Interview by Ev Fuss
There’s something special about feeling like an old soul: being a little out of step with the world around you, but finding comfort in what makes you different. On Old Soul, Danxgerous turns that feeling into an atmospheric, dreamy, and melancholic debut album that invites listeners to find a little of themselves in its songs.
Daniela “Dan” Mariti debuted as a solo artist under the name Danxgerous in 2023 and has released several singles since, setting the tone for her sound: dream-pop blended with contemporary indie-folk, with elements of modern rock that create a captivating sonic landscape. These elements come together on her debut album, an atmospheric, dreamy, and melancholic collection that reflects Dan’s artistry and her musical journey.
I had the chance to call Dan and discuss her roots, the things that inspired Old Soul, and the challenges that came with it.
Ev: Can you talk a little bit about where you're from?
Danxgerous: Yeah, sure. I'm from Rome, Italy. I started my career in music there, partly because I was born into a music-centered family. My mom, granddad, and grandmother were all opera singers, and my dad played the horn in the orchestra. There was a lot of music in my house, so I ended up playing a whole other kind of music.
In Rome, I was a little bit of a black sheep because I was writing songs in English. In Italy, the language barrier is still pretty high, so it was always, “You're good, but you should try singing and writing in Italian,” which just wasn't in me. I finally decided to relocate, but it's only been a month, so I'm still working on this and figuring out how it's going to turn out.
My mom is from the Czech Republic, so I have some different blood in me. I've always loved it there, and it really taught me a lot about my creativity. My connection with my grandparents was a big deal for me, even though I never met my grandfather. I think that inspired a lot of my creativity.
E: It must be nice to have grown up around so much music. Are there any musical artists you draw inspiration from? I know you mentioned your parents and people in your life who encouraged you to create music, but are there other artists you listened to growing up who inspired you?
D: Yeah, definitely. I was a Disney girly, so in my early years I lived with this Hannah Montana myth, which really defined why I was so drawn to being a pop star and all of that. Then my teenage years were when I started getting in touch with music that was a little more complex and inspiring. Definitely Paramore and Hayley Williams. She was, and still is, a milestone for me in everything I do. I think she's my biggest inspiration, along with all the other artists and bands connected to them in some way, the emo stuff that was coming around those years.
E: It's funny you say that, because when I was listening to your music, I immediately thought of Hayley Williams and Paramore. It really does translate. Moving into your music specifically and your upcoming album, what do you hope people understand about you and your music when they first listen to it?
D: That's a good question. I really like emotional music. I bond with an artist or a song when I get emotional over it, you know? That's always been something I wanted for myself, because I thought that if you manage to make someone emotional with a song, it means you strike a chord.
What I'd like people to feel when they hear my music is some kind of connection. My main goal is to talk about or convey things in a way that people can make their own, in a universal kind of language. That's what I love about the music I listen to. So, yeah, I want them to cry a little. That's what I want.
E: When did you decide Old Soul would be the right title for the album? What went into choosing that title?
D: The album process was a little weird because I never thought I'd end up making an album so early in my career, even though it wasn't that early. I thought maybe I had to work a little more on promoting the stuff I'd already released. But the label asked, “Why don't you try making an album?” It's easier to let people understand who you really are that way, instead of releasing singles where people don't necessarily get the whole picture.
I also wrote a lot of new songs. I've only used a couple of songs that I already had in my drawer, but the concept really came together when I wrote the title track, “Old Soul.” I thought, wow, this is the best image I could use, because it's something I've felt I was my entire life. I always thought I was an old soul in some ways. I wasn't like other kids. I was more focused on being cozy, reflecting, and thinking about things. The term “old soul” always sparked something in my imagination.
I actually got the phrase from an Orla Gartland song that says something like, “Maybe I'm an old soul trapped in a young body.” Those lyrics really spoke to me. I thought, “Yes, that's me. That's really me.” Months later, the idea came back to me and I wrote “Old Soul.”
I was struggling with feeling sick with my body, even though I wasn't really sick, and all that kind of stuff. I thought it was the best way to summarize the moment in my life I was in. That's why I chose that title.
E: You mentioned that your record label wanted you to introduce yourself through this album. Do you feel like it sets a good foundation for your identity as an artist?
D: Yeah, definitely. It helped me a lot with seeing who I really was. I'd gone through a long period where I knew I'd found my voice and, in some ways, my sound, but what was missing was who I wanted to be and how I wanted to appear.
The whole Old Soul idea, feeling like somebody from a different age who finds herself in a new, modern world that doesn't get or understand her, helped me paint a picture of something that could also be shared visually. It helped me think about who I wanted to be onstage, too.
I think the album helped me find the courage to be a little edgier and think about music as a whole performance, not just going out there and singing with my guitar. I like to think it helped me create a whole universe around it. I really hope that comes across through the songs and the album.
