Formed by singer Danny Blu in New York in 2015, Echo Black is an industrial rock band. The guys have an array of influences like Dave Matthews Band, Taking Back Sunday, Motley Crue, and Marilyn Manson, to name a few.
“Echo Black sets out to make evocative and visceral music you can feel in your bones.”
Who are you and what is your role in the band?
Danny Blu – Vocals
Felix Skiver – Guitar
Billy Long – Drums/Keyboard
Rob Gnarly – Bass
 How did the band get started?
We’ve been a band for a good amount of time now, but recently rebranded and renamed ourselves to become Echo Black. It’s a super exciting time for us: debuting again as a tighter, more well rounded, more layered group.
What does the name mean?
When we decided to rename, we wanted it to encompass the fact that we all come from different musical backgrounds and bounce all those influences against each other to create our sound. Thus the Echo. The “Black” comes from who we represent as musicians: the outcasted, the rebel, the different.
Who are your influences?
Danny – I grew up in the shock rock world of Manson and Zombie and later became as equally influenced by dark pop music.
Skiver – Â Rock N Roll. Motley Crue, Crash Diet, Hyde, etc…
Gnarly – Various Punk bands, especially in live performances. Musically: Taking Back Sunday and Alkaline Trio
Billy – I look for sounds that are interesting to me. Carter Beauford from Dave Matthews Band, Neil Peart, Liberty DeVitto…
What has been your most meaningful experience being in this band so far?
We played a stripped down set in New Orleans on tour in 2014. During the show, we played a ballad and it was pretty much acoustic. The bar got really quiet and at the end of the song we looked over and there was an older man crying into his beer. He said he was incredibly moved by our set. That was pretty cool.
Favorite memory from a show you’ve played or a place you’ve travelled?
Rob – Denver, Colorado on this current tour: the first time I got to play for my brother as a member of Echo Black.
Billy – We got to travel to Vegas for a showcase about 3 years ago. Seeing what all the hype was about was absolutely worth it.
Felix – The first time I saw an audience sing my lyrics back at me.
Danny – We were playing a Halloween show a few years back and had the sound kick out in the middle of a song. I got instantly scared, but then the entire crowd finished the song out with us and knew all the words. Made my whole year.
What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
We hope to give the world a new type of listening experience. To create a community based around our message of tolerance and emotional awareness.
Something about you that no one knows?
We’d like it to remain that way…
What is next for the band?
We’re in a pretty exciting position of not knowing exactly what’s next. We have material to release, but we aren’t sure how or when. Sort of riding the wave at the moment, which is exhilarating.
