Gary Dranow is a veteran singer, songwriter and guitarist with a career that has spanned six decades. In 2023 he launched a new solo project. Working with his production partner Chris Zoupa from Melbourne Australia, as well as a roster of collaborators from around the world, the prolific song man has penned over eighty tunes in the last year.
A modern day renaissance man, music is just one facet of this uniquely talented artist. He has raced horses and motorcycles, launched his own clothing line, and has worked as both a mortgage broker and well-known ski instructor. In the rock & roll arena, Gary Dranow has been playing in bands since he was twelve years-old.
“Concrete Jungle” is the current single from Gary Dranow’s forthcoming LP I Don’t Know. The track opens on a dark and moody guitar and vocal intro. On the mic the singer observes the cold world around him, delivering his soliloquy in a deep and soulful tone that brings to mind the late-great Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. Soon the band joins in and the song builds to an emotional grunge-rock anthem.
Check out the official “Concrete Jungle” music video below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Dive : Pop & Rock playlist, or listen on your favorite streaming service. We had the chance to chat with Gary Dranow about his new music. check out his answers to our eight questions below. And follow the links at the end of this article to connect with the artist.
8 Questions with Gary Dranow
Where are you from?
Park City, Utah
How long have you been making music?
60 Years
Who are the musicians involved in your project?
Chris Zoupa, Melbourne, Australia
Iain Archibald, Melbourne, Australia
Klym Apalkov, Kaniv, Ukraine
Roman Burda, Lviv, Ukraine
Jason Jones, Springville, Utah
Malena Marcase, Spain.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Morse, and Joe Satriani.
What is your greatest non-musical influence?
Ayn Rand, Carlos Castaneda
What inspired you to create this project?
I have Bipolar 1 Disorder, and I have always been Manic. Because of this, I looked to music to express what I was feeling. I learned to love the guitar and songwriting.
I had two significant periods of music inspiration: the mid-90s when I wrote my Destiny Road album (which was finally released in May of 2023, and from August 2023 to the present when Chris and I have written over eighty songs.
What are your plans for the future (musically)?
To become a mainstream artist.