Interview with Danxgerous

DANXGEROUS, stage name of Daniela “Dan” Mariti, is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Rome but of Czech descent, coming from a family of musicians in which she breathed a passion for singing and instruments from an early age.

Her mother, daughter of Prague Opera singers, taught her vocal technique and first approaches with the guitar, later further studied with professional guitarists and as an autodidact. After studying music theory and harmony at Saint Louis in Rome, Daniela founded together with drummer Mara Graziano and bassist Pierpaolo Iulianello the band In June, which is currently active and with which she released three singles in 2020 and the EP Common Grounds in 2021. The group has given her the opportunity to play since 2018 on several stages in Rome and to have experiences in valuable contexts, including Rai Radio 1 with John Vignola, Rai 2 for the Easter Concert in 2021 and Rai 3 in a report for TGR Lazio. She also performed with In June at the Auditorium Parco della Musica for the festival Retape by Ernesto Assante, who also dedicated an article to them on Repubblica. Other noteworthy projects include her collaboration on the soundtrack of Beatrice Baldacci’s independent film La Tana, for which she composed and recorded the vocal melody of the song Nothing; and also her work as ghostwriter for albums by other female artists, such as Entity’s latest EP 4 Years and a Hangover and one of Rasyiqa’s last singles, 2:15.

In 2023 she joined as solo artist the roster of WWNBB (We Were Never Being Boring Collective), an independent Italian-American record label based in San Francisco, for which she released her debut single Keys on October 13th. The track is also accompanied by an official music video released November 3rd via VEVO. On December 1st, she released a second single, Sides, accompanied by a lyric video.

DANXGEROUS Ph — Photo Credit: Chiara Ceccaioni

If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?

At the moment, I would love to open a show for Boygenius. They are the people I look up to the most for this project! And of course my lifetime dream is to open a show for Paramore, the band of my heart.

What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?

You could say my music is somehow rebellious in the way it talks about those inner thoughts people often keep inside not to sound too dramatic. Those struggles we sometimes label as “not serious” enough or too abstract to give them substance. Of course, It’s not unusual that a song to talk about unrevealed emotions, but I think it’s rebellious not to be ashamed of your feelings and insecurities, and of singing about them in your songs. Romanticizing everyday life is kinda rebellious.

What has been most challenging aspect of your current releases?

The most challenging aspect of the release of both “Keys” and “Sides” was definitely the fear of the unknown. I was extremely happy and excited to share these songs with the world, but as they are the first two singles I’m releasing as a solo artist, I almost got cold feet! I was curious about how the audience would react to them, as their expectations were a secret to me. Still, I was too proud of the work I had been doing and I can now say it turned out pretty fine, and the feedback was way better than I could ever dream of.

If you could pass on a nugget of wisdom to the next musical generation, what would it be?

You are the only judge that matters when it comes to your creative work, and don’t ever let them make you believe that you cannot do it on your own. This is a lesson I’m still trying to learn, but it’s too important.

What can we expect from you within the next 6 months? Any releases planned? Future gigs?

The next 6 months will be full of new music for sure. I have a third single coming out very soon, and a couple more for the next months. Spring should be a good time for getting started with gigs, which are my favorite part of this career!

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

Of course I do! Mostly energetic songs. I usually blast some Paramore, Alanis Morrissette, Wolf Alice and stuff like that. That’s when I’m not going for a “crying in the shower” moment. In that case, Phoebe Bridgers for sure.

What historical figure would you love to see in 21st century life?

I’ve recently started reading “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf and it’s unbelievable how she is talking about a century that it’s not the one we’re living into. She would be such an incredible role model to have nowadays. I would be so thrilled to see how she could use new medias and to know her point of view on contemporary events and matters. Of course, I think she would still suffer a lot the women condition. I probably don’t want her to know very little has changed since she’s gone.

If you were a member of the Spice Girls, what would your spice handle be?

I would definitely be Geeky Spice! Particularly interested in literary and creative subjects, but still very chaotic.

What makes you nostalgic?

I often get nostalgic when I go back to my second home, Prague. My mom was born there, so I go there once or twice a year with her. I have some relatives there to visit. And I also go because I feel there’s something that ties me to that place, and it’s probably blood. Anytime I go and stay for a few days I get so nostalgic, reminiscing childhood memories and things I haven’t even lived. It’s always been a sweet escape for me, and it still is, as it looks like a city that never changes. Being there makes me feel like diving into the past, but it also feels very cathartic.

If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?

I would definitely tell her music is her thing, and not to be afraid to pursue it as a full time thing. I don’t have any regrets, and I’ve always known my place was on a stage. Still, sometimes I didn’t want to stand out because of being shy, and that blocked some experiences for me. I would tell her to be more confident and to trust her feelings and ambitions.

DANXGEROUS Sides Single Artwork Credit by Chiara Ceccaioni — Photo Credit: Chiara Ceccaioni

After her successful debut with Keys, a song that inaugurated her solo project, Daniela “Dan” Mariti, alias DANXGEROUS, released her new single, Sides, which fully reconfirms her qualities as a singer-songwriter.

Accompanied by an official lyric video made by Chiara Ceccaioni, Sides is a deep and intimate song about bipolarism defined as the difficulty in managing one’s perspective of the world, which is impossible to fit into categorically black or white filters, but can often be placed in an indistinct gray area in which the boundary between positive emotions and dark suggestions becomes so blurred and fluctuating that it generates a perpetual inner conflict: «You have a dark side. You have a bright side. And in the morning you wake up just fine».