Danny and Alex

Words by Ainsley Martinez

A young Danny Scordato and Alex Merrill met in middle school and as they played instruments for childish enjoyment, the music they created changed and surpassed the stage of awkward adolescence, following them into their 20s. By the time they entered high school, the two friends knew music was their calling and would be their career.

“I remember Danny telling me ‘If I don’t become famous before 8th grade then it’s all over’, so he set the deadline and we definitely surpassed it,” said Merrill. “But we’re still going.”

Their EP, Grand Slam, Thank You Ma’am, was released in 2018. As the 4 songs introduced the pair to the music industry, it also introduced them to the success that followed. With 42,112 Spotify listeners and an album underway, Danny and Alex prove that there’s almost nothing you can’t do with a friend and hard work. In the ultimate age of self-production and musical independence, the two take a more challenging approach by not having a producer, but nevertheless, the end product is polished and perfected.

“We’ve been with a few producers over the years, and it’s not always quite what you see it as”, said Scordato. “It’s much better, in the long run, to just learn how to do it (producing) yourself”. Merrill adds that the expanding accessibility of technology provides easy access to music production necessities.

“Everything is so cheap production-wise like laptops and recording software that you really don’t need to rely on anyone else”, said Merrill.

Both expressing that self-producing is the “only way to go”, Scordato and Merrill create music that exemplifies exactly what they want it to. While some listeners analyze their lyrics for metaphors and motifs, Scordato says there’s no need: their first EP wasn’t filled with underlying messages.

“It’s just pop music about quirky things, and we try to make it very aurally appealing. We try to add a lot of depth to the music by adding interesting chords,” said Scordato.

Scordato and Merrill seek to bring more “funky” sounds to their upcoming album. In a project that they said boasted “better production and more storytelling”, the two hone in on their musical inspirations. Artists such as Prince and Steely Dan have influenced their production process, and their new music is generally described as different and going in the right direction.

“The first EP was definitely a little all over the place, so hopefully this is a little bit more cohesive”, reflected Merill. “It tells a better story of what we’re about”.

There is no set release date, but Danny and Alex are hoping to release the album by July of next year.