Dani Tagen
Meet Preston-born UK Open Mic performer, Dani Tagen:
Hi Dani Tagen, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:
Do you play solo only, or also in a group?
Group
What’s the name of the group?
x-blu
How old are you?
50
Where were you born?
Preston
Where did you grow up?
Manchester
How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)
A lot and not at all.
Where are you based now, and why?
London
What got you into making music in the first place?
Survival
What instrument/s do you play?
Singing
Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?
Scott Walker
The Doors
Nina Simone
Joy Division
The stranglers
Mozart
Abba
Madonna
Portishead
Gotham Project
because we like variety
Do you write your own songs?
Yes
How many years have you been writing songs for?
30
What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?
Reading poetry, watching the news, listening to songs, watching film and observing the world.
How long have you been playing open mic nights?
3
Why did you get into playing them in the first place?
Great place to connect with other musicians, grow a fan base and listening to upcoming talent.
What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?
Challenge yourself, don’t do anything that feels safe.
What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?
The crowd noise/chat, TV on, football/sport on TV.
What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?
The band evening every other Wednesday at the Iron Horse in Sicup – the crowd and vibe is just great.
If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?
Yes
What do you currently find the hardest and biggest obstacles to moving your music career forward?
Reaching out to the right fan base
What’s the one truth about you that people often find surprising?
I can kneat
What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?
Recoding a demo
Do you have your own music video, channel or playlist you’d like to share?
Do you have music on streaming? What’s you main streaming channel to send people to?
Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?
https://www.instagram.com/xblu.music/
What other sites/profiles should people go to to find out more about you?
x-blu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">x-blu.com/
www.instagram.com/xblu.music/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.instagram.com/xblu.music/
www.youtube.com/@x-blu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.youtube.com/@x-blu
soundcloud.com/xblumusic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soundcloud.com/xblumusic
We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?
No thanks!