Interview w/ Daniel Rinaldi

Hey everyone!

Continuing our ongoing series of interviews with artists that were also featured Artist Spotlight musicians here on the blog several months back. Today, I have an interview with Daniel Rinaldi who was the former lead vocalist of Bedlight For Blue Eyes, a prominent New Jersey area alt-rock band. Daniel is now stepping out on his own with a brand new solo album that will be released soon, and he recently took some time to chat with me about that disc and his hopes for the future:

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Daniel Rinaldi and I am from New York City.

When did you first become interested in music?

I was about 6 or 7 when I became interested in music. I started out in my church choir and then as time went on I began to make my way into listening to more music. My dad is responsible for a lot of the music I grew up on that made me want to get into music.

When did you first learn how to play a musical instrument?

Unfortunately I have never been able to sit down and learn an instrument. For years I have always considered my voice to be my instrument. I hope to one day sit down and learn piano or guitar, I would really love to pick those two up. 

Where and when did you learn how to write your own songs?

Throughout high school I always wrote poems and short stories. It wasn't till I was studying music in college till I tried song writing. Then as time went on and I joined my first band, that is when I really started to learn what it is to write a song.

Where do you draw the inspiration from to write your music?

I draw my inspiration from everything around me when I write music. All the songs I have written are always for the most part about something in my life. The ones that aren't are still taken from what is around me. I like to tell real stories because I feel it is more relatable to the person listening.

What genre of music do you consider your music to fall under?

I like to consider my music pop rock that knows what came before it. Meaning that I take the way I write music and the way all of my influences that came before me to craft what I always hope are great songs. I always want to make sure my music comes out accessible to everyone.

Tell me a little about the solo album that you're working on now and how is that coming along?

My solo EP will be the first cd I have ever put out on my own. I am very excited to be able to be doing this from the ground up. It will be 5 songs that as we speak I am finishing up lyrically. Working with Adam Richman (The Downtown Fiction) on this has truly been a great experience so far. He is a great songwriter, producer, and just makes this process so much easier. We start recording this month and I've never been more proud or ready in my career.

What are your future plans, do you plan on playing any shows sometime in the near future?

I plan on playing shows after I'm done with the EP. It is really one of the things I am most excited about. I love being on stage and singing to the people coming out to see me. I am very excited about the future and what it will bring!

What kind of music do you like to listen to on a daily basis, any favorite artists?

I really can say I listen to everything. If I had to choose though I'd say I am a big fan of pop music. Right now some of my favorite artists are Parachute, Andy Grammer, Train, Maroon 5 and Adele. As for my all time favorites Hall and Oates, Journey, Barnaby Bye, and Aerosmith.

What do you hope people take away from your music?

I want people to take away a sense of identity when they listen to my music. I want each person to find a little bit of themselves in each song. I want to always create real music from a real place, that is what i strive for. So if someone listening can hear and feel that then I've done what I set out to do.

Thanks once again to Daniel Rinaldi for taking some time out of his schedule to do this interview! Keep checking back here on the blog for more interviews with up and coming artists all summer long.