enjoy it. I couldn’t be any more proud of it.
What are your plans for the future?
Honestly, the future holds many possibilities for me, all I can say for sure is that whichever path I end up taking, I will always have Metal, and will find happiness in anything that comes my way.
