SPILL FEATURE: IT’S DISCIPLINE, NOT A FORMULA – A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN CALABRESE OF DANKO JONES

IT’S DISCIPLINE, NOT A FORMULA

A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN CALABRESE OF DANKO JONES

Bassist John Calabrese is one of those people who doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously. In a business that is very cut-throat and unforgiving at times, having that kind of mentality feels almost mandatory to block out the negative noise. Cheeky and lighthearted, his personality somewhat undermines the journey that Danko Jones has been on for the past 12 albums. Authentic, raw, and consistently evolving, Danko Jones has always found ways to do things their way without losing their anthemic, tour-spellbound sound for the past 29 years. The title for their new album, Leo Rising, seems fitting for this chapter of their lives. Confident, creative, and natural born leaders, it seemed only right that from their debut album, Born A Lion, years later would come full circle to this moment. However, Calabrese, with his usual humble persona, is taking this 12th album as just another stepping stone in an otherwise illustrious career, one that still burns bright and doesn’t plan on pumping the brakes anytime soon.

“One of our first records was called Born a Lion, and this record here, I just came up with the title as an extension to that; there’s really no thought process behind it. Sorry, I don’t mean to make it sound like that,” Calabrese laughs. “It kind of has and carries that Leo theme. So, I think it also keeps a bit of that energy to it. We don’t really chase energy; we cultivate it. And after all these years of us working, our energy comes from, you know, the gratitude of being able to play to every crowd, playing every note. The music still matters to us, so it brings us focus to continue to do what we love.”

This new chapter of their lives is not one that possesses any earth-shattering revelations, nor any grandiose pretense. For Danko Jones, it’s a chapter that symbolizes gratitude for being in the position they are in. To travel the world, connect with fans, and continue to make music. In many ways, being able to connect again with their producer, Eric Rath, somewhat cemented an album that wasn’t about re-inventing any wheels musically, but about tradition. Sometimes, when one has been making music since the ’90s, it isn’t about reinvention; it’s about keeping the cogs in the machine turning. With a producer who understands this, Rath not only kept their sound as raw and energetic as ever but also added a subtle, sharpened edge that brings their seasoned sound to life.

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“Eric, you know, just listens to what we do, and we’ve been working together a long, long time. A working relationship like this is rare, and, you know, it’s a great collaboration with him. He doesn’t tend to look for polish or perfection, but he lets the band pursue its truth,” he says. “So, he just brings the best out of everybody by demanding, like, you know, that honesty in every take. There’s no pretense, no shortcuts. It’s just the raw essence of the band for what it is. So, I think it’s something that kind of comes with time: developing this working relationship with someone as a producer and a band. You want to be pushed, but at the same time, you have to have the band be what it is.”

While this new album isn’t about taking listeners on a rollercoaster of sound experimentation, its feature guest spot with legendary guitarist Marty Freeman on the song “Diamond In The Rough,” reminds us that the master of one’s craft is in the destination. It’s not about one-upping each release but maintaining discipline. Having such a presence within the album showed purpose and gravity, something that not only carried its way throughout the album, but also showed that Danko Jones is not about dazzling its audience with new tricks, but about creating a timeless rock experience that resonates with the band’s no nonsense values and for the fans who have stuck with them every step of the way.

“We’re just a pretty much straightforward, hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll band, you know? Just trying to be and do what we do isn’t really authenticity as a style; it’s a discipline, not a formula. It’s what we have always followed,” he points out. “We just decided, a long time ago, that rather than be fashionable, and chasing fashionable trends, we’d go with honesty and in delivering a tone, a performance, and attitude and that has kind of anchored the band. So, there’s no goal to reinvent anything, but to deliver something that’s louder and tighter with everything we’ve got, and that is something that’s in the new record.”

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