Dan McAvinchey

I hear themes in my mind and somehow it goes on paper. Some songs on "Untold Stories" took years to get written and recorded.

But there is a risk with being an independent musician, and that is that you get so lost in your own freedom that you end up with a career that isn`t going anywhere.

The music I write and record under my own name is just the kind of music I`d like to listen to and therefore has no commercial consideration whatsoever, which means it`s a bonus if other people like it!

The main reason I started to play the guitar was Randy Rhoads. He had the biggest influence on me and my playing. When I first listened to him I couldn`t believe what I`d heard.

I love creating things, so putting my project together myself, while it was a lot of work, was very rewarding and also a good learning experience.

Knowing I would fund the project myself, I felt that I would demonstrate more credibility to labels and other industry heavy-weights by investing in myself prior to asking them to invest.

My favorite bands were AC/DC, Motorhead, The Stray Cats, The Sex Pistols and so on, so mainly hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, and rockabilly/psychobilly stuff.

When I started playing guitar I was very fortunate to have all the great guitar players in the prime of their career to look to for inspiration.

My music a mix between the aggression of metal and the madness and extravagance of prog-instrumental-rock, I don`t close myself in within just a single genre.

It`s much more difficult to attract the audience without vocals. For that reason, it`s very important to build some nice and attractive themes and melodies in instrumental music.

I run a small production company and we are learning the ropes as we go. Someone once said you`re either learning or dying. I prefer to learn.

I first picked up the guitar when I was around 7, then became hooked from the age of about 12 onwards. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to play as I was just so excited by it!