E: I think it definitely translates from what I've listened to so far. It works really well. Why did “Clairvoyant” feel like the right single to introduce the album and give people a sense of what to expect?
D: It was one of the first songs I wrote knowing I was making an album, so it also made sense chronologically. It was one of the first ideas I had when I started thinking, okay, all these songs I'm going to write are going to be connected and part of one collection.
I also like how the song has all these images of what I'd like the Old Soul universe to be: whimsical, with a little magical, witchy stuff. I wanted to give that away immediately, like, “This is what you're going to get.” It's one of the most visual songs, with a lot of images and visions that help you get inside this world.
I thought that, as a first single, it could be a little different from what I'd previously released. It came from a place in my songwriting that I hadn't taken anything from before, so it was very new for me. I wanted to start with something new, so people who were expecting something from me, even if there were only a few of them, could find something different.
We talked a little about “Old Soul,” the song you named the album after. Is that the song you think is most like you on the album, or is there another one?
That's another very good question. In some ways, “Old Soul” doesn't best represent the sound of the album, because it's one of the slower tunes, a little more modern, with electronic sounds and piano. It's kind of different from the others.
But lyrically, it definitely summarizes what I was going through at that moment. It's one of the most vulnerable songs, and I really love performing it. I think it's the one that, especially through the lyrics, encapsulates the whole meaning of the album.
It fits that the album takes its title from this song, because it kind of opened the bottle that everything was coming from and sealed the whole package. It was also one of the last songs I wrote before I started recording the album.
E: A lot of the songs were made with the album in mind. Is there a song that surprised you once it was finished, something you didn't expect to become what it did?
D: Probably “Old Soul,” because originally it was just voice and guitar. When we recorded it, it became something else entirely, and I liked it way better. It went through a really nice transformation that helped me bond with the song.
That's the one that surprised me the most, because I wasn't expecting it to become so emotional.
That's what I was going for, but at first it was just me, and I felt it lacked something. When we recorded it and finished it, I realized it had a lot of potential. It gained that potential by sharing it with my drummer and the other musicians in the studio. So, yeah, I think that's the one.
E: I know you've done a lot of traveling as part of your career and music. Do you think the environments you've been in affect how you tell your stories? If so, how?
D: Definitely. Especially the experience in the US when we went to South by Southwest (SXSW Festival). It felt like finally finding a place where music was consumed in a way that I would consume it, you know? Of course, South by Southwest is like a happy island where music is at the center of attention, so we got the chance to be in the right place at the right moment, if you know what I mean.
Italy is very different depending on where you are. Rome is one thing, and the northern part is another, but it still lacks the kind of attention we got over there. The bands we saw there also shifted something for me in my songwriting and performance.
I think it inspired me to get outside my comfort zone a little. There are so many different kinds of music and artists in the world, and you really get in touch with that there. Seeing that helped me think, “Okay, I'm never going to be too much. I can try that. I can be a little braver with my voice and my vocals.” That changed my point of view a lot.
Everywhere I go, I'm writing in my notebook. I remember writing some of the lyrics for “Clairvoyant” in Prague while I was walking alongside the river. Nature, cities, and the places I go definitely inspire my creativity.
Do you think that shift in confidence and finding yourself is the biggest change you've experienced since you first started releasing music, or have other things changed, too?
Yeah, I think so. Starting to perform outside Rome, my hometown, was a huge shift that began with South by Southwest. Then we started going around Italy and visited a lot of places in the north where people would come and listen, even if they didn't know who I was or what my music sounded like.
I think the biggest shift was crossing borders. With my other band, In June, which I started in 2018 with Myra, the drummer from my solo project, and Paolo, who plays bass, we went to Madrid to play. That was a big shift in our music production, too.
I think that's the main thing that can make an artist feel like they're not alone in this, that there are places to go. That was a huge shift for me.
E: It has been so incredible hearing your perspectives on all of this. I know you plan on doing some shows following the release of the album. Are there any songs on the album you're especially excited or nervous to perform live?
D: Singing comes a little more naturally to me than playing guitar, even though I've been playing for so long, so I'm a little nervous about that. Some of the songs on this album challenge me vocally, too. For example, “Teach” is very hard for me vocally, but it's very satisfying when I manage it. I had to study my own song, which is so crazy to think about.
That's the one that makes me a little nervous vocally. And then there's “Where the Love Is,” which is a little more complex on guitar. That might be the one I'm most nervous about playing.
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Danxgerous will be having an album release show for Old Soul on October 16 in Dublin at Jacob’s Venue, which will be followed by a second show the next day at The A Venue in Belfast. These shows will kick off her mini-tour throughout the UK and Italy. Tickets and more updates on Danxgerous are available on her Instagram.
