Danko Jones

Named after their bandleader, Danko Jones are a Canadian hard rock trio whose bluesy, punk-blasted style is rooted in the tradition of Thin Lizzy and AC/DC. Known for their high-energy live performances and humorous lyrics, the band emerged in the late 1990s and quickly made a name for themselves with their Juno-nominated sophomore effort, 2003′s We Sweat Blood. Highly regarded in their Canadian homeland, Danko Jones have also enjoyed enormous popularity overseas, specifically Western Europe, with chart-topping albums like Below the Belt (2010), Fire Music (2015), and A Rock Supreme (2019). The Garth Richardson-produced Power Trio appeared in 2021 to critical acclaim. They followed with the Eric Ratz-produced Electric Sounds in 2023.
Comprising band namesake Danko Jones (vocals/guitar), John Calabrese (aka JC, bass guitar), and Dan Cornelius (drums), the band was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1996 and made their recording debut in 1998 with a five-track self-titled EP on Sonic Unyon. A follow-up EP on Sound King Records, My Love Is Bold (1999), garnered airplay on Canadian hard rock radio, setting the stage for I'm Alive and on Fire (2001), a 13-track compilation of the band’s recording output from 1996 to 1999.
Marking the beginning of Danko Jones’ commercial ties to Europe, I'm Alive and on Fire was released in Europe by the Swedish label Bad Taste Records. The band’s full-length debut, Born a Lion (2002), was its first major-label release, distributed in Canada by Universal Music Group; Bad Taste Records continued to release the band’s music on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. We Sweat Blood followed in 2003 under the same arrangement. For Danko Jones’ next album, Sleep Is the Enemy (2006), they remained with Bad Taste Records in Europe yet switched from Universal to the independent label Aquarius Records in Canada. Never Too Loud followed in 2008 on the same label.
Recorded at Studio 606 in Los Angeles with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, whose credits include the Foo Fighters (2002′s One by One, 2005′s In Your Honor) and Velvet Revolver (2004′s Contraband), Never Too Loud was Danko Jones’ most commercially successful album to date in Europe, particularly in Germany, where it became a Top 40 hit. In February 2009, the group released the appropriately titled B-Sides, followed in 2010 by fifth full-length Below the Belt.
The following year, Danko Jones announced the departure of longtime member Dan Cornelius, who was replaced by Angels & Airwaves drummer Atom Willard. In 2012, Danko Jones returned with their sixth studio album, Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue. The year 2014 saw the release of Garage Rock!, a collection of rare and unreleased early recordings cut between 1996 and 1998. Rich Knox became Danko Jones’ new drummer in time to play on the sessions for the album Fire Music, which was released in February 2015. Wild Cat, a set where Jones put his fascination with women front and center, followed in March 2017. The band enlisted Rage Against the Machine and Red Hot Chili Peppers producer Garth Richardson to produce album number nine, 2019′s hard-hitting A Rock Supreme, before returning in 2021 with the aptly titled Power Trio.
The band spent months touring North America and Europe, then, after some much-needed rest, returned to recording in late 2022. Given that its members were then spread across the globe, the trio began by sending files back and forth for months. They eventually convened in Berlin to rehearse and enlisted producer Eric Ratz to complete the album. Contributing performances along the way were guests including Fucked Up’s Damian Abraham, Barenaked Ladies’ Tyler Stewart, and Exciter’s Daniel Dekay. The single “Guess Who’s Back” b/w “Good Time” appeared in May 2023, with the completed full-length, titled Electric Sounds, following on AFM in September. ~ Jason Birchmeier