Dallas-born indie pop artist Danny Goo is an independent star on the rise. His new EP, Feel For You, was released on December 17 and showcases Danny’s eclectic stylings across six emotional tracks. Atlas spoke with Danny about these new songs, his move from Texas to California and what’s coming next.
How did you get started in music and how has that journey led you to where you are now?
I used to want to be in a metal band. I wanted to be a metal vocalist, but I was never really able to get a band together. So I started booking shows at 15- metal shows. I did that for a while [and] I would still be doing it actually, but coronavirus. So I’d been just a promoter for a while and then when I was 17, I met my producer JoJo [Centineo].
I had already been doing previous Danny Goo stuff before that with somebody else, but nothing ever really clicked until I went to JoJo. When me and JoJo did our first song, it was just magic. We’re going on two years strong just writing really emotionally vulnerable, driven music together that me and him both just can relate to the other. It’s a great writing process and so we just have been doing that for a while and just keep doing it.
How would you describe your latest single, “Blue”?
“Blue” is the fourth single. It’s basically a song about feeling lovesick. Because I miss being with somebody and then I feel it in me and it makes me feel lovesick. It used to at least- I would feel straight up lovesick. JoJo showed me this beat for that song and I just wrote it all one night and I was like, ‘this is perfect’. It’s all about just how I felt at that moment, because I was really sad.
How did your new EP come together? What’s the story behind these songs for you?
It all ties together in order but it’s just the story of a relationship I went through- mostly the story of what it felt like when I lost them. Every song is pretty much a breakup song. It was just a really emotional EP for me.
When you’re writing music now, are there any topics you’re exploring more?
I’ve been writing about just transitioning my life right now a lot from Texas to LA. I’ve been writing about other relationships and my struggles, personally; going through things I’ve been through, like working in the music industry for a long time. I’m just building my music career and just writing about any obstacles that I’m overcoming, but I love it. I mean, I love writing about relationships or girls, but sometimes whenever I do write about that, the songs mean more than just a relationship. It’s also me talking about my emotions and whatever I’m going through at the moment however I wanted to describe it.
You’ve done a bunch of collaborations (like with Lil Lotus). What was it like working with Lotus and is there anyone else that you’re hoping to collaborate with in the future?
I’ll definitely be working with Lotus more. Me and Lotus were in the studio and he basically asked me and then he just hopped on the song. I’m open to working with more people, I’m just very picky about who I’m going to let on my music. I do features pretty often now for friends and stuff, but when it comes to my music, I’m really picky. But I’m really open- I’d love to do features from more pop and emo artists like Lotus.
What are you hoping that listeners will take away from your music?
I just want people to be okay with being more vulnerable and accepting their emotions and getting through them. It’s hard to get over something if you can’t accept it. That’s something that really helped me and I just want people to be able to relate to my music and whatever they’re going through- whether it’s a relationship or their life, addiction or anything- just to listen to it and be able to relate and hopefully it can help them the way it helps me every day.
Every artist has a unique relationship with music. How do you define your own relationship with it?
Music fuels me- it’s like my gas, you know? [It’s] everything to me. I want to keep my job in the music industry and I just want to be surrounded by it because it just makes me happy. I always have a new album I’m listening to. I have a really interesting relationship with music. My taste is always changing, but I’m always listening to something new.
What else is coming up for you going into 2021?
I’m hoping that touring comes back at some point later next year because I would like to go on tour. I would also like to play shows again. Right now I’m working on a couple live stream shows and then I’m just releasing the EP in December. We already have the second EP written so we’re working on that too. I have an album after that, too. I have so much in the vault.
Feel For You is out now!
Story by Olivia Khiel
Photo courtesy of Danny Goo
