Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Des Rocs, aka Danny Rocco, will release his new album “To Hell and Back” on June 12th, and since he’s one of the most interesting and talented artist that I have the pleasure of listening to, we took the chance to interview him about the release, New York and more.
Hey Danny, how are you doing at the moment?
Des Rocs: I’m great thanks. Back home and resting up from a pretty wild tour…
The title of your album “To Hell and Back” suggests a journey through a personal underworld. What was the “Hell” you had to navigate to bring these specific songs to life?
Des Rocs: It’s representative of so many different journeys. Not just the journey of the album itself, but of the last decade. I’ve been on this unique kinda grind to breathe life into a rock n roll vision that exists against all odds. The roller coaster is one rooted in unimaginable struggle. More specifically to the album itself, I overcame a lot of unique health challenges to get it over the finish line.
You’ve mentioned this record is for the “fighters and survivors.” Do you feel that rock ‘n roll today has lost some of that grit, and are you trying to reclaim it?
Des Rocs: No I’m never trying to “reclaim” anything. In fact, I find that to be a very limiting approach to rock music. Instead I am channeling my songs and life experiences through a wall of distortion and chaos. My ultimate goal is to be as pure in the art as possible. To be as authentic to myself as possible. While I stand tall on the shoulders of giants in my genre, any attempt to reclaim or revive anything is of little interest to me.
You often talk about the roller coaster of trying to make it in a band out of NYC. What is the one “New York moment” (good or bad) that you think defined the spirit of this new album?
Des Rocs: My many years bouncing around earlier bands serve as a foundation for that journey. Playing to a handful of people every night. Working bizarre jobs during the day. Barely surviving. But never stopping – night after night – when every sign in the universe tells you to quit. All those early shows and early years.
Red Hook, Brooklyn, has a very specific, industrial aesthetic. Why was it important for you to pay homage to that specific neighborhood in your recent music?
Des Rocs: I spent many months of my life there making music. So much time and work and attention to detail – and it all went absolutely nowhere. I remember each night going to this studio on the water in the dead of winter. There was no heat, so we’d be huddled around these little space heaters while working. And around 1 or 2 in the morning we’d wrap, but Red Hook is a transportation desert. So we had to hike a mile to the nearest subway and it would take us like 90 minutes to make it home only 10 miles away. It’s also an interesting place that is so off the grid and constantly evolving. For better and for worse.
Many artists leave New York to find inspiration elsewhere, but you seem to lean into it. What does NYC give you that no other city can?
Des Rocs: There is a buzz and electricity here that is essential to everything I do and stand for. It is also my home and where I feel most comfortable, connected to friends and family and the journey of Des Rocs.
I’m incredibly fascinated by New York and yet I’ve never been to the States yet! Do you have any advice for someone who’s dipping their toe into this city?
Des Rocs: Ahh, just walk everywhere. The neighborhoods will change wildly every 15 blocks or so.
Can you share with us something a fan has told or written to you that has stayed with you still today?
Des Rocs: There are too many to count. I have been extremely moved by so many different stories.
You’re heading to Europe this fall. Do you find that international audiences “read” your brand of rock ‘n roll differently than American crowds?
Des Rocs: I’m not too sure as that would be more for the audience to evaluate. I stand for a very specific set of principles that are kinda classic but also dedicated to pushing the genre forward.
Does seeing your music used in a high-stakes environment (like a Holloway vs. Oliveira fight) change how you feel about the song when you perform it live?
Des Rocs: No, my impression of the song is formed when I make it. All the uses of it after are just really interesting spins that I couldn’t have imagined when I was first creating it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me! Is there anything else you’d like to add to our readers?
Des Rocs: I would die for every single note and lyric on this album. It nearly killed me and means everything to me.
