On November 9, the band byron celebrates its 18th anniversary with a special concert at Sala Radio in Bucharest, a concert entitled “Impostor Syndrome in 4 Acts”. In an interview with “The Truth”, Dan Byron, the band’s founder, talked about the concept of the concert and the impostor syndrome.
Dan Byron, one of the most appreciated Romanian artists PHOTO Cristian Șuțu
The concept behind the concert started from the idea that we know that many artists, but not only, face the impostor syndrome – the feeling that they are not good enough or that they do not deserve the success they have, even if on the outside it looks otherwise. Starting from this, the band byron started a campaign to give voice to the experiences of impostor syndrome, which many of us feel but don’t share. The band created a dedicated page: http://byron.ro/suntunimpostor/, where they invite byron fans to leave an anonymous message in audio or text format about how impostor syndrome feels to them. The collected messages will be used anonymously and artistically processed during the concert on November 9 at Sala Radio. byron, one of the best alternative rock bands in Romania, has released eight albums so far, all of them enjoying success with the public and being highly appreciated by critics.
One of the best Romanian artists, with a unique voice, Dan Byron created the band byron in 2006. And in the 18 years that have passed since the band was founded, byron has consistently remained a first-rate band in Romanian music. A band that inspires, motivates and creates special emotions with every song written.
On November 9, you and your bandmates are celebrating 18 years of Byron with a special concert at Sala Radio: “Impostor Syndrome in 4 acts”. How was the process of transforming the concept into a different concert?
We tried not to have impostor syndrome during the show (Smile). Impostor syndrome is more or less present in the lives of each of us, regardless of whether we are artists or not. Because this syndrome manifests itself in all kinds of very subtle forms that sometimes we understand, and sometimes we don’t.
You have created a dedicated page: http://byron.ro/suntunimpostor/, where you invite byron fans to leave an anonymous message in audio or text format about how impostor syndrome feels to them. What anonymous message you’ve received so far has upset you the most?
There are many stirring messages. That’s what I felt another time. Because I’ve done this experiment before, with “The monster under the bed” for example or “In hell”. There were many people who wrote to us, all on the basis of anonymity, and with this anonymity they allowed themselves to say more than they would say to those close to them. And there were also testimonies that somehow confuse you.
Is “Impostor Syndrome in 4 Acts” also a concert to heal your own wounds?
Not necessarily. I don’t consider that I necessarily have injuries after 18 years of singing in Romania. Or if I ever had them, those wounds kind of healed, I came to terms with them.
When did you have the most impostor syndrome?
In moments that, when they happened, I didn’t perceive them as such. Usually after I’d written something I thought was really good. The manifestation of the impostor syndrome was simply that the thing that came out to me was just a fluke, I had studied music diligently for over 30 years and knew a lot about songwriting. There is not much coincidence in my writing. But from time to time it seems to me that it is random and that it is unrepeatable. And that I will never be able to reach that level again.
Byron band in concert PHOTO Năluca
What is the best antidote for impostor syndrome?
I think that first of all you should be aware of it and realize that it is just a syndrome. That doesn’t mean you’re an impostor.
You recently wrote: “Pat Pattison seems obsessed with the idea of stability and instability. Stability leads to stagnation, he says, instability to movement”. How do you see the relationship between stability and instability in music and especially in Byron’s music?
Pat Pattison covers some songwriting techniques. As a concrete example, it refers to having a perfect stanza. If you have a perfect stanza, where there are four perfect lines, which rhyme perfectly at the end, are the same length, it will be very difficult for you to continue after that. Because at the moment when the stanza ends, the feeling is that the subject and the music and everything have closed. And then you have to do something to make those lines a little more uneven, a little less perfect, so that they demand a continuation. And it’s really cool how he puts it on the page. Because many of us think that when you finish something it has to be perfect. Yes, but only when you finish, not along the way. The content inside a track must be unstable enough for the track to proceed.
In Byron’s 18 years, which piece did he compose with the biggest difference between the early form and the final form?
There were many pieces. And one of the songs that I remember is called “Oricât ai vrata se bi maul”, from the album “Ephemeride”. This song had at least two other versions before. It was made by me. And it happened that at one point I was absent from a rehearsal. I do this from time to time, especially when there are orchestrations, because I’m often very possessive and I try to leave space for my colleagues to express themselves as well. And at the next rehearsal, the guys in the band showed me the version that appeared on the album, which was obviously much better than the previous two versions.
“I turned my anxieties into songs whenever they came up”
How many times have you turned your anxieties into songs?
How many times have they appeared (Laughs). In 2020 we had a big problem, right before the pandemic madness started. I had a big problem because I was forcing myself to write and because I was very tired and because I had a “bunch” of impostor syndrome on my head. And all these things translated into some pretty tough anxieties. And then I wrote some songs that ended up on the album “Ephemeride”, it’s about the songs “Monstrul de sub pat” and “In infern”. I tried to write about what I was experiencing, what I was feeling and turn those feelings into songs that had something relevant to say.
What was the most difficult moment in your struggle to live up to your own expectations?
It is not a course that has ended. Because I’m still learning, still practicing, hoping to do better. I think it is the duty of every creator to practice their art. If he doesn’t practice it, it tends to become repetitive and quite boring.
How much is imposture and how much authenticity in Romanian music?
Anything bad I say will backfire on me and I wouldn’t want that. Each of us tries to push our limits in one way or another. Some succeed more, others less. It seems to me that Romanian music is much better compared to 20 years ago. Part of it is better, another part is less good, it also depends on who appreciates it. You will never hear anyone tell you: “I listen to bad music”.
