SPOTLIGHT: DANNY RITZ

Meet Danny Ritz and tune into his upcoming single “a thousand times again.”

For anyone new to your music, how would you describe your sound in your own words?

Anthemic indie rock with vocals at the center! 

You’ve described your music “big songs about little things.” Can you unpack that idea for us? What kinds of moments or feelings are you drawn to as a songwriter?

The most extraordinary things tend to happen during ordinary moments, and there’s something beautiful and absurd to that contrast. That’s where the ‘big/little’ instinct comes from. I’m drawn to the extreme emotions that happen in complete silence. 

Let’s talk about “a thousand times again.” What’s the story behind this new track?

Coming of age in an era when everything feels within reach to a point of almost excess, I wanted to write a love song (a song about one person's devotion to somebody) that was colored through that lens. 

There’s a tenderness and repetition implied in that title, what emotions or experiences were you trying to capture in the songwriting?

I know I have loved so deeply (and been loved), but I also know that unchecked excess causes a lot of people a lot of pain, so I was wanting to build a song that asked if there was such a thing as too much love? Most people would say no, but I wanted to ask the question.

Sonically, how did you shape this track? Did you approach it differently than past songs?

My co-producer and I tried to mirror our themes in the production as much as possible — we wanted the song to feel the same way loving someone feels, being pulled around in multiple directions and coming back home, like a lullaby that explodes mid-way through. It was our first project together, and we’ve worked a bunch since then, so there’s definitely a lot of love and curiosity in the decision-making.

You’ve cited influences like Ging, Dirty Projectors, and Starberry for this song. How do those artists shape your sound or challenge you creatively?

I think they all, especially in their arrangements and production, manage to do intricate things while projecting ease. I will always admire that kind of grace.  

Brooklyn is such a layered music city. How has living there influenced your writing or your approach to indie rock?

I’ve met so many incredible musicians here (I originally moved here to go to music school). I’m a pretty social person, and seeing them evolve is its own kind of invisible mentorship. There’s people to laugh with, people to celebrate with, people to fail with, people to regret with. It gets me, as a mentor once told me, out of my head and into my feet. 

I really admire the way you promote your music, particularly your TikTok platform. How do you approach showing up online as an artist?

Thank you! It’s definitely a puzzle. I think the things that give me energy are trying to fall in love with the process of showing up online, rather than the product. For me, that usually looks like embracing the abstractions of the music (letting it unspool itself in as many directions as possible)

Do you feel like the way you share your music digitally shapes how people experience your songs?

Absolutely. There’s a strange inverse between how much time I spend with a project and how much time a listener does (2 and a half minutes a time). I think that’s what motivates me to embrace a song’s abstractions wherever I can. I want my audience to know it can be whatever they need it to be. 

There’s something personal and precise in your lyrics. When you sit down to write, do you start with a line, a sound, or a feeling?

It varies song to song, but there’s usually some feeling I can’t erase. A lot of the time it’s the first two lines of the first verse. 

What do you hope people feel or take away when they hear “a thousand times again”?

I want them to feel like they just went off a diving board. 

If this song were part of a short film or a visual scene, what would it look like? What kind of mood or setting would match it?

Ooooo, that’s tough. There’s a scene in Celine Sciama’s Petite Maman that I think would be great in. That movie explores the love between a mother and her daughter in such a profound way, it nails the exact emotions that are in my mind with this song. And she does it in barely over an hour, what a pro. 

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with musically that’s sneaking its way into your work?

Other people. 

Is “a thousand times again” part of a larger project? Can fans expect an EP, album, or more singles coming soon?

Yes to 1 and 3! I’ve been rolling out an EP throughout the year one track at a time. More is on its way! Mid July :)

Listen to “a thousand times again” here.