Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with IMAAI.
Tell us about your music.
I write what I feel is needed to continue growing as a human. What do I mean by that being said? Well, most of my songs are written with a certain reality of the times. Even when you look at our Christmas release, it was written with the ideology of the lack of equality that seems to be expanding in our present society, with the Supreme Court’s one-sided view of Women’s Healthcare and the violence against the LGBTQIA community.
The band on our latest release is mainly Cheryl and I but we did use the voices of Bryan Klinesteker, Joel Brogon, and DJ JenCat. I played all instruments on this 5 song EP.
When did you start performing?
I started my performance at the moment of birth. And yes, throughout my life, I have been on many stages in front of thousands. And yes, we will tour with what we are doing, but inevitably, that’s not the final goal. The goal is to make the music into a theater. A circus. A visual monster. A Broadway explosion! The Movie! A cult classic in a B-rated world! This is only the starting line of the release of trauma in the human experiment. And so begins the DHP.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
I consider my hometown the world. We live in Kansas City, Missouri, and I think it’s a great place to live as long as you live near a city. But to say hometown, I would have to go back to my upbringing and say that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Norwood would be what I consider my home. In the suburbs of Philly is where I met my wife, Cheryl, at a karaoke night, and the rest is history. Music was our first connection; as you can see, it still plays a significant part in our relationship.
What performers have been your inspiration?
My music, my sound, is my creation. I could give you a list of every artist I have ever listened to and every sound that made a connection between my ear drum and my psyche, but that would wear my fingers out, so instead, I realize I am a musician, and I hear something that sounds like I need to know how to make it mine, so I do.
What do you base your success on?
Somehow, someway, I seem to be resonating something that is making a connection with real humans, and that to me is very cool. All I have ever looked for has not been success in monetary value, although it would be nice. I am looking more to empathy, compassion, and kindness that reshape history.
What was your latest musical release?
Our latest release is “American Dreamers,” a five-song EP that will reshape how you think about empathy for others. It includes Christ Was a Girl, a song that has no intention of ripping into the Christian community but is more of a wake-up and look at what so many of your leaders find acceptable as so many have been victimized by their predatory ways. The next song, “212,” plays up the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit, considering that we, as biological beings, are made up of 60 to 65%, and covers the how and why some anger can not be controlled. The 3rd song on this release is “All Love is Christmas,” which I explained earlier. Then there’s “Hole,” which we all need to help each other get out of. And finally, there is the song “Attica,” the namesake synonymous with the infamous prison riot of the early 70s. I have taken this topic to a new level by making it revolve more around the thought of euthanasia. Hence, the homage to Dr. Kubler-Ross, a doctor who had assisted with self-induced suicide but then, at the end of her life, had to endure suffering through a terminal illness.
Do you have any news to share?
I will share the following, but please don’t hold me to an exact date. We are in the process of creating a new ten-song release that I hope will be out on all platforms by March 1st! This release will include my music and lyrics but will basically be the “Cheryl album”! We are hoping that all ducks are in line on this as I am still in the writing stages of it, and they all still have to go to our producer, Andy Oxman, at Soundworks Recording in Blue Springs, Mo. The title of the release will be Love Lust and Murder. Although I can’t set the date in concrete, we will absolutely have it out before summer and will start releasing singles for it by February.
How can fans find you?
thedarrenhollandproject | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
View thedarrenhollandproject’s Linktree. Listen to their music on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music here.
Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Final words always feel so permanent, like the end. And this is only the infancy of what will come for us on this fabulous road show of existence with our fans. A sideshow of dark comedy or the topic that sidetracks your every emotion. In time all will decide if this is the beginning of what will make the new rock revolution a reality or just a crazy concept that no one is ready for. Listen loud to the music and feel the good vibrations as you delve deep into the sublime state of lyrical expression.
Peace Out!
Darren