We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Kincaid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, how does your business help the community?
Music is a universal language. It can bring us together, express our emotions, and provide us comfort or joy. The music we listen to is the soundtrack of our lives.  As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”.
Since I was a child, music has been my safe haven, my friend and my obsession. When I was alone, music was always there for me.

The psychological impact that music has on us is undeniable. Sometimes, bringing a smile to our face, or other times reducing us to tears when we didn’t even know that we needed to cry.

In my new album, “Persona Non Grata”, I took a deep introspective look into myself and the human condition as a whole. The definition of Persona Non Grata is “an unwanted or unacceptable person”. I think we’ve all felt that way at one time or another.

At one point in my life, I experienced a traumatic event that changed who I was. Since then, I have dealt with PTSD, depression and anxiety. I became a person who I didn’t recognize, a person I did not want to be.

I have fought my way back from some really dark times, times that I didn’t think I’d survive. I still fight them to this day. By remembering who I once was and the trials I had to overcome, I have a new and profound understanding of myself and empathy for others, along with a deeper longing to be able to communicate these through my music.

My album “Persona Non Grata” is a chronicle of my path back from the darkness. It’s my belief that my songs are not complete until the listener projects their own life experiences into them.Most people experience a pivotal event in life that transforms them, sometimes for the better and other times for the worse.  It is my hope that when people hear my music, they find common ground and know that they are not alone in this world. That they are not the only ones feeling the way they do. That there is hope. I hope that knowledge gives them some semblance of peace and comfort.

I want them to know that as tough as things get, as long as they just keep breathing, things can change. Things can get better.

There are too many people suffering silently in this world, especially isolated during the pandemic. If my music can bring solace to my listeners, then I have accomplished what I’ve set out to do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My brand is me. My music is me. I make rock and roll music from the heart, putting my soul on display. I’d rather create the music that I want to make than make music based on a trend or the flavor of the day.
What sets me apart from others is that I’ve had some pretty unique life experiences to draw from, and I can tell my story through my music, which gives it a unique perspective. I’ve worked hard at being able to express myself through music in a relatable way.

To this date, my album “Persona Non Grata” is my greatest musical accomplishment. Not only is the album everything I wanted it to be, but I also had the chance to collaborate with two of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with. “Persona Non Grata” was produced and arranged by Christian Eigner of Depeche Mode and Niko Stoessl. Together, the three of us created an impactful and amazing sounding album. When I have the chance, I’m so eager and excited to play it live!

As far as how I’ve gotten to where I am today, there are no shortcuts. Whether it be working on my voice, my guitar playing, or my songwriting, I had to put the work in. Then there’s the hustle to actually get people to actually hear your music. Social media has been great for independent artists and has created avenues for artists to be heard. At the same time, you’re in competition with literally every other band on the internet. There’s no magical way to become successful. It all comes from creating great music, great content, and relentlessly promoting yourself. It hasn’t been easy, but putting the time in has been well worth it.

One of the things that I have learned is that inspiration is a fickle muse – it doesn’t always come when you want it to. When trying to meet deadlines, I’ve developed a system that I call inspiration on demand. If you’re not feeling inspired, sometimes you just need to sit down and start working. What you come up with initially may not be the best, but you push forward and try to suspend judgement. A wise man once said, “They can’t all be gems.” What you create may inspire you to the next great idea. The key is to not be idle or give up. If you’re paralyzed by a lack of inspiration, you’ll never get anything done. It’s better to put down a bad idea than no idea at all.

Regardless of the outcome, I can find peace in the fact that I created art that meant the world to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This one I’ll have to answer from a pre-pandemic perspective.

California is such a beautiful place, and I would want to show them some of the different aspects of the Los Angeles area.

My first stop would be the Santa Monica Pier. We could take a walk on the pier, grab a drink and just take in the beauty of the beaches and the ocean. We could spend some time watching the surfers and do some fishing off the pier. Not to mention enjoying some of the eclectic performances going on the sidewalks and 3rd Street Promenade.

Second day would be Malibu. It would be a blast to rent an amazing classic car or a hot rod and drive through the canyons and then down the PCH. I could show them the beauty of the Malibu coast and we could go and dip our toes in the cold waters of the Pacific. For dinner, it always a great time at Moonshadow’s for amazing food and drinks while watching the sun go down over that vast expanse of ocean and maybe even get to see some dolphins jumping through the surf.

And obviously, a trip to Hollywood would definitely be in order. I’d show them Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd and Melrose Ave. They could see all the crazy characters hanging out in front of Hollywood & Highland. It’s always fun to join the droves of shoppers on Melrose Ave. Then I’d show them Sunset Bvd during the day so they could see how it morphs into a party street at night. At night, one of my favorite joints is the Rainbow Room with its plethora of Rock ’n Roll history, all the while enjoying some of their famously strong drinks. When it comes to an interesting evening, The Rainbow always delivers! Then, depending on who was playing that night, we could check out another part of Hollywood’s rock and roll history, The Whisky A Go Go. Just being near that stage knowing how many legends have performed there is quite the experience.

After our hangovers wore off, I think a trip to the Griffith Park Observatory would be in order. It’s a beautiful place with stunning views of both the city and the Hollywood sign. Then drive back over Laurel Canyon and take a look at Houdini’s mansion. Before leaving Hollywood, a trip to Jumbo’s Clown Room or Crazy Girls may be in order!

Then maybe we could spend a night at the Cecil Hotel… Just kidding, don’t do that!

There are a ton of underground clubs that come and go that I’d love to introduce them to as well!

It’s hard to sum up all the great things you can do in LA. You may just be having a regular day and then all of a sudden get an invite to the most amazing event that you didn’t even know existed. There is no doubt I could show a friend an awesome time here in this city!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my Mother and Grandmother. Two strong women who showed me so much love and support from the very beginning of my life. To my wife and son, for inspiring me every day to be a better man, for their undying belief in me, for the love they show me and the joy they bring me.
To Jon Varney, my first guitar teacher who taught me creativity. A gift that never stops giving.
To Christian Eigner and Niko Stoessl for taking my vision of “Persona Non Grata” to epic levels!

Website: www.dankincaidmusic.com

Instagram: @dankincaidmusic

Twitter: @dankincaidmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dankincaidofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLZqiSJQiB1go-KFRaB6DlQ

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5OESy9Sme1ztukYRA2xMb0?si=ucMJNaPwTZmDcVebgQwCvQ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/persona-non-grata/1483507445

Image Credits
Photos By: Brandon Showers Hair and Makeup By: Rachel Schillero Artwork By: Jonny Bush

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.