Interview with Bassist Danny Doll of Wicked

Photo by Scott Braun
L to R: Danny, Scotty V, Gunnar, Chad Michael


By Mick Michaels



COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Danny! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: What do you think made 70s Rock 'n Roll so unique and so alluring especially to musicians who seem to be still enthralled by its sound and style to work into the modern music fabric?
Danny Doll: Easily put… Art, Fashion, Imagination, and Musical Ability! The 70s rock scene had everything from theater to street sense. Any band that was doing it could play, and I mean they could play live! Real bands playing real music…which is something to be desired in 2020.
Photo by Scott Braun
L to R: Gunnar, Scotty V, Danny, Chad Michael
CV: Do you feel that 70s era of arena rock concerts and flamboyant attitudes could make a comeback in this day and age aside from the current COVID situation?
DD: Everything is cyclical! Walk into a mall…when COVID isn’t a thing, and you catch the 70s style tearing through retail stores… it’s kinda funny…now we can buy women’s clothes that fit our style, haha. You can see it in musical acts as well. Finally, the industry is headed toward a huge gap in their market of arena acts…once KISS, Alice Cooper, and AC/DC are gone they are going to need to fill that gap and there is nothing that can replace that connection you find at an arena rock concert! No matter how many tracks and how many backup dancers you have.

CV: Who would you say had the greatest impact on the music scene from the 70s? Who brought the total package to the table in your opinion?
DD: David Bowie by far! Ziggy Stardust not only lit the fire in generations of rockers like us, but Bowie was able to evolve his music and bring the audience something from another world, which I feel has set the bar for the music scene. Theatrics, fashion, musicianship and danger!
CV: A band can be defined by many things. Describe Wicked to someone who has not heard the band's music using only three words then tell us why you chose those three specific words? DD: Rebellion, Androgyny and Legacy.
Photo by CSNY
L to R: Scotty V, Danny, Chad Michael, Gunnar
Because at our core we never follow anyone, yet rather find pleasure in breaking the molds of our modern minds. Our music harkens back to a retro hard rock style yet infused with a modern twist. We feel boys can be pretty too and flaunt it! You can find this in our image. Finally, this band resides on its relentless hard work and strives to leave a mark that will be remembered. Great musicianship with a focus on the value of a great song!

CV: How did the band approach meshing East coast and West coast musical influences to form the nucleus of the Wicked sound and style? With such a distinction between those coastal sounds, some level of functional fusion must have not been easy to find.
DD: WICKED is the balance of extremes which makes this East Coast, West Coast influence work so well! We were born on the city streets with that raw energy ingrained in us, but the allure of escape to the western world captivates us! The meshing of these influences brings the dynamics into our songs and musical compositions, which is represented really well on our newest body of work!
Photo by Scott Braun
L to R: Gunnar, Danny, Chad Michael, Scotty V
CV: What do you feel makes a band iconic? Is it more than a look or a particular hit song?
DD: To be iconic as a band is to be able to be impressionable and be able to be relevant and succeed yourself at any given point in time. 
CV: Does being considered iconic then in the music world also equate to a level of depth, meaning or emotional content within that artist's music and songwriting?
DD: Timeless music can speak to any generation and that makes you iconic! If your music can spark that feeling of relation in someone in their 70s and someone in their teens, then you have found that level of depth or emotional connection to the human form.
CV: Do you feel the COVID pandemic has forever changed how the music industry will operate especially in terms of live shows, touring and social media?DD: No, I believe things will find a way back to “normal.” People live for that human connection, that point in time that cannot be replaced and can only be found in the heat of the moment when live music is present like an orgasm…it can’t be faked.

CV: What's next for the band? What can fans expect to see coming from Wicked in the remainder of 2020 and beyond?
DD: WICKED is finishing up a debut album for early 2021 along with plans for touring North America and Europe later in 2021! We plan to be back in the studio over the winter months with our producer, 5 time Grammy Winner; Nacho Molino to cut another album while we are all cooped up from COVID.
CV: Thank you again Danny for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.
DD: Thank you very much!





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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.




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