Having picked up great reviews in the UK music press, ‘Dan Sartain vs the Serpientes’ is both as raw and accomplished a debut album as you’ll find, and finally brings some much deserved recognition to the 23 year old from Alabama. His considerable talent isn’t restricted to the record alone, with honest, bareknuckle performances over a two week period in September last year covering no less than ten dates centred in the London area, and four regional shows as part of the Club NME tour. Signed after a chance encounter with Rocket from the Crypt frontman/guitarist, and founder of Swami Records, John Reis, Dan was described by Reis as “the past and future of great voices that have bubbled up from the underground well of rebel thought.” With an encyclopaedic knowledge of music, and a sponge-like ability to absorb the sounds around him, his debut album brings together raw 50s style rhythm ‘n’ blues, country and rockabilly, 60s lo-fi garage surf sound, with late 70s post-punk angst. Ramshackle rock ‘n’ roll to perfectly beautiful, despairing sparse arrangements in a Johnny Cash meets Ian Curtis harmony.

Smoke a big fat joint.

Getting signed to Swami Records (in the US), it’s the first record label I’ve tried to get signed to, and they signed me.

I’d rather not give any musical heroes because without hearing my music I think that it would molest your idea of what it would be before you heard it. But recently Mike Tyson, I think he would knock out Muhammed Ali if they were both in their prime. It seems like most people would say Ali because he’s “the greatest”, I think people only call him the greatest because he’s smart and handsome. I think I could hang out with Mike Tyson and also the RZA.

It’s the best. Every time I think I’m done with it, I keep going back. And every time I go back, it seems like a better idea to go back. I’ve been working on it for over a year now. It’s not gonna get put out until its exactly like I want it, which means on a personal level it will be perfect in every way. Whether or not other people see it that way is yet to be seen. But for any artist, it’s a great accomplishment to do something exactly like you want it and be happy with it 100%. Some artists never do that. Whether five copies get sold or five billion, I know I’ll be happy with it.

I wanna stop being poor soon. This starving artist shit is getting old. And I’m gonna quote Ol’ Dirty Bastard: “who the fuck wants to be an MC if you can’t get paid to be a fucking MC.” Not to say that I’m not always gonna play music anyway, but it’s just really hard trying to tour and not make money, and hold some kind of shitty pizza job or something when you’re gone for a month on the side.

I’d really like to try to make Alice Cooper have another good album. I wouldn’t mind doing a Rick Rubin style thing like when Jack White worked with Loretta Lynn. Blow the dust off some old person’s mic. I think I could do a better job than any one of those guys.

Righteous Brothers, despite all the cheesy 80s movies and stuff, they sound great.

I wouldn’t invite too many people. I’d be disappointed when they didn’t show up.

What is your recipe for success?

I’ll have to succeed first and then come back and tell you.

What makes you happy?

Weed, smoking, headphones.

I found that Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood record in the $1 bin.All my “cool” friends have it and now so do I...so it makes me that much cooler now that I have it.

That’s like asking an artist what their favourite colour is. But ‘Psycho Killer’ by The Talking Heads never gets old to me.

I always wanted to be a mechanic. I tried but I was really bad at it. It’s a job that people call skilled labour, but mechanics are as talented as any artist.

THE SINGLE ‘WALK AMONG THE COBRAS PT 1’ IS RELEASED ON 27TH FEB DAN SUPPORTS THE SOLEDAD BROTHERS ON THEIR FORTHCOMING UK TOUR: FEB – BIRMINGHAM BARFLY (22), GLASGOW NICE N SLEAZY (23), NEWCASTLE CLUNY (24), YORK FIBBERS (25) AND LONDON BARFLY (27)