Award-winning South African blues rock guitarist DAN PATLANSKY will release his new studio album Shelter of Bones via Virgin Music Label and Artist Services on 25th February 2022. The album is available to pre-order from https://DanPatlansky.lnk.to/ShelterofBonesSo.
The first single Hounds Loose taken from the new album, released Friday 26th November 2021, is available to stream/download from https://DanPatlansky.lnk.to/HoundsLooseSo.
Watch the Hounds Loose video below.
Patlansky will support the album with a nationwide UK tour from March 31– April 12 with special guest Arielle. Tickets are available at www.thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/Dan-Patlansky.htm.
Shelter of Bones was recorded over a three-year period from 2019-2021. “The pandemic allowed me to take my time, and really think about how I want the songs to come across,” reflects Patlansky.
“In many ways I tried to keep the sound from past albums that I’ve become known for in my arrangements and song writing, but definitely took some different turns along the way. I’ve always seen a record as a time capsule of where an artist is in a particular time of their lives.”
For Patlansky, Shelter of Bones covers a three- year period of many ups and downs, and, as a result, the South African guitarist believes the process has been a very interesting journey.
“My goal is always to try make a record that I would want to listen to,” says Patlansky. “I’m very happy and proud of this album. I produced it myself because I wanted a very particular sound. On three of the tracks, I enlisted a good friend and ex-keyboard player from Hamburg, Tom Gatza, who brought a fresh feel to these songs, especially the ballads (I’ll Keep Trying and Shelter of Bones).”
“Shelter of Bones is an accurate representation of who I am currently as an artist, which is a modern twist on what I love most, the Blues.”
ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1. SOUL PARASITE (3:31)
2. SNAKE OIL CITY (4:26)
3. SELFISH LOVER (3:14)
4. LOST (4:14)
5. BAD SOUL (4:06)
6. PRESENCE (4:13)
7. *I’LL KEEP TRYING (5:42)
8. DEVIL’S DOPAMINE (3:19)
9. SWEET MEMORIES (4:51)
10. *HOUNDS LOOSE (3:44)
11. *SHELTER OF BONES (5:20)
Produced by Dan Patlansky
*Produced by Tom Gatza
Songs arranged by Dan Patlansky, Tom Gatza, Andy Maritz
Guitars/Vocals/Bass Guitar (on tracks 1,5) – Dan Patlansky
Bass Guitar (on tracks 2,3,4,6,8,9, 10) – Rixi Roman
Bass Guitar (on tracks 11) – Sebastian Gimm
Bass Guitar (on tracks 7)- Clint Falconer
Keyboards/Piano – Dean Barrett
Additional Keyboards and additional backing vocals – Tom Gatza
Drums – Andy Maritz
Recorded and engineered by Jaco Naude
Additional engineering by Neil Ferreira, and Marius Van Wyk
Recorded at Scherzo Studio’s, Pretoria South Africa
Additional Recording at Drumheadz Studio, Johannesburg South Africa
Mixed by Stefan Swart
Mastered by Rogan Kelsey
Album Artwork- Squidart
Photography – Tobias Johan Coetsee
ALBUM TRACK BY TRACK
SOUL PARASITE
Commentary on the soul destroyers that run the modern world. This to me is the biggest problem facing society in general. It doesn’t matter what political side you fall under. I see most current day leaders as two faced, and in it for mostly personal gain. The sole purpose of a leader is to serve in the best interest of the people. That mind set as been completely diluted over the last century.
SNAKE OIL CITY
A fictional place where liars, thieves, chancers reside. It is strikingly like the current South African government. It currently feels like there is very little law and order, tax money is being pocketed, corruption is rife, and if you have enough money, you can basically get away with any crime imaginable. When it comes to writing blues songs, South Africa is sadly a bottomless source of subject matter to write about.
SELFISH LOVER
A true story about my relationship with tobacco, and finally trying to say goodbye to something that has been such a huge part of my life. I’ve always seen tobacco as a selfish lover because it really gives absolutely nothing back to you, just a false sense of enjoyment and relief, but even knowing that it still feels like a friend that been through thick and thin with me.
LOST
There was a time a while back when my wife Gisela fell ill and the doctors thought the worst, luckily everything turned out great in the end, but it was a very scary and uncertain time, and the song expresses the absolute turmoil I was feeling.
BAD SOUL
Some people are just born bad and can’t be changed. I grew up and got to know some people that seemed to just possess a bad streak in them, and no matter how hard people tried to steer them in a different direction, they would just end up being ‘bad ass’s’ in everything thing they did.
PRESENCE
We spend most of our lives either living in the past or the future and not enough time in the present. It a lesson I learnt the hard way and lost a lot of ground in my life by obsessing in the past and the future. My kids helped ground me, and they made me realise the power of living in the present.
I’LL KEEP TRYING
A song about my personal flaws and the effect it has on my relationship with my wife, and the will to improve myself. Taking a hard look in the mirror and identifying one’s short comings is an incredibly hard task to perform, but the personal growth from the exercise is huge! Constant improvement all round is one of my biggest goals in life.
DEVIL’S DOPAMINE
Modern societies addiction and reliance on the digital world is alarming to me. Back in the day only true experts would be granted a platform to voice their educated opinions on topics and issues in the fields of expertise. Nowadays anyone with an opinion can be heard depending on their social media reach. It very hard to believe anything on the internet these days.
SWEET MEMORIES
As hard as lock down was, we will one day look back on it as some of the most special times of our lives because of the time we all got to spend with our families. There’s a silver lining to everything. In the past I’ve spent a lot of time on the road, away from my family, and have missed so many milestones because of it. The last 2 years I’ve really been blessed to have the opportunity to make up for lost time.
HOUNDS LOOSE
The Blues cliche tale of selling your soul to the devil. Now he is coming to claim what is his. I’ve always been fascinated about the story of Robert Johnson and other blues men that sold their souls.
SHELTER OF BONES
A message of advice and concern to my kids on what they can expect growing up in today’s world. One of my biggest fears is what the world will do to my kids as they grow up. I thought it fitting to be the title track on the album, because all the songs on this record could be bits of advice to my kids going forward. “It’s like my heart is beating without the shelter of bones.”
DAN PATLANSKY MARCH/APRIL 2022 UK TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUEST *ARIELLE
*ON ALL DATES EXCEPT MANCHESTER
Tickets available from http://www.thegigcartel.com
Southampton, 1865 – Thursday 31 March 2022
Norwich, Waterfront Arts – Friday 1 April 2022
Newcastle, The Cluny – Saturday 2 April 2022
Glasgow, Òran Mór – Sunday 3 April 2022
Sheffield, Greystones – Tuesday 5 April 2022
Bristol, Exchange – Wednesday 6 April 2022
Leeds, Brudenell – Friday 8 April 2022
*Manchester, Deaf Institute – Saturday 9 April 2022
Leek, Foxlowe Arts – Sunday 10 April 2022
London, Garage – Tuesday 12 April 2022
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 